An important Russian tapestry wall or floor covering, probably St. Petersburg,

with a central armorial, bearing the arms of Count Jan Pieter (Peter Kornilovich) van Suchtelen 

Some scattered minor restorations. Very finely woven.
"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. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

The arms are those of Count J.P. van Suchtelen (1751-1836), see Rietstap, J.B., Armorial Général, vol.II, p.865.  Born in Holland, Count Jan Peter van Suchtelen was a military engineer, cartographer, diplomat and collector.

In 1783 he was engaged by the Russian army at the invitation of Count Morkoff. His rise was rapid, becoming Major-General in 1789 and General in 1799, under Emperor Paul I (1754-1801). He held the post of Inspector of the Engineering Department, was a member of the Military Collegium and the Department of Naval Communications (1798-1809), undertaking hydro works including the North-Ekaterinensky Canal, the Vyshnevolotsk water system and works in Reval and St. Petersburg. He participated in the Battle of Leipzig in 1812 and also in 1812 was created Baron by Emperor Alexander I (1777 - 1825), becoming count in 1822. From 1809 to 1836 Suchtelen was  intermittently Russian ambassador to the Swedish Court.

Whilst in St. Petersburg, Suchtelen resided in the Mihailovsky Palace. Renowned as a great collector, known by his contemporaries for his sure taste, he amassed an enormous collection of over 5,000 prints, paintings and drawings, a superb library of around 27,000 volumes, and maps, coins and medals. Upon his death, in Uriksdal, much of his library and collection was purchased by the Russian treasury, which required a ship to transport them back to Russia. The greater part of his vast library was incorporated into the Imperial Public Library in St. Petersburg, and some of his pictures and engravings passed to the State Hermitage; his collection of medals and regalia were given to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences.  Parts of his collection were sold off; many of the prints were purchased by A. N. Alferoff; Grégoire Kouchelev-Bezborodko also purchased several works from the collection. Many drawings from the collection appeared at sale in Paris in 1862 and several of Suchtelen's Rembrandts later appeared in the collection of the Dutch painter Remy van Haanen (Vienna, 1894).  Works continue to  appear occasionally at auction,  bearing the collection label of van Suchtelen, c.f. a painting by Teniers the Younger, A Quay on a River Estuary with a Fishmarket, sold in these rooms, lot 168, December 7th 2006.

The tapestry technique of the offered lot is often associated with the decorative weavings of Bessarabia, however, Peter the Great (1682-1725) established an Imperial Tapestry Factory in 1716 (closed 1859) near St. Petersburg, using weavers imported from the Gobelins manufactory in Paris, and training Russian weavers, who executed commissions for the court and private clients.  In view of van Suchtelen's exquisite taste, attested to by his contemporaries and by the works known to have been in his collections, it seems most probable that this particular piece would have been woven in St. Petersburg at the Imperial factory, close to his Russian home and where he could be assured of the quality of the weaving. It may have been made to celebrate his elevation to count, in 1822.