BY JAN AERTS, SECOND QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Details

A BRUSSELS BIBLICAL TAPESTRY
By Jan Aerts, second quarter 17th Century
Woven in wools and silks, depicting Tobias' and Raphael's return to Tobit and Anna from The Story of Tobit and Tobias, with Tobias kneeling and flanked by Raphael before Tobit and Anna and to the right with Tobias healing Tobit's eyes, within a grisaille border of scrolling foliage, decorated with various birds and medallions depicting to the top Jacob and Rebecca before Isaac, to the right Esau Hunting, to the left Jacob and Rachel and to the bottom Jacob's Dream, the corners with strapwork cartouches decorated with masks and with a blue outer slip, with Brussels town mark and weaver's mark, the upper and lower blue outer slip rewoven
11 ft. 4 in. (346 cm.) x 17 ft. 7 in. (535 cm.)

Literature

G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestry, Tielt, 1999, p. 363.
Jaarverslag Prinsenhof, 1959, pp. 20-24.

Exhibited

Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft.

Lot Essay

After the celebrations Raguel gave Tobias Sarah as well as half of all his male and female slaves, cattle, sheep, donkeys, camels, clothes, money and household goods before sending them on their way. Nearly back in Nineveh, Tobias and Raphael decided to go ahead of the others to prepare Tobit and Anna. Upon his return he applied the fish-gall to his father's eyes, which restored his sight.

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