Oliver Cornish
Sale Coordinator for Furniture, Sculpture, Rugs & Tapestries
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Lot 26*,TP
A mid 17th century Flemish Armorial tapestrySigned W. Pannemaker for Willem de Pannemaker and dated 1569, with Brussels town mark B B, possibly a Spanish commission, 275cm x 250cm overall
Withdrawn
Amended
1 July 2025, 14:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£30,000 - £50,000
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A mid 17th century Flemish Armorial tapestry
Signed W. Pannemaker for Willem de Pannemaker and dated 1569, with Brussels town mark B B, possibly a Spanish commission,
Woven in rich wools and silks, designed with a central shield containing an ivory tiered tower, a fruit laden tree, a pair of opposing dragon heads and, more indistinctly, a figure and a fountain, surmounted by an elaborate knights helmet and three tier tower, the main field with two fruit filled cornucopia, intertwined at the base, surrounded by an abundance of fruiting vines and prunus, the elaborate border with the seven virtues personified, including CARITAS to the top, going clockwise, SPES, TEMPERACIA, PRUDENCIA, FORTITUDO, IUSTICIA, and FIDES, the date 1569 woven to the lower edge of the inner border, the blue outer slip with Willem de Pannemaker mark to the right, and Brussels town mark B B to the bottom left,
275cm x 250cm overall
Woven in rich wools and silks, designed with a central shield containing an ivory tiered tower, a fruit laden tree, a pair of opposing dragon heads and, more indistinctly, a figure and a fountain, surmounted by an elaborate knights helmet and three tier tower, the main field with two fruit filled cornucopia, intertwined at the base, surrounded by an abundance of fruiting vines and prunus, the elaborate border with the seven virtues personified, including CARITAS to the top, going clockwise, SPES, TEMPERACIA, PRUDENCIA, FORTITUDO, IUSTICIA, and FIDES, the date 1569 woven to the lower edge of the inner border, the blue outer slip with Willem de Pannemaker mark to the right, and Brussels town mark B B to the bottom left,
275cm x 250cm overall
Footnotes
Provenance
Formerly part of The Ritman Collection 2018.
The Pannemaker Dynasty
Throughout the 15th and 16th century the Low Countries, and more specifically Brussels, were synonymous with high quality tapestry production. The Burgundian court provided a high demand for commissions and, in addition, the St. Lukas guild, to which the weavers belonged, had a monopoly on the manufacture of figurative tapestries. These specific conditions attracted highly skilled weavers including the Pannemaker dynasty.
Willem de Pannemaker (Flemish, 1510-1581) was one of the leading tapestry weavers of the 16th century -wielding more power arguably than that of van Aelst from the previous period (interestingly he purchased van Aelst's former property in 1560). Willem's father Pieter de Pannemaker (Flemish, fl.1517-1531) had been a weaver at the court of Margaret of Austria -and seems to disappear from accounts after 1531. Willem from that point on was a royal supplier of various tapestry sets to the Hapsburg princes and courtiers. Patrons included Charles V, Philip II, Mary of Hungary and Margaret of Parma. Another great patron to Willem de Pannemaker was Cardinal Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle, first archbishop of Mechelen, minister of Charles V and Philip II and principal adviser to Margaret of Palma. Granvelle was based in Brussels and acted as an agent (or intermediary) between Philip II and Willem de Pannemaker. Additionally Granvelle was an avid collector himself – purchasing a number of sets including the garden tapestries woven by the Pannemaker workshop during the early 1560s.
Pannemaker was commissioned to weave tales of military triumph throughout his career. One of the most notable examples was a set woven for the third Duke of Alba, Fernando Alvarez de Toldeo, (1508-1583). The Duke of Alba was a ruthless general who was in command of Philip II's troops during the religious persecution and ensuing war in the Netherlands during the 1560s and 1570s. During this time he took the opportunity to expand his tapestry collection, and purchased a re-weaving of the Conquest of Tunis. In 1568 he commissioned Pannemaker to create a set of tapestries glorifying his military exploits, among them the battle of Muhlberg in 1547.
A Spanish Commission
The coat of arms to the centre of the tapestry with shield and crown, is most likely of Spanish origin. The castle is perhaps a reference to the Kingdom of Castile and the (pomegranate) tree to the Kingdom of Granada more specifically. The opposing dragons, depicted on the shield, can be found on various weapons of knights from Granada. It is possible that the present lot is depicting arms for a Noble family involved in the Rebellion of the Alpujarras (1568-1571) -sometimes called the Morisco Revolt. This was the second revolt against the Castilian crown in the mountainous region of Aplujarra -northeast to the city of Granada. The rebels were Moriscos who were the descendants of the Muslims under Castilian rule.
The present lots depicts the seven virtues in medallions in the outer border. Caritas, the personification of love and charity, is depicted as a woman with three children around her. To the right-hand corner is Spes -the personification of Hope. To the centre right is Temperacia, the personification of self-control and constraint, holding a chalice with water in both hands. To the lower right corner is Prudencia, the personification of prudence, holding a mirror and a snake. In the lower left corner is the Fortitudo, the personification of courage, with a column on her shoulders, and a lion behind her. To the centre left is Justicia blindfolded, holding a double-edged sword and scales. To the top left corner is Fides, the personification of faith, with a cross in her hands. Between the seven virtues are six armouries, each representing a different army and its weaponry. To the bottom there is the depiction of a battle. The armies are centred by fortifications and cannonballs, the left-hand banner shows a sun on a blue background. Next to the banners, two armouries are lying on the ground, with spears and arrows.
Literature
Edith Appleton Standen, European Post-Medieval Tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum, 1985
Guy Delmarcel, Flemish Tapestries, London, 1999
T. P. Campbell, 'How Medieval and Renaissance Tapestries Were Made' New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008.
T. P. Campbell, Tapestry in the Renaissance, Art and Magnificence' The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2002.
E. Roobaert, 'Artistieke bedrijvigheid in het paleis op de Coudenberg te Brussel bij het bezoek van de koning en koningin van Bohemen in juli 1556' in: Oud Holland, vol. 123, 2010, pp. 12 - 20.
Saleroom notices
This lot has been withdrawn.
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