Hand-woven tapestries
Period: mid 19th Century
Dimensions: cm 130 x 300
Pair of antique tapestries, Aubusson Manufacture – 181
Description
Pair of antique tapestries, Aubusson Manufacture
Hand-woven tapestries
Period: mid 19th Century
Dimensions: cm 130 x 300
Aubusson (whose mediaeval name was Albuconium), a small city on the River Creuse in central France, was the home of weavers from as early as the middle ages. They began production with fabrics, tapestries and cloth, and later went on to make carpets.
During the reign of Henry IV of Navarre, the textile mills of Aubusson came under the protection of the king, under whose patronage the Louvre and Savonnerie mills were opened. In 1601 he issued a decree prohibiting the importation into France of any tapestries woven outside the country’s borders, so as to protect the local weavers.
The colour scheme used in this pair of tapestries gives them a remarkable elegance of tone, set off by the rich bouquet of roses rising out of the floral medallion enclosed in a Greek geometric pattern. The motif is reflected by the rosette at the top, with its twisting branches laden with buds. The purple outer border frames the whole work and ends with a decorative tassel.
