Antique 1905 Machine Loomed Tapestry From France

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This is a rare find; an antique, 1905, machine loomed tapestry from France with an illustrated scene based on the … Read more This is a rare find; an antique, 1905, machine loomed tapestry from France with an illustrated scene based on the 16th century German book, Till Eulenspiegel. The tapestry scene itself is based on a painting done by German painter Rudolf Eichstaedt (1857 - c.1924); thus the 'apres' (after, in French) Rud. Eichstaedt shown as the signature.
As many tapestries do, this one has “gone fleeting,” a term used by tapestry collectors to mean faded, but oddly, it is evenly faded, which means it was for the most part, kept away from sunlight, but with time and air, it faded.

The tapestry has a frame top and bottom for easy hanging. It is a good size, which is hard to find in a tapestry, of 52” wide by 36 tall.

An interesting fact - In the 18th century, tapestries were a luxury procurement for the wealthy and aristocrat society. However, in that era, the tapestry houses used arsenic for their green dye. This poisoned and wiped out a large portion of skilled tapestry makers and decimated a whole lineage tree of royal and aristocrat families. By the 19th through 20th centuries, the tapestry industry became more machine driven. See less