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PROPERTY FROM THE FERMOR-HESKETH COLLECTION (LOTS 161 - 165) The following four lots (161-164) form a rare surviving ensemble of Brussels garden or pergola tapestries of the early 17th century. The few sets that survive include three sets in the Spanish Royal collection (P. Junquera de Vega and C. Diaz Gallegos, Catalogo de Tapices del Patrimonio Nacional, Madrid, 1986, vol. II, cats. 66 - 68, pp. 198 - 242), another set at Skokloster Castle, Sweden (J. Böttiger, Tapisseries à Figures, Stockholm, 1928, cats. 58 - 63, vol. I, pp. 68 - 71 and vol. II, figs. 54 - 59) and a last set at Holyroodhouse, Edinburgh (M. Swain, Tapestries and Textiles at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, London, 1988, cats. 3a-e, pp. 17 - 19). PLACE OF MANUFACTURE None of the above bear signatures except for the latter which, until it was identified and the tapestries could be ascribed to the Antwerp workshop of Jacob Wauters (d. 1660) who was active between 1619 and 1651, had been regarded as a Mortlake manufacture. Mortlake had indeed produced variations on this design, for not only do several sets appear in the sale of the King's goods during the commonwealth, many of which were sold to Mr. Houghton on 8 October 1651, but cartoons of the Flower Pots with ye Philast were reserved for the State in 1651. A further two, which are thought to have belonged to Sir Paul Pindar (d. 1650), are at Westminster Abbey. WEAVER It is believed that mainly Brussels and Antwerp were weaving these tapestries, while the variety of borders, ranging from scrolling foliage, to element and column borders, indicate that a multitude of weavers were using similar cartoons for the main scenes. The main scenes vary in regard to the architectural setting and the treatment of the fore and backgrounds. Of the sets that survive, the offered lot appears to be unique in regard to its borders and the use of figures scattered to the background. The Spanish tapestries lack the figural components to the background, while one of the sets has birds in the foreground. The Swedish set has some panels with animals to the foreground while there are no figures to the background; and the Holyroodhouse set shows no figures. The signature to the blue outer guard borders of the offered set remains unidentified, but the weaver will almost certainly have formed part of the group of nine weavers who worked in Brussels after 1613, when these firms were recorded petitioning for special exemptions from excise duties. The borders are particularly reminiscent of the work of Jan II Raes (d. 1643), who was burgomaster of Brussels in 1634 - 1635, but the signature does not correspond closely enough to those known to be his, to be firmly attributed to him (see for example G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestry, Tielt, 1999, p. 215) and Hendrik Reydams I (d. 1669), a co-founder of the tapissierspand in Brussels in 1657 (Christie's, London, 19 May 1994, lot 369).

A FLEMISH PERGOLA TAPESTRY

BRUSSELS, EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Details

A FLEMISH PERGOLA TAPESTRY
BRUSSELS, EARLY 17TH CENTURY
Woven in wools and silks depicting three flower-filled vases in a columned pergola with vine-decorated classical columns and hunting scenes beyond, within a bead-and-reel border with fruiting floral garlands decorated to the sides with classical terms and centred to top and bottom with cabochon-filled cartouches flanked by putti and parrots, within a blue outer slip, with Brussels town mark and weaver's mark, minor areas of restoration and reweaving, with lower blue outer borders attached to guard border
11 ft. 3 in. x 16 ft. 7 in. (342 cm. x 504 cm.)

Provenance

Probably from the Château d'Amenoville and the Collection of the Marquis de la Rochefoucauld.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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