THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES IS FOR SALE

The early 70’s found me with a new showroom opening the door to high-end interior design in Argentina.

We were always looking for unique pieces either vintage or antique to utilize in the very exquisite rooms we were decorating for clients.

Argentina is well known for the quality of the antiques that once adorned the great French style palaces of the gilded era thus it is not difficult to find smashing pieces of furniture or accessories.Please follow this link for an outstanding book on the subject.
GRANDES RESIDENCIAS DE BUENOS AIRES

Unfortunately once you start buying you “become” a collector and don’t want to part with some things.
At that time I was fortunate enough to meet a young “antique peddler” whose mission in life was to find objects of desire and bring them to me for a hefty price.

Among the myriad of things I bought from him was a piece of ecclesiastic fabric that came from the Lucchesse area in Italy and was conservatively dated to the late XVIII century and I had no choice but to keep it for myself.

Created and hand woven for ecclesiastic robes this glorious fabric depicts all the exquisite detail and the metallic weave that made panels from that era worthy of being in museums.
The fabric, dyed with natural tints, has faded through the decades and acquired an insuperable hint of irregular salmon/coral shades reminiscent of a sunset sky in a Turner watercolor.
The metallic thread has tarnished from the original shiny gold to a tranquil bronze color which still retains its metallic quality. The overall look is that of Mariano Fortuny's fabrics in production to these days in Venice. The picture included is a detail of a Fortuny wall hanging from 1921.

After contemplating my piece of fabric for over 40 years I had the audacity to have it cut in pieces and make fantastic pillows.

By a stroke of luck we could recover some of the original color in small pieces of fabric that had never seen the light. With those we made the welt which strikingly outlines the pillows.
Surprisingly the fabric has retained its integrity and it is strong enough to lean on it
One pair of pillows caught the attention of an exquisite British interior designer who ordered them to be set on the sofa at his cottage in Dorset. They look very much at home, stunning, timeless, unpretentious and chic. I am sure they will be there for another 30 or 40 years.

We made a second pair of pillows, same fabric but with a fantastic French moiré in a similar faded coral for the back.

Stop drawling! Those ARE available. "It is only money, daaaklink!..." (as Zsa-Zsa Gabor used to preach)                                                              

Want to see more? Pillows Collection