Or save it to favorites and we'll tell you if this item goes on sale!
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Late 17th Century Flemish Biblical Tapestry
New York, NY
- Get the Chairish App
- to view in your space
Details
Description
Tapestry, Flemish, Probably Brussels, depicting a scene from the Story of Tobias
Late 17th Century -7’ 8” x 10’ 4” …
more
Tapestry, Flemish, Probably Brussels, depicting a scene from the Story of Tobias
Late 17th Century -7’ 8” x 10’ 4” - No weaver’s on town mark.
Re-bordered in plain stripes; slightly reduced from larger piece.
Structure:
Warp: wool, beige, natural, Z-2-S, 11-12 warps/in
Pattern Wefts:
1. wool, Z-1
2. silk, golden-beige only, not original, several restoration campaigns.
Weft density: wool, 21-25 facing wefts (42-50 overall) /inch.
Subject: Tobias and the archangel Rafael.
The iconographic source is the Apocryphal Book of Tobit (O.T.). The
present panel displays vigorous, almost life size figures of Tobias, son of Tobit
and his escort Rafael in the guise of Azarias, and accompanied by his faithful dog.
Tobias and the Angel are in semi-classical garb, thus placing the action in an
ancient or mythical past. Further, Tobias is dressed as a hunter with spear and
bow, but lacks quiver and arrows. His dog is a hunting hound. The garments of
both protagonists are wind blown, thus indicating rapid forward movement.
The iconography of Tobias varies in Western art, but here he is a young man with a blonde mustache, not the boy as is frequent in this tale. The angel is
androgynous (the pearl earring) and lacks any angelic attributes. The wings are
mimicked by the windblown drapery. They will only be revealed later. The figures pass through a pure, wooded landscape with no buildings or people visible in the small views through the forest. There is a variety of small flowering plants in the
lower foreground.
This panel comes from a set of at least four (or probably six) tapestries which may
have included some of the following scenes:
1. The blinding of old Tobit, Tobias’s father, from bird droppings in his eyes.
2. Tobias taking leave of his father in order to travel to Rhages to collect a debt before the old man’s demise;
3. Tobias and the angel en route to Rhages – our panel;
4. Tobias at the bank of the Tigris river catching the giant fish which has attacked him. The Angel informs him that certain innards of the fish will be useful and in particular, that the intestines or gall bladder will cure his father’s blindness;
5. Tobias applying the piscine entrails to his father’s eyes;
6. The Archangel, after having revealed himself, taking leave of the house of Tobias after the cure;
7. Tobias meeting or betrothing Sara, she of many husbands;
8. Tobias and Sara in prayer.
Because of the Tobias-Sara connection, these tapestry sets were popular in
Europe in the upper classes as marriage gifts from the 16th century onwards.
A six piece set, late 17th century of either Brussels or Dutch origin covered the
walls of the Stadtholder of Friesland in his mansion in Leeuwarden.
Although the series was often a marriage present, there are a few sets surviving, Gobel (Wandteypichie, v.I) and Tapestry in the Baroque MMA 2008), do not
illustrate or mention specific Flemish Tobias story series or panels.
Condition: although slightly reduced and rebordered, this piece is not a fragment of a much larger panel. There is some rewefting in the wool areas and a few small reweaves. The silk has been partially replaced. The overall condition is good with strong colors across the entire palette, the reds and yellows have held up well.
The silk areas are discreet and not light or “hot” as is the case with many
injudicious restorations.
In general, the tapestry is very attractive with large, lively figures and clear colors, it is extremely decorative in the best sense.
less
- Dimensions
- 7′8″ × 10′4″ and 0.25″ thick
- Styles
- Baroque
- Rug Construction
- Flatweave
- Pattern
- Figural
- Period
- Early 18th Century
- Country of Origin
- Belgium
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Silk
- Wool
- Condition
- Good Condition, Original Condition Unaltered, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Beige
- Condition Notes
- Lightly used, with very light scratches, or minor cosmetic wear, but has no structural issues. Lightly used, with very light scratches, or minor cosmetic wear, but has no structural issues. less
Need more product details?
Shipping Options
Standard Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Extended Return for Trade
- Expands return window for trade members to 14 days (12 days more than our standard return policy)
- Trade member to notify Chairish of intent to return within 14 days of item delivery
- Buyer refunded item cost. Buyer pays return shipping cost
- Does not apply to damages that occur post-delivery
New York, NY
Questions about the item?
Related Collections
- Eclectic Rugs
- 1970s Rugs
- Gingham Rugs
- Hand Loomed Rugs
- 7' Round Rugs
- 3x12 Runner Rugs
- Hand Woven Wool Rugs
- Hand Knotted Persian Rugs
- Urban Rugs
- Neutral Area Rugs
- Botanical Rugs
- Handmade Rugs
- Thin Rugs
- 8' Round Rugs
- 2x4 Rugs
- Kazak Rugs
- Palace Rugs
- 6x10 Rugs
- Bidjar Rugs
- Cheetah Print Rugs
- Wool Dragon Rugs
- Marianne Richter Rugs
- Mamluk Rugs
- Handmade Persian Rugs
- Bokara Rug Company Rugs
Returns
- Does not arrive
- Is broken during transit
- Is entirely different than what you purchased
- Some made-to-order items and a limited selection of other items (noted as non-refundable in the returns and cancellations section of the product description)
-
Orders where Free Local Pickup or Seller Managed Local Delivery were selected:
- Upon inspection, If you decide not to move forward with the purchase, you or your agent must refuse the item at the time of pickup/delivery from the seller
- Once you have taken possession of the item, all sales are final
- International, cross-border returns may require different processes depending on the countries between which the item is shipping to/from, and the buyer is responsible and duties (if applicable, on cross-border orders).
- On approved returns, the buyer is responsible for the full cost of return packing and shipping.
Cancellations
- Prior to shipping or local pickup, buyers may cancel an order for any reason, with the exception of some Made-to-Order items, where supplies have been purchased or work begun on the item.
- Please notify us within 24 hours of purchase if you would like to cancel an order, as prompt cancellation will reduce the likelihood that you will incur return shipping charges.
- Once shipping or pickup has been initiated, the cancellation will be considered a return and you will be responsible for the cost of shipping.
Shipping
Note: Made-to-Order items typically include a lead time or custom delivery window that is added to the delivery time.
- Chairish Express In-Home Delivery
- Chairish Express In-Home deliveries are currently only offered for international cross-border shipments.
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
- Shipping charges start at $999 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Deliveries can take anywhere from 6 to 9 weeks to be delivered.
- Chairish Freight Delivery
- Delivered in a crate, to your front door.
- You will need tools and/or equipment to open the crate.
- Shipping charges start at $799 and vary based on the size, weight, packaging, and/or the value of the item.
- Chairish Freight deliveries can take anywhere from 4 to 8 weeks.
- Only available in selected markets.
- Chairish In-Home Delivery
- The item will be delivered to your home and placed in the desired room. The delivery service includes unpacking, inspecting, and removing packaging materials; and does not include installation or setting up the item.
-
Shipping charges start at $149 and based on the size and the distance between pickup and delivery
(for approximate values see table):
Delivery Type Within 50 miles radius Within 1,500 miles radius Over 1,500 miles radius International Cross-Border Shipping Price $149 - $299 $199 - $799 $449 - $899 Over $899 Transit Time 2 to 4 weeks 3 to 6 weeks 4 to 8 weeks 12 to 17 weeks - For some items, the shipping price may vary depending on the size, weight, material and/or value of the item.
- Free Local Pickup
- Local pickup allows customers to inspect an item at the time of pickup and avoid shipping costs.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification & Seller's contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate pickup
- Once the item has been picked up (by you or your representative) it cannot be returned or refunded.
- Free Shipping
- Free shipping may be offered on select listings.
- Smaller items are typically delivered within 2 weeks of the purchase date, while larger items and furniture may take up to 6 weeks for delivery.
- When an item with Free Shipping is returned, the cost of return shipping fees will be charged to the buyer.
- Parcel Delivery
- Shipment is arranged through recognized carriers such as UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
- Only pieces that can be safely packed in a box or envelope may be shipped via parcel.
- Shipping charges start at $9 — and vary based on the size, weight, packaging and the value of the item.
Delivery Type US Domestic International Cross-Border Shipping Price $9 - $99 $39 - $499 Transit Time 1 to 2 weeks 2 to 4 weeks - Seller Managed Delivery
- Shipping is offered and managed by the seller, through a shipper of the seller’s choice.
- Available on items at the seller’s discretion.
- Seller Managed Local Delivery
- Local curbside delivery is offered and managed by the seller, within a limited geography.
- Following purchase, a confirmation email is sent to the confirmation email address associated with the order, and includes: Pickup Verification Code & Seller’s contact information
- Please contact the seller within 5 days to coordinate delivery.
The Chairish Buyer Guarantee
Make an Offer
Fees and shipping costs will be calculated in the next step
Have questions about how offers work? Learn more or .
Flag this comment for moderation?