{"product_id":"1818-french-schoolgirl-silk-embroidery-by-aime-prux-montauban-maison-d-education-of-dames-dubois-and-elisabeth","title":"1818 French Schoolgirl Silk Embroidery by Aimé Prux, Montauban – Maison d’Éducation of Dames Dubois and Elisabeth","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAn exceptionally charming and unusually well-documented French schoolgirl needlework dating to 1818, worked by Mlle Aimé Prux in Montauban, France.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExecuted in delicately shaded silk threads on a pale silk ground, the composition features a finely worked floral arrangement gathered with an elaborate looping ribbon. The ribbon is embroidered in soft blush-pink silk with cream spotted decoration and carefully articulated edging, while the stems and foliage are rendered in muted greens and browns. The refined workmanship reflects the needlework instruction traditionally included in the education of young ladies during the early 19th century.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost importantly, the lower portion retains an extensive handwritten inscription identifying the young maker, the location and date, and the educational establishment in which the work was completed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe inscription reads approximately:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Par Mlle Aimé Prux à Montauban en l’année 1818, dans la maison d’éducation des dames Dubois et Elisabeth. Offert à son papa.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTranslated:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“By Miss Aimé Prux, at Montauban in the year 1818, in the educational establishment of Mesdames Dubois and Elisabeth. Presented to her father.”\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe final dedication gives the textile an especially personal character: rather than simply being an anonymous decorative embroidery, it survives as a documented accomplishment by a young woman and a gift made for her father more than two centuries ago.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEra\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrench Restoration Period \/ Early 19th Century\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDated 1818\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHistory\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNeedlework formed an important component of female education in late-18th- and early-19th-century France. Private maisons d’éducation and pensionnats for young ladies taught subjects such as reading, writing and arithmetic alongside drawing, music and ornamental needlework.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWorks of this type functioned both as demonstrations of accomplishment and as personal keepsakes. Many were completed while a pupil was attending school and subsequently presented to a parent or family member.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis example is particularly desirable because its surviving inscription provides unusually specific historical context: the maker, Aimé Prux; Montauban; the year 1818; the maison d’éducation operated by Dames Dubois and Elisabeth; and its intended recipient, the maker’s father.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eResearch has not yet securely identified the formal name or address of the Dubois and Elisabeth establishment. It may have been a privately operated girls’ boarding or finishing school rather than an institution known by a separate formal title. The inscription itself nevertheless provides compelling primary evidence of the school and Aimé Prux’s attendance there in 1818.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eProvenance\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMontauban, Tarn-et-Garonne, France\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWorked by Mlle Aimé Prux at the maison d’éducation of Dames Dubois and Elisabeth, 1818.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInscribed as having been presented to her father.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSourced in France.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaterials\u003cbr\u003eSilk embroidery threads\u003cbr\u003eFine woven silk textile ground\u003cbr\u003eHandwritten ink inscription\u003cbr\u003ePeriod textile work\u003cbr\u003eExisting mounting materials\u003cbr\u003eDimensions\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease add exact dimensions from physical measurement.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDisclaimers \/ Condition\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOver 200 years old and showing condition consistent with its age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe silk ground exhibits scattered age-related discoloration, staining, small marks and areas of tonal variation. Some wear and losses are visible along the lower edge, particularly around the historic mounting area. Minor age-related wear may also be present within the embroidery and silk threads.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe handwritten inscription remains remarkably legible considering its age, although portions are faint and certain words remain subject to interpretation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eExisting mounting appears historic but has not been removed for examination, so the reverse and concealed areas have not been fully inspected.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePlease review all photographs closely as they form an important part of the condition description. Antique textiles inherently exhibit variations, fading and wear consistent with their age and history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"For the Louvre of Antiques LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49259656446207,"sku":null,"price":340.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0725\/8780\/4927\/files\/63E89F8B-B509-4DDD-95B8-A29B0808746D.png?v=1789916668","url":"https:\/\/forthelouvreofantiques.com\/es\/products\/1818-french-schoolgirl-silk-embroidery-by-aime-prux-montauban-maison-d-education-of-dames-dubois-and-elisabeth","provider":"For the Louvre of Antiques LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}