A Flemish Tapestry Panel with Lovers and Courtiers, circa 1500-25, Tournai

with fragmentary inscription at the upper left corner: ...sangler la tiecre ti- / ... mort qui sans tu bes.

French & Company, New York
Acquired by the present owner from the above in 1960

Panel from a larger tapestry. With added selvage. Some restoration throughout including to light colored silks. Some splits and open warps, including in hat of central male figure. Some patching including at lower left corner and lower left side. Some minor moth damage. Needs cleaning. Stable, good colors. Lined. With loops.
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 tapestry panel relates to a series of weavings of outdoor scenes in which richly attired courtiers mingle with peasants, generally ascribed to the Southern Netherlands, circa 1500-25. Examples are preserved in several institutions including the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, the Burrell Collection, Glasgow and the Musée du Cluny, Paris. Although the design of the original panel which incorporated the present piece probably did not include peasant figures, there are marked similarities in the faces, hairstyles and clothing. Variants of the design of the main couple in the present weaving recur in the tapestries mentioned above, all of which may have been inspired by a woodcut print serving as a margin illustration in a 15th century book of hours.

RELATED LITERATURE

F. Joubert, La tapisserie médieval musée national du moyen âge- Thermes de Cluny, Paris, 2002, pp. 93-103