Antique 1880 Paris Silk & Velvet Panel Pillows | Deep Forest Green, Cognac & Cream | 20 inch

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Pair of 1880 Parisian Silk & Velvet Pillows | Deep Forest Green, Cognac & Cream

Some textiles cannot be made again. This is one of them.

These pillows were created from an original 1880 Parisian silk panel woven with an integrally woven velvet motif — a technique requiring a specialized Jacquard loom setup that produced the velvet pile and the silk ground simultaneously as a single textile. This is not embroidery. It is not appliqué. It is not cut velvet applied to a base fabric. The pattern and the ground are one. This level of technical complexity disappeared with the looms and the weavers who operated them. It cannot be reproduced today.

The textile originates from a set of three pairs of drapery panels commissioned during an American couple's honeymoon in Paris in 1880 and installed in the private library of their Arkansas residence, where they remained for more than a century. Protected behind interior blinds, the silk survived while surrounding drapery deteriorated from sun exposure. Heather Kearsley Wolf acquired the panels directly from that estate. One pair has since been placed with a private collector. The remaining pair is currently offered separately on this site.

These pillows were created from a panel that sustained minor water damage, allowing a portion of the historic textile to be carefully preserved and reimagined. The historic silk and velvet face has been stabilized with a discreet backing to protect the antique textile while preserving the full dimensionality of the velvet motif. The reverse is finished in Kearsley Essentials 600 thread count sateen in Chestnut, with a refined quarter-inch frame visible on the face. Each pillow is filled with a down and feather insert and sewn by hand in the Kearsley Sonoma atelier.

Placement and Care

These are refined collector's pieces, not utility pillows. The silk ground is original 1880 Parisian textile — luminous, irreplaceable, and inherently delicate. They are intended for display in a low-traffic setting: a beautifully dressed bed with turndown service, a formal sitting room, or a collector's interior where they will be seen and not handled. They are not suitable for daily use, active seating, or any environment where they will be subject to pressure, friction, or contact. Treat them as you would a framed textile.

Details

• Sold as a pair
• Size: 20 inch square each
• Face: Original 1880 Parisian silk with integrally woven velvet motif
• Colors: Deep forest green silk ground with cream and cognac velvet
• Reverse: Kearsley Essentials 600TC sateen in Chestnut
• Edge: Quarter-inch sateen frame
• Insert: Down and feather
• Sewn in Sonoma, California

Condition

The velvet motif retains its full dimensional beauty and depth of color. The silk ground shows age-appropriate character consistent with a 145-year-old textile. These pillows have been thoughtfully constructed to stabilize and preserve the historic face fabric for continued display.

Original 1880 Parisian Silk Panel

This photograph shows the lower portion of one of the original panels acquired from the Arkansas estate where the textiles hung in the family library for generations. Three pairs of panels were originally purchased in Paris in 1880.

The pillows were created from a panel that sustained minor water damage, allowing portions of the historic textile to be preserved and reimagined.

Construction

The historic silk and velvet face has been stabilized with a discreet backing to preserve the antique textile while allowing the velvet motif to retain its dimensional beauty.

The reverse is finished in Kearsley Essentials 600 thread count sateen in Chestnut, creating a refined ¼ inch frame visible on the face.

Each pillow is filled with luxurious down and feather inserts and sewn in Sonoma.

Details

• Pair of pillows
• Size: 20 inch square
• Face: 1880 Paris silk with integrally woven velvet motif
• Colors: Deep forest green, Cream, Cognac
• Back: Kearsley Essentials 600TC sateen in Chestnut
• Edge: ¼ inch sateen frame
• Insert: Down and feather
• Sewn in Sonoma, California

$10,000 for the pair

Trade pricing available