'The Banquet of Alcinous', A French Classical mythological tapestry, from The Story of Ulysses, Aubusson, after Isaac Moillon 17th century

woven depicting a banqueting scene with King Alcinous, Nausicaa and Ulysses, (Homer: Odyssey, Book VIII, 42; Book IX, 14-22), within a four-sided frame pattern floral border, with clasp corners

Measurements: 296cm. up the left and right sides, 307cm along the top and 309cm along the lower edge. Tapestry has brown cotton lining as Velcro attached across the width, but placed 32cm down from the top edge. It is recommended that Velcro should be added across the top edge for hanging purposes in the future. The tapestry has original blue outer selvedges. Some repairs in the borders, otherwise stable condition. The colours are generally faded, but balanced overall. Some discolouration and small dark spots, visible on close inspection. Generally coarse weave, with some finer areas of later repair in area of folds to the clothing above hilt of sword, to figure to front right of table. The tablecloth is old reweaving, clearly visible as the dark cream in the photograph. There is also reweaving to the top and edge of cloth, on the far right of the image and in areas horizontally in the centre of the two seated figures on the left, as visible in the photograph. There is some old surface tinting, of salmon to edges of leg and to faces, and mauve in the folds of drapery to left of foot in far left corner. This tapestry is in otherwise overall very good condition, commensurate with age. There are some beautiful example of early weaving technique, charming details to composition including the faces and details such as the background and the chandelier.
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There is a weaving of this subject, reduced in height, and without the upper and lower borders, in the Château de Journet, Vienne, France. For discussion and illustration of the present tapestry (Sotheby's, Amsterdam, 21 March 1996) and the comparable cited weaving, from series of The Story of Ulysses, see Nicole de Reyniès and Sylvain Laveissière, Isaac Moillon (1614-1673) Un Peintre du Roi à Aubusson, Musée départemental de la tapisserie, Aubusson, 2005, pp.182-197, III.1.a & b.