BRUSSELS, THIRD QUARTER 16TH CENTURY, POSSIBLY BY JAN VAN TIEGHEM

Details

A FLEMISH MYTHOLOGICAL TAPESTRY
BRUSSELS, THIRD QUARTER 16TH CENTURY, POSSIBLY BY JAN VAN TIEGHEM
Woven in wools and silks, depicting 'Hercules slaying the Hydra' from the series 'The Labours of Hercules', within an elaborate pergola border depicting various classical Gods and Goddesses including Diana, Venus and Zeus, the reserves with fruit and flower-filled vases, with a spirally-twisted outer border, the blue outer slip with weavers signature 'CT', blue guard border replaced to top and bottom
13 ft. 7 in. x 10 ft. 5 in. (430 cm. x 316 cm.)

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.

Lot Essay

The weaver's mark 'CT' or 'TC' is identical to that of a set of The Story of Jacob at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (E. Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries and Related Hangings in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1985, vol. I, cat. 17, pp. 137 - 150). Interestingly the borders of that set are based on the same design, only replacing some of the figural elements. A further set at the Kunstgewerbemuseum, Cologne (B. Klesse, H. Mayr, Verborgene Schätze aus sieben Jahrhunderten, Cologne, 1977, pp. 58 - 59) includes nearly identical figures and is also signed by the same weaver. This weaver's signature has recently been attributed to Cornelis Tons by Guy Delmarcel (G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestry, Tielt, 1999, p. 369). Cornelis came from a family of tapestry designers and is recorded as weaver in Brussels until 1576.

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