Box 1

Blue background with red and green trim. Image of a hand grasping a door knocker. Text reads, “S.M. Co. Ltd. Made in England. Registered Trade Mark No. 633510."

The company behind the Fil Au Chinois brand was founded by Francois-Philibert Vrau and began manufacturing linen thread in Lille in 1827. The brand soared in popularity in the 1860s & 1870s. Multi-color label with caricature of a Chinese man holding a fan. From France.

Features gold foil cut-out text with no backing. Text reads, “Paris Mousseline” in an elaborate script.

Label for Bleu Fixe a la Colombine fabric dye. Gold, cream, & black. Image of a woman dressed as a harlequin.

A bale label with text that reads, “Satin de soie finie et profitee.” Made by Sartine of Paris for West Caldwell & Co. of New York.

A colorful textile label for Jacquet Freres & Viailly and their agents, Pachod Freres & Cie, with offices in Lyon, Saigon, and Hanoi. Image of Imperial Court center with red banners on the left and right overlaid with Sino-Vietnamese script. From France; Vietnam.

Jardine, Skinner & Co. was founded in India in 1825; through the 19th and early 20th centuries they carried out a large trade in textiles, tea, and opium. Features an image of a large peacock with a floral border. From India.

Label most likely for textiles. Red and shades of gold with some green. Features an image of two mounted elephants on hind legs on either side of a small castle. From India.

Label most likely for textiles. Rectangular shape features a British soldier in a decorative uniform on horseback with a red border. From India.

Red, yellow, and green borders, with blue notes in the corners, frame an image of a large, tusked elephant and some foliage. From India.