SECOND HALF 17TH CENTURY

This type of tapestry was popular in Norwegian farming areas during the 17th and 18th centuries and were probably mainly used as bed-spreads. These tapestries were often wedding gifts or part of a young girl's dowry, which explains the popularity of marriage or family-related subjects. The most popular subject was the story of the wise and foolish virgins, although the 'Adoration of the Magi' and the 'Feast of Herod' were also frequently depicted. These tapestries are generally thought to have been made in Gudbrandsdal in Central Norway, although some are thought to have been executed in Trondelag, in northeastern Norway. (C. Adelson, European Tapestry in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Minneapolis, 1994, pp. 414-423)

See illustration