FLEMISH FABRIC FRAGMENT, AUDENARDE, late 16th century Aristolochia leaves with deer and lions In wool and silk, with a leaping stag and two lions attacking a dog, the foliage lacy in the tradition of millefleurs, a carved column to the right, the border with a frieze of stylised flowers; restorations, borders applied 235 x 174 cm (92.51 x 68.50 in.) A Flemish large-leaf tapestry fragment, Oudenaarde, late 16th century Provenance: Philippe Dennery Collection To the present owner by inheritance Near Tournai, the town of Oudenaarde is part of the great tradition of Flemish lice towns. From the 15th century onwards, its tapestries were characterised by the presence of greenery with "large leaves" that enlivened the background of the compositions. Whether acanthus leaves or aristoloches, these plant elements transport us into a singular universe, a fantasised Eden populated by realistic or fantastic animals. From the outset, these naturalistic examples were a great success, with major commissions for Archduke Philip the Handsome and the great Italian courts. Stripped of all iconographic baggage, these scenes of hunting or predation become universal teachings, evoking the pleasures of hunting but also reminding us of the fragility of life.