5 x 6 Antique French Aubusson Tapestry 78235

78235 Late 19th Century Antique French Aubusson Tapestry, 04'10 x 06'01.

Woven in the twilight decades of the 19th century, this antique French Aubusson tapestry is a romantic echo of a more pastoral past—an homage to the verdant reveries of Louis XV’s Rococo era, revived through the lens of Belle Epoque refinement. Crafted by master weavers in the famed Aubusson workshops, this flat-woven textile captures the quiet splendor of an enchanted forest where nature is rendered not with realism, but with decorative grandeur. It is a landscape not of specific place but of poetic intention, where each leaf and bird becomes part of a visual sonata composed in wool.

At the heart of the composition, a noble bird perches amid thickets of rustling leaves and blossoming undergrowth. Towering trees, their trunks streaked with warm ochres and mossy greens, rise like sentinels into a canopy dappled with light and shade. The foliage brims with rhythmic movement—stylized, angular, and jewel-toned—evoking the painterly abstraction characteristic of Aubusson’s late 19th-century interpretations. The scene speaks not to wilderness, but to a cultivated vision of Arcadia, where elegance, order, and organic beauty coexist in harmony.

Surrounding this woodland theatre is a sumptuous floral border—acanthus leaves and blooming roses that curl and sweep in a synchronized dance. These scrolling motifs, rooted in Rococo revivalism, serve as a frame and flourish, enhancing the tapestry’s decorative appeal while anchoring it in a lineage of ornamental French design. The border glows in hues of gold, crimson, and sage, offering both containment and celebration of the central pastoral vision. It recalls the days when such tapestries graced the salons and drawing rooms of grand homes, offering warmth, narrative, and visual poetry.

The weave itself is a marvel—flat yet dimensional, with color shifts that mimic brushstrokes and texture that softens the boldness of form. The backside reveals a symphony of disciplined craftsmanship: no pile, no shortcuts—just centuries-old techniques handed down through the looms of Aubusson’s storied artisans. Fitted with metal grommets for display, the tapestry bridges its aristocratic heritage with the emerging modern sensibilities of the Belle Époque, when old-world beauty found new purpose in an era of industrial elegance.

This late 19th-century French Aubusson tapestry is more than textile—it is a woven memory of a time when nature was idealized, when craft was revered, and when walls could speak in foliage, feathers, and form. It invites the viewer not just to observe, but to enter a world where artistry and serenity are inseparably entwined, offering a glimpse into a golden age of decorative splendor.

• Abrash. Desirable Age Wear. 
• Hand-woven wool. 
• Made in France.
• Measures: 04'10 x 06'01.
• Date: 1880's. Late 19th Century.