TAPESTRY WALL HANGINGS

The two wall-hung tapestries were loom-woven in the Low Countries (primarily comprising what has since become Belgium and the Netherlands). Although the exact date of weaving is unknown, we can be fairly certain that it wasn’t before the 16th century, as during this period non-narrative tapestries (depicting scenes of flora and fauna, as here, rather than historical events) began to emerge. Collectively, they are known as ‘ Verdure’ tapestries because the predominant colours are different shades of green – verdure is derived from vert, the French for green.