Behind the Design – Mabille

Named for the famously lavish outdoor balls held in nineteenth century Paris’ Jardin
Mabille, ‘Mabille’s’ jacquard-woven kaleidoscope of flamboyant daisies on a rich blue
ground is translated from an unusual Napoleon III-era French carpet in Soane’s textile
archive. A bold, playful design, it has an exceptionally large vertical repeat measuring more than
3 metres. The lengthy process required to achieve the exact structure and weight of this
fabric necessitates the use of a highly specialised loom, the only one of its kind, operated
by a team of exceptional weavers in the English county of Suffolk.