Art Institute of Chicago

Large Leaf Verdure with Animals and Birds

Southern Netherlands, possibly Bruges, 1525/50

Date

1525-1550

Medium

Wool; slit, single dovetailed, and double interlocking tapestry weave Warp: Count: 4 warps per cm; wool: S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 1.0–1.5 mm Weft: Count: varies from 15 to 36 wefts per cm; wool: S-ply of two Z-spun elements; diameters: 0.5–1.3 mm

Culture

Belgium

Department

Textiles

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

This visually rich tapestry is filled by large leaves, vividly colored flowers, and winding shoots, a style known as large leaf verdure. Numerous real and fantastic animals—including falcons, griffins, lions, monkeys, peacocks, and pheasants—fly, hide, and perch amidst the greenery of the purely imagined plants. Only a handful of tapestries with the same animals and composition are known, though the same large leaf motif was used for the background of several tapestries depicting religious scenes, as well as in other tapestries to represent what was thought to be a realistic jungle background. It is thus impossible to determine whether this hanging and its companion pieces served a symbolic or decorative function—although these purposes are clearly not mutually exclusive.

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