Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Favorites of European nobility and royalty for more than 300 years, the tapestries and textiles made by the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson remain legendary for their exceptional quality and grand designs.
The origins of Aubusson’s textiles date back to the 14th century, when residents of the town of Aubusson, located at the base of the Creuse river in France, started small weaving workshops. When skilled weavers from Flanders, Belgium, arrived in Aubusson, seeking refuge and settlement, the town’s weaving industry flourished.
Aubusson was granted the Royal Manufacture title by King Louis XIV in 1665. Along with pieces by rival workshops such as Gobelins and Beauvais, Aubusson’s textiles, carpets and tapestries were prized for their meticulous designs. Early Royal Manufacture of Aubusson works resemble Turkish rugs and Asian textiles, which were popular with European royalty. In later years, though, Aubusson’s weavers shifted their style to reflect Western European and Caucasian rugs as well as Italian Renaissance style, incorporating floral, religious and pastoral themes into the tapestries.
Throughout the 18th century, Aubusson’s tapestries and rugs remained among the most desired by the European aristocracy. An inventory compiled in 1786 listed more than 100 Aubusson carpets at the Palace of Versailles. After the French Revolution, many workshops, including those of Aubusson, lost their Royal Manufacture status. Upholstered and machine-made carpets also became more dominant in the industry.
In 1869, the establishment of the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs d’Aubusson sparked a renewed interest in Aubusson tapestries, which the school still produces today. Although the advent of wallpaper during the late 19th and early 20th century reduced consumer demand for tapestries as wall decor, Aubusson adapted to the shift towards modernist style. Artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso often had their artworks translated into tapestries.
Aubusson’s carpets and tapestries continue to be coveted by interior designers and collectors of 18th-century, mid-19th-century and Napoleon III textiles and furniture. Aubusson’s history of weaving, wool production, spinning and dyeing is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson wall decorations, Asian-inspired art and furniture, carpets and more.
19th Century French Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry
17th Century French Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Silk, Paint
Mid-19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry
1860s French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Silk
Late 19th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Silk
1890s French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool
19th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool
Late 19th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Tapestry
Mid-19th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry, Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century French Aubusson Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Silk
Mid-19th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry, Wool, Silk
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Wool, Tapestry
Late 20th Century French Modern Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry, Wool
18th Century Dutch Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Decorative Art
Tapestry, Wool, Silk
