World's largest medieval tapestry pieced together: gallery donates fragments of the Apocalypse of Angers

Last spring, the Parisian gallery Charles Ratton & Guy Ladrière discovered in its storerooms thirty fragments that are part of the world’s largest medieval tapestry, theApocalypse d’Angers, preserved at Angers Castle. The attribution of the fragments to the great and famous tapestry has been confirmed by the Regional Directorate of Cultural Affairs of the Pays de la Loire (DRAC), the latter’s owner and scientific manager.

Guy Ladrière, president of the gallery, and his daughter Sandrine decided to donate the fragments so that they could be reunited with the rest of the precious artifact. The thirty fragments, mounted on a canvas backing, compose a decorative frieze with flowers. The floral motifs are very legible and the colors of the weaving threads still well preserved.

The many stylistic similarities with the Apocalypse d’Angers made it possible to compare the fragments with the entire artifact.Montaine Bongrand, a restorer specializing in the treatment of old tapestries, and Mohamed Dallel, head of the textile center of the Historical Monuments Research Laboratory (LRMH), compared the attribution to the famous tapestry.

Through the analysis of preserved documentary and iconographic sources, it is assumed that these fragments were found in 1860 and were put into circulation on the art market under circumstances that remain unknown. According to information forwarded by the Charles Ratton & Guy Ladrière Gallery (taken from the archives of the former Charles Ratton Gallery), the fragments were purchased in 1924 by Charles Ratton from the dealer Otto Wegener. Since that date they have been placed in the gallery’s storage rooms and remained there until their discovery in 2020.

The fragments are of great value because they belong to the largest medieval tapestry in the world. Also noticeable are many metallic threads, gold and silver threads that adorned parts of the tapestry and are only present on a few square centimeters.

Upon their arrival in Angers, further studies will be conducted to determine whether restoration is necessary; they will then be presented during temporary exhibitions at the Château d’Angers.

Ph.Credit

World's largest medieval tapestry pieced together: gallery donates fragments of the Apocalypse of Angers

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