Textile Sample Book
Unknown Artist
18th century
Dimensions
5 1/4 × 9 1/2 in. (13.3 × 24.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Sample Books
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of H. A. Elsberg, 1935
Accession Number
35.24.1
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 18th-century France with this charming *Textile Sample Book*, a pocket-sized treasure measuring just 5¼ × 9½ inches (13.3 × 24.1 cm). Created by an unknown artist, this French artifact from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative collection offers a glimpse into the era's lavish textile trade. Donated in 1935 by H.A. Elsberg, it the meticulous sample books used by merchants, designers, and weavers to showcase fabrics to elite clients. In the rococo splendor of Louis XV's reign, France dominated European luxury textiles, particularly si...