£ 840.00
165 x 49 cm & 167 x 51 cm // 5ft 5” x 1ft 7” & 5ft 6” x 1ft 8”
Border section removed from a large unknown important tapestry. Amongst the profusion of scenes and fruits are sphinx like female characters that are typical of the period in which winged grotesques had come down from Renaissance. These creatures have some similarities with sphinxes, which have a human head on a cat's body and can be either male (Egyptian) or female from Ancient Greece, where they are winged as is the case here. On this tapestry they appear to have cats’ tails. The source of the decoration is likely late Renaissance Deruta Maiolica tableware.
Expertly newly lined with a heavy dark blue glazed linen. Some small old rewoven restored parts now part faded otherwise the silk parts in excellent supple condition.
• late 16th C Brussels, South Flanders
Provenance: Peter Willborg (Stockholm)
Ref. 17463
