Lot 51
51
A BERLIN CHINOISERIE TAPESTRY, DIE AUDIENZ BEIM KAISER VON CHINA
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VA… Read more A MAGNIFICENT SET OF FOUR BERLIN CHINOISERIE TAPESTRIES FROM THE EMPEROR OF CHINA SERIES, CIRCA 1715. FRENCH ORIGIN OF THE SERIES This series, originally designed by Guy-Louis Vernansal (d. 1729), Jean-Baptiste Belin de Fontenay (d. 1715) and Jean-Baptiste Monnoyer (d. 1699) for the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory between 1685 and 1690 and known as L'Histoire du Roi de Chine, consisted of nine or possibly ten tapestries. It was designed to illustrate scenes from everyday life of a Chinese Emperor, probably meant to represent KangXi, who reigned from 1661 to 1721, and his Empress. It was first woven under the directorship of Philippe Behagle (d. 1705), who in a memorandum indicates that the first set, woven with gold-thread, was vendu de M. d'Isrode à Monseigneur le duc de Maine. The set's success was undoubtedly due to the increased interest in China at the end of the 17th century. This enthusiasm probably rose out of Louis XIV's glamorous reception for the ambassadors of Siam in 1664 and the publication in the same year in the Mercure Galant of a long description of the travels of father Couplet to China. The series was finally abandoned at Beauvais in 1732, when the cartoons were so worn that they could no longer serve their purpose. THE ORIGIN OF THE BERLIN SERIES The interest in the Orient at the court in Berlin was probably driven by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646 - 1716), who promoted the contact and the exchange of ideas with China. He was in correspondence with Simon de La Loubère, who was sent to Siam as Ambassador by Louis XIV in 1687. It was particularly Queen Sophie Charlotte (d. 1705) who showed keen interest in Leibniz's studies and decorated her 'Lustschloss' in Charlottenburg with Chinese works-of-art. She also embarked on Chinese inspired theater plays and festivities. It is certianly possible that it was Sophie Charlotte who provided the impetus for the first weaving of this series in Berlin. Only the main panel 'The Audience' is based on the Beauvais series, while the other panels are conceived after local designs. The reason for these changes is not clear, but it appears that these scenes are in part based on Peter Schenk's publication of prints in his Picturae sinicae ac surattenae, vasis tabelisque exhibitae, admiranda colligente Petro Schenkio, Amsterdam, 1702. Some of these illustrations were in turn founded on the works of other authors such as Simon de Vries and Jan Nieuhof and were widely used as basis for lacquer, porcelain and cabinet-work produced in Berlin in the early 18th century. WEAVER Jean I Barraband, from Aubusson, arrived in Berlin in 1685 and established his own workshop, which he ran right next to Charlottenburg until his death in 1709 when his son, Jean II Barraband (d. 1725), succeeded him. The Barraband atelier, although it occasionally received commissions or grants from the Elector, primarily relied on private clients. The workshop thus had to be innovative to insure that their tapestries would be economically viable, so they frequently took direct inspiration from successful designs of the Royal Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory. The first recorded delivery of the Grossmogulenfolge by Jean II Barraband was in 1713. Because of the lack of documentation it is not entirely clear if the Barraband atelier had not woven the theme even earlier possibly for Queen Sophie Charlotte. RELATED TAPESTRIES A complete set of seven tapestries of the Berlin Grossmogulenfolge, which had been commissioned by Prince Alexander von Dohna and supplied in 1713, was at Schloss Schlobitten in East Prussia before 1945. It had been purchased from Jean II Barraband for 6,332 Fr. Through the bankers Sarry & Kessler. The von Dohna set of tapestries has differing borders from the offered set by having grotesque masks to the top and bottom. Five tapestries, owned by the Prince of Liechtenstein were at Schloss Valtice, Feldsberg, Moravia, in 1935. The Liechtenstein tapestries have identical borders to the offered lots but appear to have been cut and re-attached to make larger panels. 'The Audience' in the offered set continues further to the left than in the Liechtenstein panels. A tapestry depicting The Emperors Banquet from the Berlin set was illustrated in Apollo, October 1986, p. 21, while a Berlin version of 'The Audience' was sold anonymously Christie's, London, 26 November 1996, lot 220, and another was anonymously sold, Sotheby's, New York, 3 October 2003, lot 41 and another was sold snonymously, Sotheby's, New York, 3 October 2006, lot 41, $296,000. (H. Huth, 'Zur Geschichte der Berliner Wirkerteppiche', Jahrbuch der Preussischen Kunstsammlungen, Berlin, 1935, pp. 80 - 92, C. Grommelt, C. von Merten, 'Das Dohnasche Schloss Schlobitten in Ostpreussen', Bau- und Kunstdenkmäler des deutschen Osten, Stuttgart, 1962, pp. 254 - 264, F. Windt, Jean II Barraband, Bildteppich "Die Audienz beim Kaiser von China", Potsdam, 2000, W. Baer, 'Ausgewählte Werke des Kunsthandwerkes', Festschrift für Margarete Kühn, pp. 135 - 136)
A BERLIN CHINOISERIE TAPESTRY, DIE AUDIENZ BEIM KAISER VON CHINA

BY JEAN BARRABAND OR JEAN II BARRABAND, EARLY 18TH CENTURY, AFTER DESIGNS BY GUY-LOUIS VERNANSAL, JEAN-BAPTISTE BELIN BE FONTENAY AND JEAN-BAPTISTE MONNOYER

Details
A BERLIN CHINOISERIE TAPESTRY, DIE AUDIENZ BEIM KAISER VON CHINA
BY JEAN BARRABAND OR JEAN II BARRABAND, EARLY 18TH CENTURY, AFTER DESIGNS BY GUY-LOUIS VERNANSAL, JEAN-BAPTISTE BELIN BE FONTENAY AND JEAN-BAPTISTE MONNOYER
Woven in wools and silks, from the Grossmogulenfolge, depicting the 'Grossmogul' seated to the center on a throne flanked by courtiers and an elephant to the right, below an extensive baldacchin and with kneeling courtiers before him, to the right with the Empress on a chariot with assistants and to the left with various fruits and blue-and-white porcelain, within an acanthus frame border with cabochons to the angles and centres, the right side apparently slightly reduced by approximately 3 in.
128½ in. x 218½ in. (327 cm. x 454 cm.)
Special notice
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

More from The Carraro Rizzoli Collection Treasures from a Milanese Palazzo

View All
View All