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The importation of silks from the East to Europe dates back to the days of the Roman Empire. The overland trade routes that spread from Asia to the European countries were a conduit for textiles, spices and other exotic goods.

During the eleventh and twelfth centuries, the Crusades and religious conquests of the Middle East spurred the flow of Eastern goods into France. The design and colors of the Eastern yard goods were sources of inspiration to the fledgling French textile companies.  During the next several centuries, the growth of the French textile industry was spurred on by demands of the wealthy in France and by orders for cloth from the king's court and from the papal court which was located in Avignon, France.

By the mid-17th century, France was a major importer of foreign-produced cloths.  Its own textile industry had grown, but was struggling to compete with goods produced in Italy and the Far East. During the 1680s, King Louis XIV, who wanted to produce a more favorable balance of trade for France, created new laws which were designed to decrease imports of foreign yard goods and to promote the French silk industry by improving the quality of goods produced and thereby, to increase the export of French textiles.  These laws were designed to regulate and improve the quality of silks and cloth produced in France.  The new regulations delineated many of the technical aspects of silk production such as the exact fiber content, the number of permitted errors in any production run and the number of threads in the warp and weft.  Furthermore, the laws defined the artisan jobs and divisions within the textile industry and also divided the industry between the various regions in France.  The result was an increase in both the quality and the quantity of French silks.  Oddly enough, during the same era, a law designed to specifically protect the silk industry from competition was passed - which prohibited the manufacture or sale of printed cloths.  Needless to say, many manufacturers and merchants found ways to work around this restrictive ban which was finally lifted in 1759.

From the date of this repeal until the Revolution, the French textile industry produced some of the most glorious designs and textile motifs in the world with an unequaled confidence, inspiration and imagination.

Please visit our archives - a small exhibit of some of the exceptional items that we have had the pleasure of owning, even if only briefly.
Click <HERE> to visit the ARCHIVES page.