Carré Alchemique No 1
Celestial Alphabet of The Southern Hemisphere is the first scarf in the Peau de Chagrin Carrés
Alchimiques series and the second Peau de Chagrin object. It is made entirely in Lyon by an
artisanal silk manufacturer, Maison Marc Rozier, founded in 1890.
The scarf takes its inspiration from a 17th century drawing by Jacques Gaffarel, a noted scholar
and astrologer of Cardinal Richelieu. This particular image uses Kabbalistic text to map the
constellations visible from the Southern Hemisphere during his lifetime. The drawing appears in the
1650 edition of Curiosités Inouyes Sur la Sculpture Talysmanique des Persians: Horoscopes des
Patriarches et Lecture des Estoiles. Translated as: Unheard of Curiosities Concerning the
Talismanic Sculptures of the Persians, The Horoscope of the Patriarchs, and Readings of the
Stars. This ancient book is currently held at Middle Temple Library in London in its original state.
The hand-stitched scarf, which measures 120cm x 120cm, is made in crêpe de chine. Each scarf
or ‘carré’ is screen-printed using the traditional ‘Impression à la Lyonnaise' by the Marc Rozier
workshops. The company, established in Lyon in the 19th century, continues to champion and
develop time-honoured Lyonnaise techniques of silk making. These values resonate strongly with
Peau de Chagrin.
Like all Peau de Chagrin objects, the scarf is a limited edition of 100.
