Wall Hanging: Triumphal Arch
maker
Unknown
Datemid 17th century
Place MadeBengal, India, South Asia
MediumSilk chain-stitch embroidered on blue silk with cotton backing
Dimensions267 x 211 cm (105 1/8 x 83 1/16 in.)
ClassificationsFurnishings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberT20e4
Status
Not on viewWeb CommentaryThis wall hanging was made by Indian embroiderers in Bengal working under Portuguese commission in the mid-17th century, when Portugal held colonies along the west coast of India. The imagery provides insights into shifting political and cultural alliances during the period. The central field of the embroidery contains the façade of one of twenty triumphal arches erected in Lisbon in 1619 to celebrate the visit of Philip III of Spain, who ruled Portugal as Philip II (r. 1598-1621). An etching published in Madrid 1622 documents the arch and is the source of the imagery in the embroidery. The arch was sponsored by the Flemish community living in Lisbon at a time when the provinces of the Netherlands were struggling for independence from Spain. The Flemish merchants used the decorative program of the arch to express their dissatisfaction with Spanish rule. For example, there is a representation of Discordia, the goddess of strife, at the center. Little is known about the artisans who created embroideries such as these, but several embroiderers probably worked on it simultaneously in a workshop.The original white chain-stitched silk on a blue silk ground has become discolored over time.
Id730186
Last Updated8/14/24
Textile Database Number1106
Alt. No. 2 (Cavallo)223
EmbARK ObjectID11835
Alt. No. 4 (Old Cavallo)219
Alt. No. 1 (Siple)001
Alt. No. 2 (Cavallo)183
Source ID996
Unknown
about 1725-1775
