A wool, silk, and metal thread tapestry depicting the sacrifice of Abraham
With the arms of alliance of the Princes of Spiegel and Fürstenberg below the depiction, the border with 16 labelled coats of arms: Spiegel (twice), Fürstenberg, Westfalen, Plettenberg, Horde, Galen, Papenheim, Nesselrodt, Ermelen, Grafschuf, Reden, Elvenn, Thodranck, Hoenn, Horde. Made for Raben von Spiegel zu Peckelsheim (died 1603), Erbmarschall of the Bishophric of Paderborn (1594-1603). Dated 1598. Professionally restored. 262 x 190 cm.
Workshop of Boldewin von Brüssel in Wolfenbüttel, 1597.
Boldewin von Brüssel, who is thought to have moved to Brussels from Halberstadt, signed a contract with Duke Heinrich Julius von Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel on 14th September 1590 describing him as a maker of tapestries and “schaluns”. The German neologism “schalun” derived from the French word “chalon”, a simple twill fabric woven in France after Asian designs. In Wolfenbüttel he appears to have focussed on the production of wall hangings. Although Heinrich Göbel mentions chamber invoices for Boldewin, he did not find any definitive proof of the weaver having received payment from the ducal court. He therefore postulates that Boldewin began to concentrate on private commissions very early on, of which the two tapestries shown here represent a fine example.
Provenance
In the collection of the Counts of Berckheim until 1965.
Literature
Cf.: Göbel, Wandteppiche, Dritter Teil, vol. 2, Leipzig 1934, p. 94 ff. and illus. 72a (for an almost identical example with the hereditary coat of arms of Elisabeth von Schachten dated 1600, formerly housed in the Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum in Hildesheim).