The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-06-12
TAPESTRY IN HIGH FAVOR.
AMERIoAN COLLECTORS VINO OWN
Y1LUABLE SPECIMENA.

ne Supplied In spite Of Enormous Prices
-TaPestFy's Rise ana Observation-Disclosures
20 Revive the Art Here ana In Europe.
The revival Of interest in tapestry 10 becoming
moro and moro pronounced. Architects urge
It's use in the superb homes which are being
built throughout the country. and dealers are
frantlcally securing Europe for n supply TO sat.
isfy tho increasing demand. Antique tapestries
nrc. however, rare in the market. and even tho
mon who are willing to spend enormous sums of
money IRE, In most cascs, obliged to content
themselves with modern tapestry. There was n
time. Mt the beginning OF this century, when tho
tapestry weavor's art had fRllon into disre-
puto and antique tapestries were not highly
esteemed. Specimens which to-day would bring
fabulous prices were releRated to garrets and
storerooms. Few OF tho manufactures which had
In their time been world famous were In opera
tion, and tho few which. like tho Gobelins, did
struggle on, barely existed.
The day OF shoddy display had como, and pa
per hanEings. woven stufs. and other cheap
substitutes took the place occupied for cen
turtles by tapestries. In recent years a reaction
has set In. and men Of wealth and taste have be-
gun to appreciate tho nt value Of the old tapes
try. European families lucky enough TO possess
tapestries make much OF them. and Americans
give much for them. which amounts to the same
thing. Several very valuable pieces have found
I NhVih V"g INV uoOhin u fAAS
most valuable tapestries in this country arc in
the possession of private collectors. W. c.
whitney and his son. Harry Payne whitney,
are both tapestry enthusiasts and have splendid
examples OF French and Flemish antique tapes
tries. The famous Henry II. set belongs to the
elder Mr.. whitney Tho VRnderbllts own beau.
tiful tapestry, and Mckay Twombly is another
connoisscur. Mr.. Yerkes's collection probably
surpasses anything in this country. It was Mr..
II. - l-.ll 49, ~
Sagan In Paris four remarkable tapestries sew
eral years ago. They were designed by Boucher
and are said to be the four finest specimens ever
produced In France.
There are fine private collections Of tapestry
in Franco and England. and most of the great
museums OF Europe own valuable tapestries,
the Garde Meuble in Paris and the Royal Palace
at Madrid being particularly rich in this line.
Many OF the most noted Tapestries In existence
are the property OF cathedrals and churches.
The two Oldest pieces of tapestry extant are in
the cathedral OF Halberstadt In Germany, and
they do not date back further than the end
OF the twelfth century. although records show
that the art of tapestry weaving had reached a
high degree of perfection oven in ancient
Egyptian and Babylonian times. Another
twelfth century tapestry hung in the Church Of
st. Gereon in Cologne; but 1t was divided into
three parts and the fragments were sold to the
museums of Lyons, Nuremberg. and KensinR.
ton. Only one authentic thirteenth century
tapestry is known to exist, and that hangs in
the German Abbey of lnedlinburF.
With the fourteenth century came the rise of
great French and Flemish tapestry makers at
PariD, Arras. and Brussels; and from that time
the admiration of tapestry became a mania
throughout Europe. The Arazzi. or tapestries
made at Arras. were considered the most --e-
cious. on account OF their superiority In 3s
feature Of every splendid celebration. Col ma
tions. tournaments. banauets, triumpbs. were
m IanaS gorgeous THnos BY wealth wsrs t q b mn!s nFi1ed
treasures of powerful monarchs' the most
weavers received large salaries. and Immense
prices were paid for the tapestries. Tapestry
northern France; which still kent the
Fla Flsndes Gsn wits design. ST Sef wSife Flanders snd ,s sappilsd
Leo X. the poses Of Venice, the Medicis
of Florence. the Church chapters, the munich
Passessio &C Of t tapestries and %A were r%tv Wiling oyt to p eny
almost any price. Leo \. paid Raphael SIC 1000
the purchasing power OF money in that time
WAS four or five times what 1t Is to-day.
These tapestries were made at Brussels, for
the factories Of Arras were ruined when the in
/ Dllhll " llhI wv "oIo OApOllCu III 10 ..
At the death OF Pope Leo the series was pawned
for $50, 900. During the sack Of Rome several
more obtained possession OF them. When Ma
Poleo9's French troops entered Rome the c ssie
Plus Vii. reacq1ired them. and they are now in
the Vatican.
During tho seventeenth century Brussels de-
clined and Paris became the chief tapestry con.
tire. The famous Gobelins factory owes its name
to 8 family q dSsrs that went from Rheims
upon tho banks of the little river Nievrc, the
waters of this stream having been found to pos.
OF the dissolved vegetable substances which they
contained. Later tho Gobelins associated with
began the manufacture OF tapestry. and. under
Louis XIV. and his Minister, Colbert, the little
dte'icr was expanded to n Government factory,
which became marvellously successful. Since
then tho factory has always been a Government
property, and, though closed at different times
on account of financial stringency. 1t has always
During the reign of Louis XIV. tapestry
changed its character to reflect the spirit OF the
times. Instead Of portrnying victories in battle,
scenes OF pomp and power. 4 devoted itself to
teau were the artists of the day. and, while
i. Louis XIy,'s tapestries portrayed his trlumphs,
, the new designs were charming. but. In their
effort to produce delicate effects. the artists EN-
, weavers had contented themselves with nine
teen colors. the eighteenth century men had
+ an dtv;9rd into of w e thousand sSsSss cG9 lom S ssGf
: to light. The immediate effect was charming
0 and though, In q snort time. tho harmonious
color scheme was ruined by the fading of som,
colors, that consideration had no weight with
a society whose motto was "apres nous, i
d~flu1e." The deluge came in tapestry as II
everything else; and. though tho Gobclins fac
. tory continued to turn out u limited number o.
pieces, these tapestries were used. as thu
Gobelins are now, merely for Government pur
poses, and did not. depend upon the taste Of
public which had lost all interest In tapestry.
A Many OF tho old Gobelins which were pre-
u sented by the Government to private person.
r have since come into the market, and to.da!
= they bring very large prices and are steadily In
= crcasing in. value. Indeed. no other object o
l art has gained in value so rapidly In rcccn
years as antique tapestry, and those person
who wero so fortunate as to obtain valuable
specimens at the beginning of the movcmen
In favor OF tapestry have made most ~pro1tabl,
Q Investments.
0 A few new dteliers have sprung up lately. II
8 addition to The Gobolins and BeauVais Govern
0 ment factories. France has two private eBtab
: lishments. both Mt Aubusson. employing to
Rether about 100 workers. There arc also n foV
, small factories at Neuilly. A factory has re
i Gently been opened in Rome. and another ha
been started in Berlin under the patronage o