A tapestry wall hanging or altar frontal (Antependium) fragment panel, probably Nuremberg, German circa 1475-1525

of horizontal format, woven in imitation of late fifteenth/early 16th century silk damasks, brocades and voided velvet textiles, with a salmon coloured ground with overall horizontal repeat pattern, with alternating row of large and smaller ovoid five pointed stylised floral motifs in dark cerise, centred with correspondingly large and smaller yellow stylised pomegranate and acanthus leaf motifs, with each pair of horizontal repeats interspersed with a running repeat swag in yellow of interlinked alternating stems with scrolling leaves and horizontal stylised pointed leaf design; with a lower banded green, cream and green lower selvedge

By repute from Church near Strasbourg;
Previously hanging on loan, in Chapel, Leeds Castle, Maidstone Kent;
present Private owners by descent

Colour of tapestry has faded overall, commensurate with age. The lining is open at the bottom and the back of the panel is therefore viewable, revealing the original shades of colour, not faded. The yellow is a brighter canary yellow on the back, the pale pink is a dark musk pink (dark salmon), and the cerise ground is darker on the back. There are areas of repair, visible on the front of the panel as a paler salmon colour. On the reverse the colour is not as obvious and has faded on the front. Professionally woven repairs, three of which are larger than others which are spot repairs. They are all irregular shapes. Far left repair is salmon and white, and is approx. 4cm. at highest, and 8cm. long on a curve. The central repair is `c' -shaped and 4cm. wide at top, 8cm. wide at bottom, and approx. 8.2cm. high. The far right larger shaped area is 25cm. at highest and 29cm. from top left to bottom right corner. Small spots of similar repair in areas across tapestry, visible as the lighter salmon colour. There is a vertical rectangular section which does not match entirely with the design, possible originally from other section of the panel. It is 26cm. in from the left corner. It is approximately 18.7cm. wide, and 39.9cm. high. (from reverse not cut and joined - woven in. Linen warps (overlocked) are visible underneath sections of the lining along both sides. Neat edge across top as expected, and band across bottom, which has some tears and small holes. Beautiful early weaving technique and eccentric weave. Small gaps at colour changes, More obvious in some areas than others, all commensurate with technique and age. Approximately 6/7 warps per cm, and 12/13 wefts per cm. The lining is turned under at the top with a coloured selvedge. It is comprised of two panels with a horizontal join across the centre. The sides of the lining are ill fitting. There is a narrow strip of modern Velcro across the top edge. Banded selvedge along lower edge only (approx. 2cm. high). Tapestry panel is 97.5cm. high. The sides of the panel are curling under slightly due to the narrower linen lining. Recommend that this lining is removed (adjusted) to ensure tapestry is flat. Small spot marks in areas. Otherwise in good overall condition. Very interesting historical piece. Versatile size and very decorative and evocative early tapestry panel.
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The tapestry panel follows designs used for textile panels woven in the second half of the 15^th century and early 16^th century, with the two tone cerise and salmon simulating either damask or voided velvet, and the yellow woven motifs alluding to gold detailing. Tapestries of this stylistic group have traditionally been noted as Franconian or Nuremberg in manufacture, and correlate to the dates of the inspirational textiles.

Based on comparable tapestry panels with use of this identical repeat ground design, colour and format, which include figures with Christian iconography it is considered that this present panel could be part of a larger dossal used in a ecclesiastical context as a altar frontal or hanging behind choir stalls. Alternatively due to the lack of any figures it could have been for secular use within a domestic context.

A virtually identical panel to the present panel, woven in the same colours and with the same pattern, and without a figural motif (101cm. by 223cm; 3ft. 3in., 7ft. 4in.), is discussed and illustrated in A. Cavallo, Medieval Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1993, pp.654-656, and notes the present panel which was on loan then to Leeds Castle. 

Two directly comparable hangings, of the same design, colour and format, are recorded, which include central figures. One is woven with a green cloaked figure with a unicorn (98cm. high, 180cm. wide; 3ft. 2in., 5ft. 11in.),, considered to be a secular subject (Illustrated in H. Göbel, Die Wandteppiche, Part III, Vol.i, 1933, nos.131, and later sold at Sotheby's, Monaco, 4th December 1983, lot 340) and another panel (96.5cm. high, 170cm. wide; 3ft. 1in., 5ft. 7in.) incorporates a standing figure of Saint Margaret holding a palm frond (Sotheby's, London, 4^th July 1984, lot 18). Other panels with Christian figures, but different ground designs, are in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg.

Due to the similarities, and especially the layout of the repeat design, between all four of the panels noted, it is possible that they were all originally part of the same hanging, or group of hangings.

Other tapestry examples with a similar pattern are used in a German tapestry, wool, linen and metal-thread hanging, dated to the early 16^th century, from the Metropolitan Museum (recorded in von Wilckens Exh cat. New York & Nuremberg 1986, 209), and on two pieces with a similar though more stylised pattern, from The Burrell Collection, Glasgow Museums and Galleries, a German vertical three colour tapestry fragment (op.cit. Cavallo., pg. 640.), and a South Netherlands, horizontal panel with three Saints on a two tone blue ground, dated 1525-1550 (illustrated Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, pp.79.), which has a comparable panel in The Cloisters Collection, The Metropolitan Museum (illustrated, op.cit. Cavallo., pg. 595).