A Flemish Classical Tapestry, Brussels, from The Story of Troy late 16th century

woven depicting The Greeks on the Shore of Troy, with the shoreline with encampment and soldiers and various ships elaborately decorated and one with a group of playing musicians heralding their arrival, within an elaborate four-sided border, the top border centred with rectangular strapwork and lion mask framed entablature with Latin narrative on blue ground, GRECI TROIANO LITTORI APPVLS ET NAVIBVS EGRESSI INGENTEM BELLI APPARATV EREQUENTES EXPEDIVNT (The Greeks on the Shore of Troy), incorporating elaborate groupings of fruit and foliage with scrolling tendrils and strapwork, with allegorical figures with associated attributes and Latin banderoles, including Caritas in both side borders, Sol, Luna, Temporantia and Justice along the lower border, Sol and Luna seated in chariots pulled by a pair of horses and pair of eagles respectively, on a cream ground, with further narrow inner and outer scrolling ribbon and stylised floral motif borders, on a cerise ground, with a four-sided blue outer selvedge, the bottom left corner with the Brussels town mark; lacking weaver's marks as those sections of selvedge are later 

Two Tapestries from The Story of Troy, woven by Frans van den Hecke (fl. 1630-65) were offered at Christie's, London, 19^th May 1994, lot 371, depicting Hector, the son of Priam, King of Troy, saying farewell to his wife and son at the gates of Troy on the eve of the battle, andlot 372, depicting Agamemnon being presented with a prisoner, with the Trojan horse in the background, both with weaver's mark, and very elaborate bold compartmentalised borders.  A related tapestry from the History of Troy, depicting Ulysses and Diomede presenting to King Priam Agamemnon's demand for the return of Helen, woven by Jan Aertz, was sold at Sotheby's, London, 25 July 1969, lot 25 and at Sotheby's, New York, 30 May 1987, lot 247.

See Sotheby's New York, 3^rd October 2008, lot 11, for a comparable tapestry from the Story of Troy, with a similar border to that of the present lot, particularly evident in the incorporation of the chariots led by exotic animals, such as the griffins and the horses, in the lower border, and the use of the entablature with Latin narrative in the top border, this tapestry has the Brussels town mark.

 

See preceeding lot, companion piece from the same series.

 

Tapestry is partially lined with old hessian. Old hoops across the top. Restoration stitches attached to patches of it applied to back. Recommend that tapestry is re-lined with Velcro attached to the top edge for future hanging purposes. Blue outer four-sided selvedge largely original with some later sections, for example lower right corner. The tapestry would benefit from attention. There are old repairs (consolidated stitched areas in some parts). Old repairs to light areas, highlights and grounds, commensurate with age. Areas of distress with warps showing, which could be repaired before re-lined. Worn areas, for example to areas of brown weave. Flesh tones discoloured, which is commensurate with age. Although colours faded, still blue in sky and shades of green and oranges. Very finely woven and detailed composition. Beautiful examples of technique to detailed composition, such as eccentric weave and hachures. Decorative and detailed original borders, which are dirty and distressed in areas, visible in photograph along lower border. Historic series.
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