Helena Gumley
Head of Sale Carpets and Tapestries
Lot 30TP
An impressive Flemish, 18th century armorial tapestryde Vos Workshop, Brussels, manufactured by d'Aubusson Royal Tapisserie, France 319cm x 243cm
Amended
18 December 2020, 14:00 GMT
London, New Bond StreetSold for £25,250 inc. premium
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An impressive Flemish, 18th century armorial tapestry
de Vos Workshop, Brussels, manufactured by d'Aubusson Royal Tapisserie, France
the whole woven with bright blue, red and golden wool, depicting four putti raising a rich red canopy aloft , bearing a crown of the top and an emblem beneath, possibly showing the Insignia of a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain, stitched in bottom right border 'DEVOS' stitched in bottom centre border 'B 'heart symbol' B' -the symbol of Brussels,
319cm x 243cm
the whole woven with bright blue, red and golden wool, depicting four putti raising a rich red canopy aloft , bearing a crown of the top and an emblem beneath, possibly showing the Insignia of a knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece of Spain, stitched in bottom right border 'DEVOS' stitched in bottom centre border 'B 'heart symbol' B' -the symbol of Brussels,
319cm x 243cm
Footnotes
Provenance
Previously forming part of a collection at an historic French property
De Vos Workshop:
The workshop of de Vos (specifically under Judocus de Vos) was the largest Flemish tapestry workshop at the start of the 18th century. The workshop had 12 looms and approximately 35 tapestry weavers (put into context the second largest workshop at the time only had eight looms).
Judocus de Vos produced many tapestries commissioned to depict events from the War of the Spanish Succession -which would make sense of the iconography in this particular armorial tapestry.
The Distinguished order of the Golden Fleece:
This Catholic order of chivalry was founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgandy 1430 to commemorate his marriage to Isabella of Portugal. The order now exists under two different strands - the Spanish branch and the Austrian branch. The separation took place after the Spanish War of Succession. The Spanish branch of the order in particular has often been referred to as the highest historic order of Chivalry in the world.
Literature:
Brussels Tapestry Producer Judocus de Vos (1661/62-1734)—New Data and Design Attributions, KOENRAAD BROSENS, Studies in the Decorative Arts, Vol. 9, No. 2 (SPRING-SUMMER 2002), University of Chicago Press
Saleroom notices
Please note that this arguably depicts the arms of the Princes of Arenberg -the Austrian branch of the Order of the Golden Fleece.