'Prudence of Abigail', A Flemish Old Testament Tapestry, Bruges, from the series depicting Virtuous Women of Antiquity, circa 1650

woven with a four-sided architectural border, with flanking Corinthian columns and the centres of the horizontal borders incorporating narrative inscriptions, the top border with central laurel wreath enclosing text Prvdentia.Abigail. Os.Svvm.Apervit. Sapientiae.Et.Lex. Clementia.in.Lingva.eivs. Prov.XXXI, (Prov. 31: 26) and the lower border with banner incorporating text, Cvm.Constitverit. te.dominvs.Dvcem. Non.Erit.Tibi.In. Singvltvm.Qvod. Effvderis.Sangvinem.in.Noxivm. 1.Reg. XXV. (I Samuel. 25: 30-31)

Measurements: 455cm across the upper edge, 451cm across the lower edge, 375cm up the left side and 377cm up the right side. This tapestry is only partially lined in vertical strips across the back, which alternate with strips of the tapestry. It is highly recommended that the tapestry should be professionally lined, with Velcro attached across the top for hanging in the future. This tapestry is in need of restoration. There is some oxidisation to the darker areas which show white flecks of the warp threads in areas of the dark of the columns and dark inner borders (commensurate with dye and age). There are some small repairs in areas, some holes, some splits and hand repairs. (Not all of which are visible in the main photograph in the catalogue). For example there are repairs in the lower left corner at the edge of the grass, the brown soil has area of repair, and another area of repair is the tan colour to the right of the neck of the lady kneeling behind Prudence. The areas of light colour used as highlights, in the sky and the clothing are areas which become weak over age, as a result these are areas with hand stitched repairs, or which are in need of repair - to the white sleeve of Prudence and to highlights of her scallop edged waist band, and to the light areas of the stripped material behind her, and to the highlights of the stripped material around the neck of the figure standing on the far left holding the vase, and to some of highlights on the fruit and flowers in the borders. In addition there are some holes in areas and horizontal splits in areas, which need stabilising before the piece is lined for hanging. For example there are three holes in the background, left of the leg of central figure (visible as white specks in photograph), and further small holes in areas of the border, example top border, to the right of the wreath on the husk at the end of the red ribbon, visible as the white spot in the photograph, and another in the lower border, left of the banner, underneath the husk on the left attached to the red ribbon (again visible in the photograph as a white speck). There is a repaired vertical and horizontal cut and join in the lower right hand corner (visible in the photograph) running through the foot of the boy holding the lead of the dog, and upto the highlight in the blue robe, and then running horizontally through the red tassel in the right hand border. The sky generally is in good condition, the lines visible across the clouds are the technique of the weave, to create definition to the clouds. There are some small repairs and weaknesses in an area to the right of the leaves sprouting from the trunk of the tree, near a bird, and to the top edge of the top cloud in the centre of the sky near another bird. The condition (and need for restoration) is reflected in the estimate. This is a particularly finely woven tapestry, with beautiful details within the border and main composition. The faces are especially wonderfully woven and still with original colours, including pink to cheeks. The border is very striking and with balanced proportions. It is an evocative and characteristically dramatic Baroque tapestry, from an unusual and interesting series. This will be a particularly stunning and vibrant tapestry after some restoration to make it stable for hanging. If you would like detailed photographs please contact the department.
"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 series representing `Old Testament Heroines’, of which eight subjects have been recorded, was devoted to virtuous women from Antiquity, and was woven in the late 17^th century and continued the outstanding technical and artistic traditions of earlier generations of Bruges weavers. These particularly characteristic Baroque series were not woven beyond the 18^thcentury. The main virtue of the heroine depicted is explained in the text included within the laurel cartouche in the top border, and the appropriate passage from the Bible is referred to in the panel centred the lower border. It is the flamboyant and distinctive border type, with triple-twisted side columns, exuberant fruit and floral swags and narrative panels, which distinguishes the Bruges designs. It is a border type also found on some editions of the series of ‘The Liberal Arts’, of the same period, 1650 and later. The narrative compositions were inspired to use figures taken from Rubens prints.

For a virtually identical weaving of the subject of ‘The Prudence of Abigail’, (333 by 445cm), from the Náměšt’ Château, Czech Republic, and comparable pained composition of ‘David and Abigail’, oil on panel (49 by 74cm), Tallahasse, Florida State University. For comprehensive discussion of the series see, G. Delmarcel & E. Duverger, Bruges et la Tapisserie, Bruges, 1987, Allégories de la vertu représentées par des heroines de l’ancien testament, Nos.73-76, pp.491-512.

For other examples of panels from the series, depicting ‘The Kindness of Rebecca’, (372 by 375cm), Genesis 24: 17-24, (Galerie Chevalier, Paris), and ‘The Piety of Hannah’, (365 by 330cm), Samuel I: 11-24, (Private Collection, Brussels), see Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, Bruges tapestries in the seventeenth century, pp.275-277. Others in the series represent the ‘Fortitude of Judith’, the ‘Chastity of Susanna’, ‘Wisdom of the Queen of Sheba’, ‘Government of Deborah’ and ‘Good Deeds of Esther’.