A BRUSSELS TAPESTRY by Franz van den Hecke, woven in wools and silks, possibly from the History of Troy, the central panel woven with a general with full ceremonial armour holding a club, being greeted by a small boy whose mother kneels in attendance and whose train is held by three companions, in an extensive landscape with a battle before a walled city in the background, the borders woven with latin inscriptions, with figures emblematic of FLVX, CARESTIA, RAPTVS, RESVRETVS, SENFTVS and TEMPVS, supported by flowering urns with dancing putti and satyr-herms, the upper border centred by a figure of PAX holding a laurel-branch and seated on a throne with a bird in attendance and flanked by grotesque-masks and drapery-swagged putti with vases of flowers, the lower border centred by the figure of MARS, within a scrolling foliate border with grotesques and satyr-supports, within a blue outer slip, with weaver's mark 4..., mid-16th Century, the blue border to the base section turned over, restorations and minor areas of re-weaving

Details

A BRUSSELS TAPESTRY by Franz van den Hecke, woven in wools and silks, possibly from the History of Troy, the central panel woven with a general with full ceremonial armour holding a club, being greeted by a small boy whose mother kneels in attendance and whose train is held by three companions, in an extensive landscape with a battle before a walled city in the background, the borders woven with latin inscriptions, with figures emblematic of FLVX, CARESTIA, RAPTVS, RESVRETVS, SENFTVS and TEMPVS, supported by flowering urns with dancing putti and satyr-herms, the upper border centred by a figure of PAX holding a laurel-branch and seated on a throne with a bird in attendance and flanked by grotesque-masks and drapery-swagged putti with vases of flowers, the lower border centred by the figure of MARS, within a scrolling foliate border with grotesques and satyr-supports, within a blue outer slip, with weaver's mark 4..., mid-16th Century, the blue border to the base section turned over, restorations and minor areas of re-weaving
134 x 158¾in. (339.5 x 391cm.)

Lot Essay

This scene depicts Hector, the son of Priam, King of Troy, saying farewell to his wife and son at the gates of Troy on the eve of the battle.

A related tapestry from the History of Troy, depicting Ulysses and Diomede presenting to King Priam Agamemnon's demand for the return of Helen, by Jan Aertz, was sold anonymously at Sotheby's, London, 25 July 1969, lot 25 and at Sotheby's, New York, 30 May 1987, lot 247

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