A Flemish `Teniers' Tapestry, woven depicting Winter Scene of Pig-Killing 18th century and later

woven with a landscape setting, with foreground figures of a pig being slaughtered in celebration of a successful summer harvest, with onlooking resting figures, all set before the village buildings, the pigsty lean-to with fresh carrots, with a large berried holly tree and fire tree woodland in the background, all within a four-sided elaborate red and gold frame pattern border with corner floral clasp motif, entwined with trails of flowers, with a dark brown outer selvedge 

Generally known as `Teniers' Tapestries, the extensive series were inspired by the paintings of David II Teniers (1610-1690) and depict everyday scenes of country life and commercial activities. They were immensely popular commissions from the late seventeenth century through to the middle of the eighteenth century. In around 1700, Jacques van der Borcht collaborated with the workshop of Reydams for a set of eight Teniers tapestries, which were different to the Brussels tapestries, and served as inspiration to Guillaume Werniers of Lille.

H. C. Marillier, Handbook to the Teniers Tapestries, London, 1932, pg. 87, pl. 61, illustrates a comparable Lille tapestry composition, albeit a larger panel, woven in the left side of which has similarites to the here offered tapestry composition, in that it has the lean-to pigsty, conifers beyond the rooves, and one man kneeling over the pig, with the solitary figure of the lady with long handled ladle and bucket and copper basin in the foreground. Marillier, ibid, pg.41, pl. 21, illustrates a Brussels weaving, by van den Hecke, of a larger Winter Scene and Pig Killing composition, within a frame pattern border.

See G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, pp.352-361, for a comprehensive discussion of the `Teniers' Tapestries, and pg.356, pl. 13.11 for a Brussels weaving of a composition entitled, `Winter. Killing the Pig. Fun on the Ice', which is an elaborate Brussels woven panel, with a pig being slaughtered in the lower right corner. A similarly inspired but reduced panel, woven in Brussels, shows large foreground buildings, seven foreground figures and further people on the ice in the background, has the similar grouping of two men killing the pig, and female holding the long handled ladle, though in reverse, within a narrow red and gold scrolling leaf and stem border, was sold at Sotheby's, London, 25^th May 1990, lot 17.

This tapestry is lined. It has Velcro attached across the top for hanging purposes. This tapestry is in very good restored condition. Very decorative tapestry, with striking and balanced colours and composition.
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