Dynamic red fabric takes center stage in this garment made for a priest to wear during Mass. Luminous silver gilt threads add dimension to the floral motifs while yellow-green silk floss accents the vegetation. The maker added further depth to the design by combining red silk warp threads with white silk weft threads to create a shadowy repeated image. This method of weaving and the style of the vegetation are very much in conversation with silks imported from China and Persia—evidence of the rich visual exchange active in Italy in the 1600s.European GalleriesAlthough this textile shows wear, it is still lustrous, and its chenille yarns are still fluffy and splendid. Across its surface a dynamic narrative unfolds, featuring hunters and beasts and boats atop waves. This textile likely once adorned the walls of a room where its story was studied and appreciated. Expertly darned and re-woven passages speak to this work’s value across generations. The large floral motif is similar to that of the marriage quilt hanging behind. Both examples reflect the heavy influence in Spain and Portugal of designs from Goa, India, in the 1700s.This large tapestry was probably made for display on the walls of a noble family's castle. It was made in Tournai, in present-day Belgium, which by the 1500s was well established as a center of Europe's tapestry-weaving industry. The design depicts an imagined forest teeming with flowers, oversized foliage, mythical beasts including a griffin (half bird and half lion), and birds and animals native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The remarkable plants and animals may refer to the rich offerings reaching Europe from trading centers across the globe. The tree would have been understood as a tree of life--an ancient motif alluding to the interconnectedness of all life.
ecrm:P3_has_note
European GalleriesAlthough this textile shows wear, it is still lustrous, and its chenille yarns are still fluffy and splendid. Across its surface a dynamic narrative unfolds, featuring hunters and beasts and boats atop waves. This textile likely once adorned the walls of a room where its story was studied and appreciated. Expertly darned and re-woven passages speak to this work’s value across generations. The large floral motif is similar to that of the marriage quilt hanging behind. Both examples reflect the heavy influence in Spain and Portugal of designs from Goa, India, in the 1700s.Dynamic red fabric takes center stage in this garment made for a priest to wear during Mass. Luminous silver gilt threads add dimension to the floral motifs while yellow-green silk floss accents the vegetation. The maker added further depth to the design by combining red silk warp threads with white silk weft threads to create a shadowy repeated image. This method of weaving and the style of the vegetation are very much in conversation with silks imported from China and Persia—evidence of the rich visual exchange active in Italy in the 1600s.This large tapestry was probably made for display on the walls of a noble family's castle. It was made in Tournai, in present-day Belgium, which by the 1500s was well established as a center of Europe's tapestry-weaving industry. The design depicts an imagined forest teeming with flowers, oversized foliage, mythical beasts including a griffin (half bird and half lion), and birds and animals native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The remarkable plants and animals may refer to the rich offerings reaching Europe from trading centers across the globe. The tree would have been understood as a tree of life--an ancient motif alluding to the interconnectedness of all life.