Purchase of an Aubusson Tapestry   
Generalities

As well as a sculpture or a painting, an Aubusson Tapestry is a work of art. It was created and realized with great care and passion by artists (the painters and peintres-cartonniers) and craftsmen (the maîtres-lissiers) . The work is considerable. A genuine tapestry is wholly hand-made, on a basse-lisse loom (horizontal loom) which principles have remained virtually unchanged since 14th century. It needs several months of highly-qualified work. Obviously, its price should reflect that work.

Watch out!

There are two kinds of high-quality tapestries: Aubusson basse-lisse tapestries and Gobelins haute-lisse tapestries (which are woven on a vertical loom). They are woven in acknowledged workshops. Only a limited number of copies are issued, usually six copies, in addition to two exemplaires d’artiste (original exemplars). Those tapestries shall come with their authenticity certificate – the bolduc – signed by both artist and lissier. The bolduc is often sewn on the reverse side of the tapestry. But because that practice makes the transaction of stolen works easier, more and more the bolduc is handed over at the time of purchase.

Beside those high-quality tapestries, one may find forgeries. Those are woven, sometimes in other countries, by low-qualified and low-paid workers, and they are sometimes skillfully presented as authentic tapestries. There are also canvasses (for embroidery work), silk-screen printings, tapestries woven on Jacquard (Fair Isle) machines…

Be very careful when buying a Tapestry! Do not let cunning and unscrupulous salespeople deceive you…

 

The price

On account of the work of creation and that of weaving (which often takes several months), and the cost of raw materials (cotton, wools, silk, sometimes golden thread), the price of an authentic Aubusson Tapestry depends on the work. Of course, a work by a highly rated artist may reach another scale of prices.

For more information on a specific work of Marie-Blanche Yvert, contact her at:

 Marie-Blanche.Yvert@tapisseries-yvert.com