Ader
43
-
Country amusements and the mail game
Oudenaarde Tapestry
Lat…
See original version (French)
43
-
Country amusements and the mail game
Oudenaarde Tapestry
Lat…
See original version (French)
Estimate 2 000 € - 3 000 €
Voluntary lot
Description
Country amusements and the mail game
Oudenaarde Tapestry
Late 16th - early 17th century
244 x 288 cm
In the foreground, a man and two women are playing the game of mail: the aim is to hit a ball with a mallet so that it passes under an arch and reaches the final target. The game was very popular in France and England during the Renaissance.
In the background, on the left, two women are watching over peaceful sheep, while on the right another woman is trying to stop a man from spanking his girlfriend!
In the background, under an arbour, a group is feasting, while in the distance, a castle and the snowy peaks of the mountains can be seen.
This rare tapestry can be compared with another tapestry entitled Le Jeu de l'oie, reproduced in De Meûter, 1999, p. 180, with very similar characters, and the two tapestries are certainly part of the same set of pastoral games and amusements, very popular at the time and in the spirit of the famous hanging by Gombaut and Macé.
Material and condition:
Woven in wool and silk (wool warp, wool and silk weft), this tapestry is diminished in height and width, but the composition is coherent and very picturesque; it shows wear and old restorations, as well as a small patch at the level of the two crossed trees on the left of the tapestry. The border is missing, but it is surrounded by a narrow counter border that is almost certainly original.
Bibliography:
Ingrid De Meûter, Martine Vanwelden, Tapisseries d'Audenarde du XVIe au XVIIIe siècle, 1999.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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