SOLD Façon Arlésienne * Catalogue of the Museon Arlaten * £35 €52 $105 Shipping Included (New Zealand & Australia $110)

This is a gorgeous scarce pristine 170 page French language profusely illustrated catalogue of an exhibition of historic costumes from Arles held in 1998

There is a very interesting first section on the history of textiles, textile making and importation in this fascinating historic area.

Then there are the gorgeously photographed costumes themselves

the cloths and clothes are so beautiful

this area of France is noted for its love of Les Indiennes - patterned cloths from India which arrived in Marseilles and travelled up the Rhone valley to the famous market of Beaucaire.

Boutis - the art of pattern quilting is also a specialty of this region and can be admired in the making of elaborate pockets

and bodices to keep out the worst of the Mistral - the wind that is funneled down the Rhone Valley from ice-capped mountains of the Massif Central.

There are fabric pattern books

and I mustn't forget embroidered gentlemen's jackets!