BY JAN AERTS, SECOND QUARTER 17TH CENTURY

Details

A BRUSSELS BIBLICAL TAPESTRY
By Jan Aerts, second quarter 17th Century
Woven in wools and silks, depicting Tobias and Raphael leaving Tobit and Anna from The Story of Tobit and Tobias, with Tobias, Raphael holding a flask, and their dog leaving Tobit and Anna, within a grisaille border of scrolling foliage, decorated with various birds and medallions depicting to the top Jacob and Rebecca before Isaac, to the right Esau Hunting, to the left Jacob and Rachel and to the bottom Jacob's Dream, the corners with strapwork cartouches decorated with masks and with a blue outer slip, with Brussels town mark and weaver's mark, the top and bottom slip replaced
11 ft. 3 in. (342 cm.) x 13 ft. (395 cm.)

Literature

G. Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestry, Tielt, 1999, p. 363.
Jaarverslag Prinsenhof, 1959, pp. 20-24.

Exhibited

Museum Het Prinsenhof, Delft.

Lot Essay

Tobias found Raphael, who introduced himself as Azarias, but did not know he was an angel. After assuring Tobit that he knew the way and that he was of good parentage Tobit promised him wages for the trip. When Tobias and Raphael departed Anna burst into tears.

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