"Indiennes sublimes" Exhibition

(exquisite printed chintz and calico)

From India to Eastern and Western. Printed costumes and textiles from the 18c and 19c.

At the "Villa Rosemaine" Gallery 436 Route de Plaisance 83200 Toulon (France)

from sept 13th to january 31th 2012
Entrance 5 Euros 

Exhibition 84 pages catalogue at 32 euros

To order the catalogue, please click 

http://www.villa-rosemaine.com/en/bourse/pieces/exhibition-catalogue-indiennes-sublimes

More informations on

http://www.villa-rosemaine.com/en/programmation 

 Printed fabrics from Asia to the West and from India to Provence

Indian "tree of life", persian Kalamkari , french printed fabrics from Nimes, Marseille or Jouy are better known as "indiennes" in reference at their origins ( chintz or calico in english). The ancient tradition of painted or printed cotton cloth came from the East and from India in the seventeenth century. At that time,  In Europe, there was only the weaving hemp, wool and linen for the  people, and the upper classes was clothing with velvet, brocade silk and with other precious  woven or embroidered fabrics. It is incredible to think for us now, the printed cotton is indeed a recent invention. 

Through this exhibition, we go back to the origins of printed cotton in the West in the late seventeenth century at the birth of western import companies. Thus, the portuguese, english, french and netherlands companies traded with Europe and with Marseilles (which was very important in this trade), very rare and luxury products: coffee, spices, rich fabrics ... exclusively for the nobility and the upper class. The fascination in England, in France as in Provence was immediate, and the excitement  they occured in the society was so great that these products, threatened the local industries...

"Indiennes sublimes" presents the story of these exotic "treasures" came from the East. The exhibition is presented through the passion of provencal collectors who gathered a selection of their finest pieces and rare founds ... 
"Indiennes Sublimes" also gives a major place to the early French and English chintz, first imitated by the local industries. The manufactures was created by hundreds, and the most famous "indiennes" center  in France, started in the seventeenth century in Marseille, Aix, Orange, then in Jouy en Josas, famous royal factory, then in Rouen, Nantes, Nimes, and especially in Beautiran or in Alsace which continued to produce untill the nineteenth century. This important industry spead in England, which was the european leader, but also in Switzerland, Spain and Nerderland who continued to trade huge quantities of  Indian chintz. Then Tsarist Russia recoved  the latest technologies in french declining industries, and it's why some french workers emigrated from Alsace to Russia in the late nineteenth century. So they gave their know how to the russian empire that extended from europe to cental Asia  ... just return. And we understand better now why the famous ceremonial silk coats from Uzbekistan in Central Asia, has a printed cotton lining which seems to come from... Alsace !. "