Lot 379
  • 379

A FLEMISH VERDURE TAPESTRY FRAGMENT EARLY 16TH CENTURY, AND LATER |

Estimate
7,000 - 10,000 GBP
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Description

  • approximately 266cm. high, 189cm. wide; 8ft. 8in., 6ft. 2in.
woven with brightly coloured large leaves and flowers, incorporating small birds, within a four-sided exuberant border, the lower border with an illegible weaver's mark

Condition

Overall measurements: 189cm across the top and bottom, 266cm along the left side, 265cm along the right side. In professionally restored condition, with reweaving in areas. Reduced in size, in stable, restored condition, lined, with old Velcro across the top for hanging. Very decorative, versatile size and evocative of genre and with good colour, and some lovely examples of early hachure weaving technique.
"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."

Catalogue Note

This style of verdure with the main field being the large leaves evolved between 1540 and 1560. A few tapestries of this group retain their city marks of either Enghien, Oudenaarde or Geraardsbergen (Grammont). The towns are close to each other and it is therefore not surprising that there are similarities in the tapestries woven in the separate cities. It is highly likely that this particular fragment if from a larger tapestry, of which there are survivors, which include armorial shields. It is a particularly striking design and colouration of tapestry, evocative of a particular period.   Candace Adelson, European Tapestry in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 1994, pp.118-121, illustrates and discusses a large leaf fragment with birds and an example from the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, which unlike the Minneapolis example has a full four-sided border, on a banded ground, both panels are dated 1540-1550, and considered to be Oudenaarde or Geraardsbergen (Grammont).

Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999, pp.168-176 for discussion of Enghien Verdure tapestries, and an Armorial tapestry with bold border, with two marks for unidentified Enghien workshops, commissioned by Wolf Haller von Hallerstein, illustrated, pg. 169.

Ebeltje Hartkamp-Jonxis and Hillie Smith, European Tapestries in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 2004, pp.76-79, cat. 21a & b, discusses and illustrates two Verdure tapestries with the Arms of Emperor Charles V, which were woven in Brussels, by Willem de Pannemaker, circa 1540-155, and show the style with the stem border and fruiting and flowering groups on yellow and red banded ground, and exuberant, albeit more finely woven, large leaf and floral ground. For consideration the Rijksmuseum collection has another `Giant-leaf' Verdure fragment, with flowers, fruit, birds and butterflies, of similar boldness of style and colour to the presently offered fragment, pp.90-91, cat. 26.   

Edith Appleton Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum, 1985, Vol. I, pp.177-179, figs.24a-24b., discusses and illustrates two fragments of Verdures with giant leaves, dated to 1550-1600, with the top and bottom borders visible with banded grounds, and woven with small and large birds on the feuilles-de-choux ground, with one bearing the Grammont mark in the selvedge.

For comparable pieces at auction with similar border types to the present tapestry see a striking large panel (265 by 321cm) with armorial shields with the impaled coat of arms of the Ubaldini and Ridolfo families of Florence, in the border, sold Sotheby's, London, 13 April 2011, lot 7. For other examples see Christie's, London, 16th November 2000, lot 109 and Sotheby's Florence, 23rd May 1988, lot 544 and another comparable panel, Grammont or Enghien, circa 1550, (315cm. by 323cm) with very similar bow tied stem and floral border on banded yellow and red ground, was published in Apollo, June 1978, which is like a panel at Leeds Castle, Kent.