Looks like these big spools were used in the production of flowers, leaves, embroidery, passementerie, etc., between the wars at the Perlerie in the town. Definitely an interesting relic of that industry which I don't think anyone has really studies or recorded. A wonderful find.
Here is a site that discusses the Perlerie. It is in French but you can Google translate:
https://prisons-cherche-midi-mauzac.com/des-prisons/quand-lusine-de-la-perlerie-servait-dannexe-a-la-prison-militaire-de-paris-repliee-a-mauzac-7505
The image is from the article:
In the article in Beads by Marie-Jose Opper and Howard Oppers, the French bead industry is discussed. There is short mention of the production of seed beads in France. The main maker was the Salvadori company, close to Lyon.
The company this spool will have come from was the 'Compagnie Francaise pour l'industrie des rocailles'. It was located in Chauny, Nothern France. This company closed in 1946. A great number of the rocailles produced at that time were intended for making funerary wreaths, that was popular in France between the 1880's and WWII. Considering yours is a spool with the beads directly onto thin metal wire, I presume it was indeed for making beaded flowers for wreaths and other objects.
The Bovis bead company, where you got it from, got their French seed beads from the Salvadori company. It might be that Salvadori bought up old stock from the other company, and sold it through Bovis?
i bought these reels at an antique market in the early 1990s, from a dealer who also had some wreaths and memorial items from French graveyards, and i also bought some made-up beaded wire petals and leaves which could be assembled in various ways into floral shapes- the beads are recognisable colours of the Salvadori range.
