Tapestry: Hand-woven or Jacquard-woven?

Yoo-hoo, 6rivet, hope this query catches your attention.

The recent tapestry query in this forum has raised a question about a tapestry I have. Back sometime in 2012, I posted a query about it on eBay. Can't find that query now. I suspect it's been achieved somewhere. Don't remember if I posted it on the Antique board or the Needle Arts... board. I got a fairly detailed reply from a "vietcoincollection" or something like that. He/she said it was a jacquard-woven dating it late 1800s to WWI. After reading 6rivet's reply to the recent query here, I suspect my tapestry may be hand-woven rather than jacquard-woven because the reverse is like the front. It does not have the blocks/bands of colors like jacquard-woven tapestries.

It is 63" x 30", 1500s outdoor scene of a couple. It looks to be dyed wool with possibly silk in tans and blues - faded with age. No printing on the back as to country of origin. Condition: fair; no holes or tears, colors faded, edges frayed.

Here's the reply I got on eBay:

1. Machine or hand woven?
"It is machine made. One of the things about machine made tapestries is the outer selvage edge will usually have parallel lines running down it. Your piece is the left side panel. There would have been two side by side pieces and the right side of your tapestry is the cut seam."

2. Material: cotton, silk, wool?
"It probably is wool or part wool because the reverse shows ribs. Cotton tapestries (machine made) are flat while wool will be thicker and more coarse looking on the reverse side.

"The machine loom was invented about 1804 by Jacquard. This is the first practical application of key punch cards. The loom uses a set of cards with holes in them. As the cards pass over pins which are spring loaded and connected to the color threads, when the pin moves up into the hole and this determines which thread will be seen on the obverse of the tapestry.

"Jacquard also invented a machine that made fishing nets, which put fish net makers out of business overnight. He was not well liked for this. The word sabotage comes from a series of attacks on workshops that had his fish net machines. Sabot is an old wooden shoe and people threw them through the glass windows of the workshops and the act of throwing shoes became an act of "sabotage."

3. Country of origin?
"I think it is more likely that your tapestry is from France."

4. Subject matter?
"It is in a style that would be from the 1500's. Lords and Ladies with flowers in foreground were a popular theme from that time. It may be a copy of a tapestry that is in a museum."

5. Age?
"Many of these tapestries are from the late 1800's until before WW2. I used to import machine made tapestries years ago and am familiar with these looms."

TIA.

--- Susan

 

Your tapestry is machine-woven as well, Ladybranch. It's not the same front and back; the back is like a negative image of the front.

You see how all the yarns go right across the entire tapestry, and then stop? They come to the front only when that color (say, skin) is needed for a particular area. Jacquard woven, mass produced.

Here is what handwoven tapestry looks like - front AND back. The different colored yarns cover only the area of that color - they interlock with other color areas but do not continue across:



And this is how it's woven (there's a paper chart in the background:

 

You certainly are right that the back is a negative and not identical to the front. I didn't see the lines/bands/blocks of colors on mine like that other tapestry so jumped to the conclusion it might be hand-woven. Thank you for taking the time to explain and show the examples of hand-woven!

--- Susan

 

Hi Susan- I was wondering if you found out anything else about your tapestry? I have 4 that look to be from the same time period. Each of mine depicts a member of royalty. One is titled "Princess", One is "Duchess" etc...They are definitely machine woven. Mine were recovered from an old trunk and were wrapped in paper dated 1902. So I'm pretty sure these are from the late 1800's. But anxious to know more about them. Each is about 7 Feet Tall.

 

Pictures Colleen.......we need crisp clear pictures !!!