Welcome to The Textile Trunk ~ please follow us on Instagram, we are @textiletrunk 

Quite a remarkable find! Found in France ~ Paris opened it's door to the world's fair in 1855 ~ ( please see below) There were five World Fairs in Paris during the nineteenth century: in 1855, 1867, 1878, 1889 and 1900.

This textile is a collector's dream come true ~ A fine "Paisley" shawl woven a central black stellar medallion invaded by foliage with 4 branches ~ wonderful movement in the design!  the reverse of one corner stamped in gilt "SEULE MEDAILLE D'HONNEUR 1855 E.F.H."- This textile would have been taken to the world's fair where it got it's honors ~ What a joy to find ~ ! Ideal for any collection or museum 

This textile measures 63 inches wide by 128 inches long ~*~ 

Condition : This textile is in good condition for it's age and use, however it's not without imperfections. There are holes dotted here and there, there is tear on the edge ( please see photographs) ~ generally in very good condition for these antiques  but not without the signs of time and use often inherent in these antique textiles ~*~ 

Napoleon III decided to have a World Fair in Paris soon after the British international exhibition. The emperor hoped to consolidate his recent political position, and to assert France’s role in the world. The 1855 Exposition Universelle was a landmark in the history of entertainment in France. Previously, the Salons or the national exhibitions of industry had always been free and open to the public. The 1855 Exposition Universelle, on the contrary, had an entrance fee that visitors needed to pay in order to enter. This created many controversies and complaints; a journalist from L’Illustration wrote for instance that “Ces allures fiscales, en pareil lieu, sont en contradiction avec la noble hospitalité que la France avait coutume d’exercer” (L’Illustration, Paris, 1855-05-19). The main building of the Fair was the Palais de l’Industrie, on the Champs Elysées (it was destroyed at the beginning of the twentieth century, when the Grand Palais was built for the 1900 World Fair). The construction of the Palais de l’Industrie had been planned a few years before the Fair. Napoleon III commissioned it in 1852, arguing that the building would serve as an exhibit hall for future national industry exhibits. Its size was massive: it was 850 feet long and 350 feet wide. Built in stone, its structure was supported by iron beams. The size and the bulkiness of the building were often criticized at the time. The Palais housed most of the 1855 World Fair’s industry exhibit, but proved too small for the entirety of the industrial products, so it was decided that two other temporary structures would be built for the occasion: the Galerie des Machines and the Palais des Beaux-Arts.

Plan des galeries de l'exposition universelle des beaux-arts, Paris 1855

Plan des galeries de l'exposition universelle des beaux-arts, Paris 1855, in L’Illustration, Paris, 1855-05-19.

Initially, the Galerie des Machines had been an annex to the Palais de l’Industrie, and was to house the Fine-Arts exhibits. But the organizers soon realized that the Palais de l’Industrie would not be able to house the entire industrial exhibit, and so it was decided that the annex would be renamed Galerie des Machines, and would contain the rest of the exhibition.

The Fine-Arts exhibit was originally to take place in the Louvre, but the idea had to be abandoned for practical reasons. It was then decided that a temporary structure would be built next to the Galerie, and the architect LeFuel was put in charge of the project.