Two Cashmere shawls Polychrome wool weave. One rectangular with a black reserve in the center, surrounded by scrolls, palmettes and stylized flowers in red, orange, green, blue and yellow; the other square with a profusion of floral motifs. One signed. ACCIDENTS These two shawls bear witness to Emma Calvé's refined taste, in phase with the feminine fashions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. At the time, the shawl was an essential accessory for feminine grooming, worn for intimacy as well as for going out. It embodied elegance, comfort and a certain exoticism that was very much in vogue. Women of the Belle Époque were particularly fond of loose, enveloping, embroidered or fringed fabrics, which accompanied the flowing lines of dresses and enhanced gestures.