Polish belt of pomp and circumstance, Polish or... Lot 19

Polish belt of pomp and circumstance, Polish or Lyon manufacture, second half of the XVIIIth century around 1780-1790. Central body in lampas scalloped shaped launched, silk and gold metal threads, red and gold transverse bands decorated with fine friezes of flowers in blue and pink silk. Heads decorated with flowering plants with saaz leaves of Persian influence. Signature at the end of one of the heads of the initials "F.S" (mark of the weaver François Selimand or "Fecit Sluciae"?) woven horizontally. Wear, gaps at both ends, missing bangs, right side border added later. Width 21 - Length 236 cm EXPERT : Séverine Experton-Dard - Heritage Textile & Fashion Expert - www.sedexpert.com - email : sedxpert@gmail.com - tel. 06 80 65 12 18. Belts inspired by oriental culture, in silk or gold or silver cloth for the richest, were worn by the representatives of the Polish nobility but also Ukrainians, Belarussians or Hungarians since the end of the 16th century. Initially imported from Persia and then from Ottoman Turkey through Armenian merchants, they became very fashionable in the 18th century and were woven in local workshops, the most famous of which, the one in Sluck, is located on the Radziwill family's land. Other workshops operated not only in Poland, but also in Moscow and even in Lyon, where the second example may have come from. The current Prelle factory, heir to the Dechazelle workshops created in 1749, still keeps albums containing numerous belt samples. The particularity of these belts is that they do not have a reverse side. There are three types: "uniface" a single pattern on both sides, "bifaces" two patterns on each side, but identical and "quadrifaces", the richest with two patterns on each side but different. Their length varies between 200 and 450 cm and their width from 30 to 55 cm. Bibliography: "Ceintures Polonaises, quand la Pologne s'habillait à Lyon", MTL - May 2001.