This wonderful collection of block-printed designs for silk scarves or cravats were designed by renowned Lyon silk manufacturer Combier (later Sfate & Combier) and printed by the prestigious French textile printers Brunet-Lecomte et Cie of Lyon.
'Fabrique Lyonnaise' was the name given in 1667 to Lyon’s silk industry by Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Louis XIV’s Minister of State. The Lyon textile houses went on to become one of the most renowned textile industries in the world. Their fabrics were integral to Parisian haute couture in the 20th century.
The house of Combier had its origins in The Armandy silk factory founded in Lyon 1850. Combier Factory was established in 1900; in 1970 this was to merge with Sfate (Société Franco Annamite Textile et d'Exportation) to become Sfate & Combier.
These paper designs were printed by Brunet-Lecomte, a family business dating back to the early 19th century with a factory at Bergoin-Jallieu on the outskirts of Lyon. In 1867, Napoleon III awarded Henry-Edouard Brunet-Lecomte the Legion d'honneur for the quality of his products. Brunet-Lecomte became particularly known for its collected antique textile pattern books.
The Brunet-Lecomte factory was to finally close in 1969.
