ROYAL GOBELINS MANUFACTORY, Paris—circa 1690 - Lot 464

ROYAL GOBELINS MANUFACTORY, Paris—circa 1690 An exceptional and delicate ceremonial frieze. A masterful horizontal fragment of tapestry from the Royal Workshops of Paris, intended almost exclusively for the King and royal residences. The chancery design, based on cartoons by Claude Audran III and Guy-Louis Vernansal, was created for the Crown. A midnight-blue field strewn with gold fleurs-de-lis, adorned with a large Baroque cartouche whose coat of arms has been erased. The medallion originally bore the coat of arms of France or that of a minister of state, likely the Minister of Justice or Commerce, based on the surrounding elements. The cipher formed by two intertwined and back-to-back L’s corresponds to the official monogram of Louis XIV. The cartouche is framed by two stylized wings symbolizing the Sovereign’s Renown. On the left, amid garlands of polychrome flowers and leaves, the allegory of Prudence is represented by a serpent gazing at itself in a circular mirror. Prudence, a cardinal virtue and an attribute of wisdom, was central to political programs designed to glorify the reign of the Sun King, particularly under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Colbert. The perfectly symmetrical composition draws the eye toward the wings of Fame and the attributes of Wisdom, Justice, and Commerce. On the right are the attributes of Justice, notably the scales above the books, evoking the sciences and scholarship. The caduceus, formed of two serpents surmounted by outstretched wings, refers here to commerce, peace, and eloquence, rather than to medicine. The entire piece is enlivened by multicolored floral garlands, notably featuring a vibrant red peony. Low-warp weaving. Framed and lined wool and silk tapestry. Remarkably fresh colors and beautiful polychromy. Height: 65 cm Width: 331 cm Restorations, oxidation, and natural wear. Note: During the reign of the Sun King, this border design—intended for Chancellery tapestries—was standardized by the royal artists Claude Audran III and Guy-Louis Vernansal. The central cartouche has been scraped or bleached, causing the coat of arms to disappear. This alteration is considered evidence of the upheavals of the French Revolution, around 1789–1793, a period during which a decree required owners of royal tapestries to burn or destroy coats of arms and symbols of nobility, under penalty of confiscation. The owner thus removed the central coat of arms while preserving the field of fleurs-de-lis, allowing this significant 331-centimeter fragment to survive to the present day. The weavers at the Gobelins were renowned for their mastery of gradations and tonal nuances, which allowed them to render the flowers and their pictorial effects with great finesse. For royal pieces such as the Chancelleries, the workshops could use a weft of particularly high density, often exceeding 20 or 22 threads per centimeter, which contributed to the precision of the design. Comparable works: The Louvre Museum, the Mobilier National (Paris), and the Palace of Versailles all house similar chancelleries.