108 - FLANDERS, OUDENARDE workshop, late 16th century
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Estimate €4,000 - €6,000

Description

FLANDERS, OUDENARDE workshop, late 16th century The unicorn attacked by leopards In the foreground, two leopards are attacking a prostrate unicorn, whilst in the background a leopard hunt is taking place (known in medieval terms as a ‘spear hunt for leopards’). Wool and silk tapestry H. 327 cm – W. 315 cm Restored, dusted In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Oudenaarde workshops produced numerous tapestries depicting fantastical animals battling amidst lush greenery, reminiscent of the large-scale weaves known as ‘cabbage leaves’. This dense foliage, thanks to the gradual application of perspective, shapes a landscape that allows for the depiction of two planes. Only the borders, alternating between flowers and fruits, cartouches with courtly scenes and female figures (no doubt allegorical) beneath small pergolas, recall the two-dimensionality of the 15th and early 16th centuries. In the medieval bestiary, the subject of the unicorn is particularly ambiguous, at times a motif of wonder, at others a Christ-like symbol. It sometimes becomes an extraordinary prey for an aristocratic hunt, as in our piece. The hunters in the background do not intervene; it is the two leopards (in an almost heraldic pose) who carry out the killing and emphasise the fantastical nature of the scene. Bibliography: Guy DELMARCEL, La tapisserie flamande, Tielt/Belgium, 1999, pp. 188–194

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About the sale CONTENTS OF A ROMAN FLAT & MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS – FURNITURE AND WORKS OF ART – ART NOUVEAU – ART DÉCO

Auction location

Auction time 09/26/2026 at 2:30 PM

Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House

108 - FLANDERS, OUDENARDE workshop, late 16th century See original version (French)

108 - FLANDERS, OUDENARDE workshop, late 16th century
See original version (French)