FRAGMENT OF TOURNAI TAPESTRIES, FIRST QUARTER OR MIDDLE OF THE 16th CENTURY Caravan of giraffes and zebras - Part of the tapestry of the History of Portugal and India Woven in wool and silk (Slight wear in the silks and old restorations, reduced in height and width and without border) A Tournai historical tapestry fragment, depicting a procession of giraffes and zebras, from the History of Portugal and India set, first quarter or mid-16th century 118 ¼ x 70 ¾ in. 300 x 180 cm Provenance: Private collection, France This rare and interesting fragment depicts a caravan of giraffes and zebras. In the foreground, two female figures seated on a zebra are accompanied by a procession made up of numerous characters and animals, combining East and West. Four giraffes move forward to the rhythm of the musical instruments (flute, olifant, bells) that enliven the procession. Gold thread and shimmering colours convey the sound and exotic nature of the scene. A similar tapestry is in the Louvre (among three other tapestries in the hanging); it has more characters, a slightly different composition and a border (Tapisserie de Tournai, Caravane de girafes et de zèbres, de la tenture de L'Histoire du Portugal et de l'Inde, 1510 / 1520, inventory number OAR 62). Another example, now unlocated, appears on the Corpus website of the Musée du Louvre. The very mediocre photograph nevertheless reveals our subject The Return of Vasco da Gama, with the presence of the zebra and the parrot (fig. 2). A fragment of the same scene is now in the collections of the National Museum in Stockholm. We know of at least one other scene from the same hanging, The Arrival of Vasco da Gama in Calicut (Lisbon, Banco Nacional Ultramarino). 300 x 180 cm This rare and interesting fragment depicts a procession of giraffes and zebras. In the foreground, two female figures seated on a zebra are accompanied by a cortege made up of numerous figures and animals, an association of East and West. Four giraffes move forward to the rhythm of the music (a flute, an oliphant and bells) that enlivens the procession. Threads of gold and shimmering colours convey the sound and echo the exotic nature of the scene. A similar tapestry can be found in the Musée du Louvre (among three other tapestries from the same group); but that one has more characters, a slightly different composition and a border (Tapisserie de Tournai, Caravane de Girafes et de Zèbres, from the group, L'Histoire du Portugal et de l'Inde, 1510 / 1520, inventory number OAR 62, fig. 1). Another example, whose whereabouts are currently unknown, can be found on the Corpus page of the Musée du Louvre website. The very mediocre photograph nevertheless reveals our subject, Le Retour de Vasco de Gama, with the presence of the zebra and the parrot (fig. 2). A fragment of the same scene is today in the collections of the National Museum in Stockholm. We know of at least one other scene from the same group, The Arrival of Vasco da Gama in Calicut (Lisbon, Banco Nacional Ultramarino).