18th Century French Aubusson Tapestry #frenantique; #antique
Jan 26, 2026
A very large French Aubusson tapestry made of wool and silk depicting a landowner and a slave girl. The scene is set on one of the Caribbean islands, the landowner is teaching the slave girl how to graft a plant onto another plant. An extremely fascinating subject. The dimensions are 244 x 244 cm. Showroom reference 80137.
Most tapestries were housed in large country houses or castles and this one would be no
exception. This is French and it's 18th century, made around 1720, but what it depicts is something
truly, truly interesting. A landowner or slave owner talking to a slave girl and what he's done
here, he has cut down a tree or part of a tree, the saw is on the floor and in his right hand
he's got another implement which is known for grafting and he's grafted a cutting
onto this tree and the slave girl is pointing. So he's teaching her sustainability
and that's just as poignant today as it was in the 18th century, things to be maintained.
This is most probably one of the Caribbean islands, it could be Caracu, it could be Martinique.
You've got the mountains in the background, you've got the little slave cottages
to the right behind me. The colours are so vibrant, it's actually wonderful.
This big tapestry would look great if you've got a really fabulous apartment, loft conversion,
this is the ultimate thing to have. It works, it's a statement piece and people
would love it and you would love it. It's fantastic and those colours are just marvellous.