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Tapestries For Sale
French Hand-Printed Tapestry in Medieval style - H 114 x L 97 cm - N° 1438
Located in Paris, FR
Located a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, we are a French family business specializing in the purchase, sale, expertise, cleaning, restoration and conservation of tapes...
Category

1980s French Medieval Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Pretty Vintage French Aubusson Style Jacquard Tapestry « pastoral loves »
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Introducing a magnificent 20th-century tapestry that captures the essence of the gentle joys of life, festivities, music, and above all, love. Set against a rustic backdrop, shepherd...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Aubusson Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton, Acrylic

Kuba (Bushong) Raffia Fiber Textile Panel From Woman’s Skirt, D.R. Congo
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Kuba (Bushong) Raffia Fiber Textile Panel From Woman’s Skirt The Bushong people are one of the largest and most dominant ethnic groups within the Kuba Kingdom in the DR Congo, and h...
Category

Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Tapestries

Materials

Raffia

Claude BLEYNIE, Couple of Peacocks - French polychrome signed tapestry, 1444
Located in Paris, FR
Located a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower in Paris, we are a French family business specializing in the purchase, sale, expertise, cleaning, restoration and conservation of tapes...
Category

20th Century French Modern Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Bobyrug’s Nice Vintage Polish Tapestry Kilim
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Very beautiful mid century polish tapestry Kilim, with beautiful native design and nice colors, entirely hand woven with wool on cotton foundation. ✨✨...
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Mid-20th Century Polish Scandinavian Modern Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Light blue Missoni tapestry for hanging, Italy 1980s
Located in Firenze, FI
Tapestry by Ottavio Missoni with the design typical of his style. Characterized by repeated squares with shades of blue. Textures and colors alternate, creating depth and visual dyn...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

French 20th Century Tapestry Cartoon with Iron Hanger
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Cartoons are the life size models painted onto canvas from which tapestries are ultimately woven by hand using these illustrations as a guide. This is a more recent example from the ...
Category

20th Century French Other Tapestries

Materials

Iron

18th Century Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
Located in Los Angeles, CA
18th Century European Hand-Woven Aubusson Verdure Tapestry depicting a woodland nature scene. Made in France circa 18th Century. Finely woven with cloth backing.
Category

18th Century French Antique Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

Wonderful large antique French Aubusson rug
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite large Antique French Aubusson rug from the early 20th century, meticulously handwoven in wool on Aubusson looms. Featuring a Louis XVI-style floral design in lovely light h...
Category

Early 20th Century French Aubusson Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Immense 17th Century Flemish Wool Verdure Tapestry
Located in London, GB
Immense 17th Century Flemish wool verdure tapestry Flemish, 17th Century Height 323cm, width 424cm This very large and exquisite tapestry was crafted in wool in Flanders during the ...
Category

17th Century Belgian Baroque Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Contemporary Organic Modern Moroccan Handspun Natural Dyed Wool Wall Tapestry
Located in Marseille, FR
- Handspun and handwoven wool using natural dyes - 2025 - Edition of 20. This tapestry is the result of a collaboration between memòri studio and all the spinners and weavers from ...
Category

2010s Moroccan Organic Modern Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Late 17th Century French Aubusson Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
A French Aubusson Biblical tapestry from the late 17th century, depicting King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba seated on a throne at center, flanked on either side by attendants, to t...
Category

Late 17th Century French Aubusson Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Ottoman Silk Carnation Garden Hand Embroidered Suzani Tapestry
Located in London, GB
Discover the epitome of luxury with our Ottoman Carnation Motif Hand Embroidered Silk Suzani Tapestry. This exquisite piece features intricate carnation motifs, meticulously hand-emb...
Category

2010s Turkish Suzani Tapestries

Materials

Silk

Vintage Judaica Tapestry, "Rachel Imenu" 10 Commandments, Stars of David, 1930
Located in Lomita, CA
This vintage Judaica tapestry has a bit of Hollywood history. It was framed and sold on Melrose avenue during the 1960s by the actress who played the ...
Category

Early 20th Century Israeli Other Tapestries

Materials

Fabric

Elisabeth Baillon, Tapestry, the Lute Player, circa 1960, France
Located in Nice, Cote d Azur
Elisabeth Baillon, Tapestry, the lute player, signed with brown thread in the left corner, cotton, circa 1960, France. Good condition. Height 6...
Category

1960s French Modern Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Cotton

Large Flemish 17th-18th Century Baroque Figural Tapestry "A Royal Courtship"
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A fine and large flemish 17th-18th century Baroque figural tapestry "A Royal Courtship" depicting an allegorical courting scene of a young princess meeting her prince at the watchful eye of a mesmerized queen standing behind her. A young girl supports the princess' dress train...
Category

Early 1700s Belgian Baroque Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Märta Måås-Fjetterström signed “Bandet” Tapestry by Ann-Mari Forsberg
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Portman Gallery is pleased to present a tapestry woven in Bastad at the storied weavery Märta Måås-Fjetterström, designed by Ann Marie Forsberg in the mid-twentieth century. “Bande...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Antique French Aubusson Tapestry, Greenery 19th century - W1m84xH2m20 - N° 1465
Located in Paris, FR
This Tapestry has been Cleaned by our artisan workshop Epoch: 19th century Style: Greenery Condition: Perfect condition (Revised by our artisan workshop) Material: Wool Width: 184 cm...
Category

19th Century French Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

20th Century American Framed Flag Folk Art Embroidery
Located in Queens, NY
American Country (early 20th Century) folk art embroidery of a US flag portrayed with small pompoms in a wood frame behind glass.
Category

20th Century American Country Tapestries

Materials

Glass, Wood

Early 20th Century Ceremonial Cloth / Tampan, South Sumatra, Indonesia
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Early 20th century ceremonial cloth / Tampan, Paminggir, Lampung region, South Sumatra, Indonesia Commonly referred to as ship cloths, these ceremonial tampan would have been used as gifts, wrappers, cushions or pillows in any number of life-transition ceremonies, including children’s first hair cutting...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tapestries

Materials

Cotton

Tapestry Fragment, Flanders 17th Century – The Assumption Of Mary - No. 1565
Located in Paris, FR
Tapestry Fragment, Flanders 17th Century – The Assumption Of Mary - No. 1565 Artist: Manufacture Des Flandres 17 ème Siècle Period: 17th century Condition: Perfect condition Material...
Category

17th Century French French Provincial Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Tapestry Nenka Wall Hanging Ukrainian Wall Decor Art Hand-Crafted by RUDA Studio
By Olexandra Rudenko
Located in Warsaw, PL
A tapestry represents the power and glory of Ukrainian earth. We've been exploring our past to recover Ukrainian craft techniques and bring back protec...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Ukrainian Arts and Crafts Tapestries

Materials

Brass, Copper, Wire

French 18th Century Tapestry Fragment
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
This vibrant tapestry fragment hails from 18th century France. Two panels have been recently attached with brilliant blue trimming. The fabric is worn but retains its vibrant floral ...
Category

18th Century French Other Antique Tapestries

Materials

Fabric, Textile, Tapestry

Midcentury Tapestry "La Table" Signed by Jean Lurcat
Located in Beirut, LB
A limited edition tapestry by Jean Lurçat entitled "La Table" signed in the lower right corner. Depicting a lush surrealist still life of a picnic table laden with lobster, fruiting ...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

Antique Indian Kashmir Shawl Textile, 19th Century
Located in Ferrara, IT
The softness of the pure Pashmina wool and the skill of the work help us to identify this authentic antique Indian Kashmiri shawl measuring 177 × 173 cm...
Category

19th Century Indian Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Jean Picart Le Doux Tapestry - Night Flight II - Atelier Picaud - N° 1403
Located in Paris, FR
Artist: Jean Picart Le Doux Period: 20th century Style: Modern art Condition: Perfect condition Material: Wool Width: 160cm Height: 120cm Depth: 0.5cm A stone's throw from the Eiffe...
Category

1960s French Aubusson Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Tapestry Wall Hanging For Living Room Home Decor
Located in Antwerp, BE
A hand-woven abstract fantasy wall-hanging with a sensational color combination.
Category

20th Century Asian Hollywood Regency Tapestries

Materials

Brass

Dispersions by Grace Atkinson
Located in London, GB
These unique pieces are entirely handcrafted using a traditional technique developed in the 14th century by the Hutsuls; highlanders who have inhabited the Carpathian mountains of Uk...
Category

2010s French Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Calman Shemi Environmental Sculptures Signed Contemporary Modern Wall Tapestry
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
A contemporary modern abstract tapestry titled "Environmental Sculptures" by Argentinian artist Calman Shemi. Hand signed and titled on verso with an annotation of 7/9. Circa 1980s. ...
Category

1980s Unknown Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

Pair 70s Woven Oaxaca School Abstract Fiber Art Tapestries
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair 70s woven Oaxaca School abstract fiber art tapestries, A fine companion pair, from the Ole Oaxaca School, one titled 'Zig-Zag' , the other number '3', (r...
Category

Late 20th Century Mexican Mid-Century Modern Tapestries

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Modern French Tapestry Attribute to Hervé Lelong
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Beautiful tapestry from 20th century with a modern design with signature of artist Hervé Lelong, machine made with wool velvet.
Category

Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Early 18th Century Flemish Mythological Tapestry with Odysseus and Penelope
Located in New York, NY
A Flemish mythological tapestry from the late 17th or early 18th century, envisioning Odysseus and Penelope, in a scene from the culmination of The Odyssey. Measures: 11’0” H x 10’0”...
Category

Early 18th Century European Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Tibetan Thangka of Sakyamuni with Silk Brocade, C. 1880
Located in Chicago, IL
Historically in Buddhist Tibet, patrons and monks commissioned thangka art, or sacred painting, to focus their meditations and prayers. This 19th-century Tibetan Thangka, painted in rich red, green, and blue pigments, still maintains incredible vibrancy. The central figure is the Sakyamuni Buddha, seated in the diamond position with alms bowl...
Category

Late 19th Century Tibetan Tibetan Antique Tapestries

Materials

Linen, Silk

17th Century Brussels Silk and Wool Tapestry Depicting a Roman Scene
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-woven in the 1600s in Brussels, Belgium, this silk and wool tapestry depicts a citizen paying homage to a Roman general. During the 17th century, Brussels tapestries were highly...
Category

17th Century Belgian Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Linen, Silk

Art Nouveau Embroidery, early 20th C. France
Located in Istanbul, TR
A rare item to comedy, has some over all ware., some structural damages. No lining.
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Tapestries

Materials

Metallic Thread

Exceptional 17th Century Aubusson Tapestry Wall Hanging
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A truly exceptional 17th Century Aubusson tapestry wall hanging. Dating to the second half of the 17th Century, depicting a mythological scene of a King accompanied by centurions or ...
Category

Late 17th Century French Antique Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

Antique Iranian Kalamkari Prayer Mat
Located in London, GB
Antique Iranian Kalamkari prayer mat Persian, Late 19th Century Height 128cm, width 92cm Crafted in the late 19th century by skilled Iranian craftsmen, this cotton prayer mat features a plethora of religious and nature-inspired motifs. Its surface is adorned with a selection of patterns and motifs created using the traditional woodblock printing technique called kalamkari (or Qalamkari). The 400 years old technique originating from Isfahan, utilises only natural and local materials, celebrating and supporting the local communities. A selection of repetitive, organic motifs adorns the cotton textile. The patterns are coloured in various shades of red, cream, and blue, their design inspired by religious Islamic architecture, in particular that of a mosque. The central prayer niche (also called a mihrab) is identical in shape to that of the arch-shaped prayer niches found in mosques. Arabic markings feature above it. This Persian prayer mat...
Category

Late 19th Century Persian Islamic Antique Tapestries

Materials

Cotton

17th Century Brussels Mythological Tapestry Persephone from the History of Ceres
Located in New York, NY
A Baroque Brussels tapestry from the 17th century, signed by Marcus de Vos, depicting Proserpine (Persephone) reaching for a pomegranate and on the right side a dragon, probably from...
Category

Mid-17th Century Belgian Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Vintage Aubusson Style French Jacquard Halluin Tapestry c1940s
By Gobelins Royal Manufactory, Aubusson Manufacture
Located in Bad Säckingen, DE
This vintage French jacquard tapestry, probably crafted in the 1940s in the Aubusson style, showcases a richly detailed hunting scene. Woven in Halluin, a region renowned for its tex...
Category

1940s French Rococo Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Pretty mid 20th century french Aubusson tapestry « autumn ferns » by Le Guen
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Discover the timeless elegance of the Fougères d’Automne « autumn ferns » titled limited edition wall tapestry from Manufacture Robert Four in Aubusson, France. This exquisite piece,...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Aubusson Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Mid-Century Modern Tapestry by Jean Picart le Doux, Hommage a Paul Eluard
Located in London, GB
This is a stunning tapestry by the well-known tapestry maker Jean Picart le Doux. It is signed on the bottom right hand side. The tapestry is named 'Homage a Paul Eluard...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Dora Jung / Tapestry / Gifted by Dora Jung to Simone Prouvé in 1954.
Located in Shibuya-Ku, JP
Dora Jung is one of Finland's greatest textile artists. Throughout her life, she worked tirelessly to master materials and techniques, never compromising on her artistic vision. She ...
Category

1950s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Damask, Linen

Antique 17th Century Flemish Tapestry 6 3" X 3 9:
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

17th Century Unknown Other Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Late 17th Century Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A superb and substantial late 17th Century Aubusson verdure tapestry, skilfully hand-woven in the renowned weaving district of Aubusson in central France. This exceptional example of...
Category

Late 17th Century French Antique Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry

Exceptional Embroidered Vintage Japanese Ceremonial Kimono
Located in Atlanta, GA
A visually striking vintage Uchikake Wedding Kimono/Robe for ceremonial occasion, circa 1930s-1950s in the Oriental Art Deco style. The bridal garment...
Category

20th Century Japanese Japonisme Tapestries

Materials

Cotton, Silk

Tapestry Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period 1738 at the Gobelins
Located in Madrid, ES
Tapestry from the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson, Louis XVI period , made in 1738 at the Gobelins One panel from a series of Gobelins tapestries depicting the History of Esther, illustrating Esther seated and attended by handmaidens, one washing her feet in golden basin, another fastening a bracelet, another offering a mirror, all observed by Mordecai, woven in the workshop of Michele Audran after a design by J. F. de Troy. The Toilet of Esther c.1778-85.Royal Collection Trust-Queens Audience Chamber Windsor Castle The Sketches for the Esther Cycle by Jean-François de Troy (1736) “and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mor’decai, ..., took for his own daughter.” (Est. 2:7) A supple and undulating genius, both a flattering portraitist and a prolix history painter, as well as a brilliant genre painter, in a gallant or worldly vein, Jean-François de Troy (Paris, 1679 – Rome, 1752), solicited, although he had passed the threshold of old age, a new royal commission up to his ambitions. To obtain it, he submitted – successfully - for the approval of the Bâtiments du roi (administration), seven modelli painted in 1736 with his usual alacrity. Inspired by one of the most novelistic texts of the Old Testament, the Book of Esther, these sketches in a rapid and virtuoso manner were transformed by the artist, between 1737 and 1740 into large cartoons intended to serve as models for the weavers of the Gobelins factory. Showing undeniable ease and skill in the composition in perfect harmony with the sensitivities of the times, the tapestry set met with great success. The Story of Esther perfectly corresponded to the plan of the Bâtiments du roi to renew the repertoire of tapestry models used for the weavers of the royal factories while it also conformed to the tastes of Louis XV’s subjects for a fantastical Orient, the set for a dramatic tale in which splendour, love and death were combined. Indeed, no tapestry set was woven in France during the 18th century as often as that of Esther. The series of modelli painted by de Troy during the year 1736 looks to the history of French painting and decoration under Louis XV as much as it does the history of the Gobelins. It probably counts among the most important rococo pictorial groups to have remained in private hands. First the Biblical source illustrated by De Troy which constitutes the base of one of the richest iconographical traditions of Western art will be considered. Then the circumstances and specific character of French civilisation during the reigns of Louis XIV and Louis XV which contributed to making the theme of Esther a relevant subject, both attractive to contemporaries and remarkably in line with the sensitivities of the time will be elucidated. An examination of the exceptional series of sketches united here, the cartoons and the tapestries that they anticipate as well as a study of their reception will close this essay. The Book of Esther: A scriptural source at the source of rich iconography. The origin of the Esther tapestry set by Jean-François de Troy – origin and creation of a masterpiece According to the evidence of one of the artist’s early biographers, the chevalier de Valory, author of a posthumous elegy of the master, read at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 6 February 1762, it was apparently due to early16 rivalry with François Lemoyne (1688-1737), his younger colleague who had precisely just been appointed First Painter to the King in 1736, that had encouraged François de Troy to seek a commission allowing him to show off his ease and his promptitude at the expense of a rival who was notoriously laborious: “M. De Troy, retaining some resentment of the kind of disadvantage which he believed to have suffered compared with his emulator looked to regain some territory by making use of the facility his rival did not possess. Lemoyne was excessively long in the creation of his works,and M. De Troy of a rare celerity: consequently, with this particular talent, the latter offered to the court to make paintings appropriate to be executed at the Gobelins Factory; and it is to this circumstance that we owe the beautiful series of the Story of Esther, which would be sufficient alone to give him a great reputation.”17 Beyond the suspicion inspired by the topos, which still constitutes, more or less, a tale of rivalries between artists in ancient literature, there is probably some truth in what Valory reports although A.-J. Dezalier d’Argenville (who indicates rather spitefully that de Troy did not hesitate to “cut prices” to impose himself, benefitting from the productivity assured by the unlikely rapidity of his brush)18 proves to be more evasive: “As he looked to busy himself, he had offered to make the paintings that serve as models for the King’s tapestries cheaply: which did not please his colleagues. He was given a choice of two tapestry series to be made and he took the Story of Esther and that of Jason”.19 Whether or not the choice was actually left to de Troy (which would appear rather casual on the royal administration’s part all the same), it seems likely that the artist, whose contemporaries extol his “fire”, as the faculty of invention was then called, must have ardently aspired to the possibility of using on a very large scale the “creative genius” with which Dezallier d’Argenville credits him. The decoration of the private apartments, the fashion for which Louis XV had promoted at Versailles and Fontainebleau, offered little opportunity to excel in this area. Other than painting for altarpieces, only tapestries could allow comparison with Lemoyne who had been granted – unfortunately for him – a major decoration: the enormous ceiling of the Hercules Room at Versailles. Favoured by the recent improvement in France’s financial situation, the revival of patronage offered de Troy a commission fitting for him, in a field in which, however, he had hardly any experience. Anxious to renew the repertoire of models available to the Gobelins factory, the Duc d’Antin, surintendant des Bâtiments du roi from 1708 to 1736 followed by his successor, Philibert Orry comte de Vignory, gave him the task of producing seven large cartoons inspired by the Book of Esther corresponding to the brilliant sketches or modelli which de Troy had produced in one go, or almost (very few preparatory drawings can in fact be linked to the Esther cycle and all seem to be at the execution stage of the cartoons).20 Subjected to the approval of the Administration des Bâtiments according to the procedure in use for projects being planned for the Gobelins, sketches made rapidly during 1736 were approved and the project launched immediately. Thereupon came the news of François Lemoyne’s death, who, ground down by work and a victim of his private torment, committed suicide on 4 June 1737. Against all expectations, de Troy did not replace his rival in the position of First Painter (which remained vacant until the appointment of Charles Coypel in January 1747), which would perhaps have made him too obviously the beneficiary of the drama. The awarding of the position of Director of the French Academy in Rome came to console him while he had already produced (or he was in the process of finishing), in Paris, three of the seven cartoons of the cycle (The Fainting of Esther finished in 1737 and the Toilet and Coronation of Esther, both finished in 1738). De Troy, we can see, did not follow the order of the narrative but began with the subjects which apparently offered the least difficulty because he had already depicted them, or because they fall into a strong pictorial tradition (such is the case especially for the Fainting of Esther). He had hardly settled at the Palazzo Mancini in August 1738, when his first task which awaited the new director of the French Academy naturally consisted of honouring the royal commission and finishing without delay the final cartoons of the Story of Esther after the sketches he must have taken with him. As prompt as ever, de Troy discharged himself of the execution of the four remaining cartoons in only two years, by beginning with the largest format which allowed him to strike the imagination and to impose himself as soon as he arrived on the Roman stage: the Triumph of Mor’decai which was finished in 1739 (like Esther’s Banquet). The following year, the Mor’decai's Disdain and The Sentencing of Haman were brought to an end in the same Neo-Venetian style, obviously tributary to Veronese with its choice of “open” monumental architecture which is characteristic of the entire cycle.21 The series, it should be noted, was almost augmented with some additional scenes in the mid 1740s. Indeed, the first tapestry set finished at the Gobelins in 1744 proved to be unsuitable for the arrangement of the Dauphine’s apartments at Versailles for which it had been intended to decorate the walls the following year (cf infra). Informed of this, de Troy, considering that the story of Esther offered “several good subjects,” immediately offered to illustrate one or new subject among those “which could appear to be the most interesting”. The directeur des Bâtiments Orry, who managed the State’s accounts, obviously judged it less costly to have one of the tapestries widened to fill in the end of the Dauphine’s bedroom,22 which has probably deprived us of very original compositions, because de Troy had already illustrated the most famous themes, those that benefitted from a strongly established iconographical tradition and from which it was not easy to deviate The Tapestry Set of the Story of Esther Placed on the tapestry looms of the Gobelins at the end of the 1730s in Michel Audran’s workshop, the cycle created by de Troy aroused true infatuation. The few hundred tapestries made between 1738 and 1797 – all in high-warp tapestry and woven in wool and silk except for four in low-warp made in Neilson’s workshop – show the impressive success of a tapestry set that was without any doubt the most frequently woven of the 18th century in France. 29 Only three cartoons had been delivered by de Troy in 1738 when the first tapestry set was begun by Audran under the expert eye of Jean-Baptiste Oudry to whom the Directeur général des bâtiments, Philibert Orry had assigned the (weekly) supervision of the weaving. During the summer of 1738, the piece of the Fainting of Esther, which Oudry judged to be admirable, was finished. During the winter of 1742, Oudry informed Orry that about two ells of the Triumph of Mor’decai had been made “with no faults”,that the Coronation of Esther was finished and that the Esther at her Toilet “a very gracious tapestry” was “a little over half” finished. Exhibited at Versailles in 1743, these two last pieces were admired by Louis XV and the Court. On 3 December 1744, the set of seven tapestries was finally delivered to the Garde Meuble. It was intended, the honour was not slight, to decorate the apartments of the Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain whose marriage to the young Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand had been fixed for the following year (it took place on 23 February 1745). Apparently it was thought that the theme of Esther the biblical heroine and wife of a foreign sovereign was appropriate for the apartments of the Spanish Dauphine. As early as the month of March, the architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel informed de Troy that her grand cabinet was decorated with the “Esther tapestry set” specifying however that “for lack of two small or one large piece, we have not been able to decorate the end of the room”. This difficulty led immediately to the Banquet episode being woven a second time in two parts (they were delivered to the Garde-Meuble on 30 December 1746) to garnish the panels on each side of the bed of the Dauphine who would hardly enjoy them (she died on 22 July 1746 and the decoration was installed for the new Dauphine Maria Josepha of Saxony). The appearance of the set’s remarkable border, which imitated a richly sculpted wooden frame, should be mentioned. Conceived in 1738 by the ornamentalist Pierre Josse-Perrot and used in the later weavings until 1768, it tended to reinforce the resolutely painterly appearance of the tapestry set which, in this regard, pushed the art of tapestry as far as its ultimate mimetic possibilities. With the exception of Mor’decai's Disdain which had been removed earlier, the “editio princeps” of the story of Esther (from then on in nine pieces) remained at Versailles until the Revolution. Of the eight surviving tapestries, four are at the chateau of Compiègne and four belong today to the Mobilier National. No less than seven tapestry sets reputed to be complete (one of them in fact only had six tapestries) would be produced officially at the Gobelins up to 1772. Literature: 1- The Œuvres mêlées of an emulator of Racine, the Abbé Augustin NADAL thus include an Esther. Divertissement spiritual which is exactly contemporary with Jean François de Troy’s cycle since it was performed in 1735 and published in Paris three years later. 2-Le Siècle de Louis XIV, 1751, 1785 ed., p. 96-97 for French ed. 3- Lemoyne and de Troy had been obliged to share the First Prize in the competition organised in 1727 between the most prominent history painters of the Académie Royale. 4- Mémoires…, pub. L. DUSSIEUX et al., 1854, II, p.265. 5-The fact that de Troy, at the risk of falling out with his colleagues, did not hesitate to make use of prices in order to convince the new directeur des Bâtiments Philibert Orry, is confirmed by Mariette who adds tersely “it caused much shouting” (pub. 1851-1860, II, p. 103). 6- Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres…, ed. 1762, IV, p. 368-369 20 Early comments on the painter are inclined to present him as a kind of “pure painter”, doing without the medium of drawing, a few intermediary studies between the Esther sketches and the large cartoons at the Louvre nevertheless show that de Troy used red chalk (see in the catalogue, the notice for the Meal of Esther and Ahasuerus under the entry drawing) to change one or other figure. 7-C. GASTINEL-COURAL (cat. exp. PARIS, 1985, p. 9-13) as well as the article by J. VITTET, exh. cat. LA ROCHE-GUYON, 2001, p. 51-55. 8-The Hermitage in St. Petersburg conserves five tapestries of these two royal gifts whose provenance still awaits elucidation (as far as we are aware). In 1766, the Grand Marshal of Russia, Count Razumovski (or Razamowski), acquired the Fainting and the Banquet extracted from the sixth weaving (J. VITTET, 2001, p. 53). 9- Lettres écrites de Suisse, d’Italie…,quoted by J. VITTET, op. cit., p. 54. 10-The tapestry set remained in the hands of a branch of the Hapsburg-Lorraine family until 1933 (ibid. P. 54). 11-Quoted by Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, p. 97, note 269. 12-Y. CANTAREL-BESSON, 1992, p. 241. Catalogue The Esther at her Toilet Oil on canvas, 57 x 51 cm Provenance: Painted in 1736 at the same time as the six other modelli of the Story of Esther intended to be presented, for approval, to the direction des Bâtiments du Roi; perhaps identifiable among a lot of sketches by Jean-François de Troy in the post mortem inventory of the amateur, historian and critic Claude-Henri Watelet (1718-1786) drawn up on 13 January 1786 and following days (A.N. T 978, n° 30) then in the sale of the property of the deceased, Paris, 12 June 1786, n° 33; Paris, François Marcille Collection (who owned a series of six sketches from which the Triumph of Mor’decai was missing, see infra); Paris, Marcille Sale, Hôtel Drouot, 12-13 January 1857, n° 36; Asnières, Mme de Chavanne de Palmassy ( ?) collection; Paris, Galerie Cailleux; Paris, Humbert de Wendel collection (acquired from the Galerie Cailleux in 1928); by inheritance in the same family; Paris, Sotheby’s, 23 June 2011, n° 61. In order not to add unnecessarily to the technical commentary on each work, the catalogue raisonné by Chr. Leribault which contains a substantial bibliography on the series should be referred to. The other bibliographical references only concern the publications and exhibitions to have appeared and been presented more recently. Bibliography and Exhibitions: Chr. LERIBAULT, 2002, n° P. 247 (repr.); E. LIMARDO DATURI, 2004, p. 28; Exh. cat. NANTES, 2011, p. 138, n° 34, referred to in note 1; Sotheby’s catalogue, Tableaux anciens et du XIXe siècle, 23 June 2011, n° 61 (repr.). Related Works: Tapestry cartoon: The cartoon (oil on canvas, 329 x 320 cm), the third made by the artist in Paris after the sketches had been approved by the direction des Bâtiments, is in the Louvre (Inv. 8315). It previously bore the painter’s signature and the date 1738 (inscriptions which are found on the tapestries). The royal administration paid 1600 livres for it on 21 June 1738 and it was exhibited at the Salon in the year of its creation. Summary Biography 1679 (27 January): Baptism in Paris (Parish of St. Nicolas du Chardonnet) of Jean-François de Troy, son of the painter François de Troy and Jeanne Cotelle, sister of the painter Jean II Cotelle. 1696-1698: Studies (apparently rather turbulent) at the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture. 1698-1708: First trip to Italy. Is obliged to leave Rome in January 1711 after a tempestuous affair (a duel?), de Troy extends the traditional Roman experience as a pensionnaire at the Académie de France by also visiting Tuscany where he stays for a long time, Venice (his art in face has a strongly Venetian character) and Genoa. 1708: De Troy (whose father had been elected Director of the Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture on 7 July) is agréé and immediately received at the Académie with Apollo and Diana Piercing with their Arrows the Children of Niobe (Montpellier, Musée Fabre) on 28 July. 1710: First royal commission, paid for on 10 May (a sketch representing “the Promotion of the Order of the Holy Spirit” for the tapestry series of the History of the King). 1716: Jean-François de Troy is elected Assistant Professor at the Academy. 1720: He is appointed Professor. 1723: The artist creates the double portrait of Louis XV...
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Early 18th Century French Baroque Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Bobyrug’s Nice Vintage Aubusson Style Jaquar Tapestry with Medieval Museum Desig
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Discover the elegance of French heritage with this exquisite midcentury tapestry featuring the captivating "Dame à l'orgue" (The Lady at the Organ) design from the Angers museum. Adm...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Medieval Tapestries

Materials

Cotton, Wool

Bobyrug’s pretty antique French needlepoint chair cover tapestry
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Exquisite late 19th-century French needlepoint tapestry originally from a chair cover but can be also use for cushions, or frames. Adorned with a captivating floral design from the N...
Category

Late 19th Century French Aubusson Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Nice French Aubusson Style hand printed tapestry « enchanted park »
Located in Saint Ouen, FR
Immerse yourself in the allure of this mid-20th-century French tapestry, showcasing a design inspired by a 15th-century woven masterpiece titled "The Enchanted Park." Adorned with ex...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Medieval Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Greenery tapestry Flanders Oudenaarde - 18th century Dim 2.42x2.52 - No. 1346
Located in Paris, FR
specialized in the Purchase, Sale, Traditional Cleaning, Restoration - Conservation, Expertise - Estimation of Old and also Contemporary Tapestries, Carpets, Kilims and Textiles. We ...
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1760s French Aubusson Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Antique Navajo Chief Blanket Third Phase Revival
Located in Atlanta, GA
On offer is a Navajo chief blanket of the third phase circa 1895-1920s. The chief blanket is the highest achievement of the Navajo textile develop...
Category

Early 20th Century American Navajo Tapestries

Materials

Yarn

1930 Royal Manufacture Aubusson Animal Forest Tapestry Silk Wool Red Green
Located in Paris, FR
🌿 What Is a Greenery (Verdure) Tapestry? A greenery tapestry (French: verdure) typically features: Lush landscapes with stylized trees, foliage, plants, and flowers Often includes...
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1930s French Aubusson Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Silk

Antique Rare Ceremonial Shoulder Cloth (Kain Nyulam), South Sumatra
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Antique Rare Ceremonial Shoulder Cloth (Kain Nyulam), South Sumatra This fully embellished and intricately embroidered shoulder cloth (kain nyulam) is a rare and unique example of t...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tapestries

Materials

Cotton, Silk, Sequins

Antique Tribal Dayak Plaited Rattan Longhouse Mat (Tikar), Kalimantan
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Antique Tribal Dayak Plaited Rattan Longhouse Mat (Tikar), Kalimantan The tightly woven longhouse sleeping mats of Kalimantan are almost exclusively constructed by women, who begin ...
Category

Early 20th Century Indonesian Tribal Tapestries

Materials

Rattan

Mid-Century Modern Heliotrope Tapestry, Signed Wool Art, 1960s France
Located in Beirut, LB
Tapestry in “pure laine vierge” signed by Hervé Lelong Entitled “Heliotrope” Depicting a colorful flowers scene in the style of J.Lurcat Hand woven wool
Category

1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Rare Vintage Tapestry with Exquisite Scene of Egyptian Architecture and Columns
Located in Atlanta, GA
Rare Vintage Tapestry with Exquisite Scene of Egyptian Architecture and Columns. 16-1005 This exquisite tapestry from the late 20th century is co...
Category

1980s French Aubusson Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Antique 16th Century Brussels Baroque Mythological Tapestry with Angel
Located in New York, NY
Tapestries were ubiquitous in the castles and churches of the late medieval and Renaissance eras. At a practical level, they provided a form of insulation and decoration that could b...
Category

16th Century Belgian Baroque Antique Tapestries

Materials

Tapestry, Wool

Vintage Swedish "Täppan" tapestry
Located in Uccle, BE
"Täppan," created by Märta Måås-Fjetterström, is a beautifully handwoven flatweave tapestry from Sweden. Made with expert craftsmanship in wool, it measures roughly 24 x 24 cm and be...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Scandinavian Modern Tapestries

Materials

Wool

15th Century Antique Brussels Millefleur Tapestry 6 X 5
Located in Los Angeles, US
A wall hanging tapestry, simply put, is a textile specifically designed and woven to portray an artistic scene with the intent of hanging it on a wall. Antique tapestries, those that...
Category

15th Century and Earlier Unknown Other Antique Tapestries

Materials

Wool, Cotton

Antique French Tapestry Handwoven French Tapestry Aubusson Verdure Tapestry
Located in New York, NY
Rare Antique French Tapestry Verdure Human Flirting Scene Beige after "Francois Boucher" 4'4" x 6'4" 132cm width x 193cm Height circa 1920 "This is an outstanding one-of-a-k...
Category

1920s French Vintage Tapestries

Materials

Wool

Shop Vintage Tapestries on 1stDibs

Whether you hang them behind your bed as a dazzling alternative to a headboard or over the sofa as a large-scale focal point in the living room, vintage tapestries can introduce an array of textures and colors to any space in your home.

Woven wall hangings haven’t consistently enjoyed the popularity or earned the highbrow status that other types of wall decorations have over the years, at least not since the 1970s, which was somewhat of a heyday for tapestries. Today, however, these tactile works of art are seeing a renaissance, as modern weavers are forging new paths in the medium while the demand for antique and vintage tapestries continues to grow.

“We are drawn to texture in environments, and we see tapestries as a subtle layer of soft ornament,” says Lauren Larson of the New York design duo Material Lust. Indeed, and a lot of opportunity comes along when decorating with this distinctive brand of soft ornament.

Think of wall hangings as paintings created by hand with fabric instead of oil or watercolors. If you’re not simply securing your treasure to a wall with nails, pushpins or Velcro, tapestries can be stretched over a frame, used to create a canopy in a cozy living-room corner, hung from a rod or placed inside a shadowbox. And because this kind of textile art is hundreds of years old, options abound with respect to subjects and designs.

For richly detailed depictions of landscapes and garden scenes, look to antique Chinese tapestries and Japanese tapestries. Aubusson tapestries are ornate wall hangings manufactured in central France that are also characterized by romantic portrayals of nature. For weavers of mid-century modern tapestries, as well as those working in textile arts today, the styles and subject matter are too numerous to mention, with artists exploring experimental shapes, bold colors and provocative abstract designs.

Antique, new and vintage tapestries can make a room feel warm and welcoming — find yours on 1stDibs now.

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