A French (Gobelins) Tapestry, from the series 'Les Nouvelles Indes', after designs by François Desportes, probably woven by Cozette Fils, circa 1790

Ader Picard Tajan, Paris, June 14, 1983, lot 212 A

Lined with velcro. Reduced. Restorations throughout, particularly in cream colored silk areas. Some splits in border. Border associated (perhaps Beauvais factory) and outer border with stripes has been added.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This magnificent tapestry originally formed part of a set of eight tapestries depicting the exotic nature and inhabitants of the Dutch colony of Brazil. Count John Maurice of Nassau-Siegen (d. 1679), the Dutch governor in Brazil between 1637 and 1644 and an official of the Dutch East Indies Company, was particularly interested in recording the 'wonders of the New World' and commissioned various artists, botanists and doctors to record the local flora, fauna and inhabitants. He invited Albert Eckhout (d. 1664) and Frans Post (d. 1680) to travel through Brazil between 1637 and 1644 on an expedition with him and collect sketches and make oil paintings of their views of the country. Eckhout focused on the figures and vegetation and Post on the landscapes. On his return to Europe in 1644, the Count asked the artists to prepare cartoons for a tapestry series from their sketches which they completed before 1652. He commissioned Maximiliaan van der Gucht (d. 1689) from Delft to weave a tapestry set for his cousin Frederick William, Elector of Brandenburg, and a second set for himself in 1667 (both now lost). He then presented to King Louis XIV thirty-four paintings and the eight cartoons for the series of 'Les Anciennes Indes' in 1679. An inventory of 1681 lists them as 'huit grand tableaux [...] représentant des figures d'hommes et de bêtes de grandeur naturelle, plusieurs plantes, fruits, oyseaux, animaux, poisons et paysages de Brésil'. Louis XIV was so impressed by the cartoons that he commissioned the Royal Gobelins workshops to produce tapestries after the designs in 1687 but not before he had Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay (d. 1715), François Bonnemer (d. 1689), René-Antoine Houasse (d. 1710) and Jean Baptiste Monnoyer (d. 1699) retouch them. The present weaving, Le Chameau, forms part of a set of tapestries known as Les  Nouvelles Indes woven after the aforementioned cartoons that were later reproduced and modified by François Desportes. This particular subject does not appear on the market frequently, in comparison with other subjects from the set.

The border (which is associated) probably comes a Beauvais tapestry and was a design that was repeated and used to frame a variety of pastoral and mythological tapestries produced during the second half of the 18th century.

RELATED LITERATURE
M. Maurice Fenaille, État géneral des Tapisseries de la Manufacture des Gobelins, Paris, 1903, vol. II, pp. 371-398