Sample book of woven silk samples, Bianchini-Férier, Lyon, 1920-1921

Pattern book of samples. The designs are numbered 15200-15299.
The following is a list, by serial number, of the most significant or easily identifiable designs in the pattern book:
15219 Les Arums designed by Raoul Dufy 25/10/1920. Toile façonnée. Lilies in bright rose pink on a purple ground.
15221 Le Chèvre du Thibet designed by Raoul Dufy 27/10/1920. Satin. Goat in rusty orange and brown on a bright green ground.
15229 Le Quadrige designed by Raoul Dufy 29/10/1920. Satin. Neo-classical figures in a chariot pulled by two rearing horses. As this is only a fragment of the repeat, the figures are headless. In white and dark brown on a deep yellow ground.
15231 Resembles Dufy turtles, but the designer's name is not mentioned.
15263 Designed by Alberto-Fabio Lorenzi 11/12/1920. Satin with metal. Gold and red phoenix surrounded by Chinese style clouds in gold lamé on red and black.
15265 La Promenade en bois designed by Alberto-Fabio Lorenzi 13/12/1920. Satin. Fashionably clad women surrounded by flowers in urns and dogs chasing each other in purplish brown on a bright orange ground.
15278 Le Cortège d'Orphée designed by Raoul Dufy 17/01/1921. Three neo-classical figures in black and yellow on a deep orange ground. As this is only a fragement of the repeat, the figures are missing their legs.
15278 Resembles a Lorenzi dove, but the designer's name is not mentioned.
15291 En Vacances designed by Alberto-Fabio Lorenzi 17/03/1921. Satin. Child skipping in a garden, detail of a larger repeat in reddish purple on bluish purple.
15292 Venise fête de nuit designed by Georges Barbier 23/03/1921. Figures playing harps, guitars and double basses on board gondolas rowed by gondoliers, with the buildings of Venice in the background. In bright pink, yellow, blue and dark purple on a purple ground.
15240 Biplane among the clouds in black and brown.

Purchased. Registered File number 1992/1253. Acquired from Christies at Fine Costume and Textiles sale, 14 July 1992, lot 189.

These three fabrics are samples from a Bianchini-Férier pattern book covering the period 1920-1921. Sample 15291, called ‘En Vacances’, was designed by Alberto-Fabio Lorenzi. It is dated 17/03/1921 (17 March 1921). The design, a detail of a larger repeat, is of a child skipping in a garden. Lorenzi was also a graphic artist known for his fashion plates. Sample 15292, called ‘Venise fête de nuit’, was designed by Georges Barbier on 23/03/1921 (23 March 1921). It shows figures playing musical instruments on board gondolas with the buildings of Venice in the background. Barbier was also a fashion illustrator.The name of the designer of sample 15240 is unknown. It shows a biplane among clouds. This book contains about 100 swatches in total, and it matched the sketches that sold in lot 221 of the same sale.

The Lyon-based silk manufacturer Bianchini-Férier was known for its innovative and lively fabrics in bright colours. Founded in 1888, it was possibly the most fashionable and prestigious of French silk weavers in the first half of the 20th century, employing leading artists and supplying silks to leading couturiers. In 1909 Charles Bianchini, one of the partners in the firm, had visited Vienna, a leading city for textile design. He subsequently established an office in Paris. This enabled him to cultivate good relations with the top Parisian couturiers, such as Lanvin, Patou and Poiret, who all bought dress fabrics from him. He also employed chic illustrators like Paul Iribe (1883-1935), Charles Martin (1848-1934) and Georges Barbier (1882-1932) to design textiles for the firm. After one hundred years in business, the family sold the business in 1992.

T.219-1992