Misplaced Pages

#244755

57-605: The four tapestries are titled: The Landing at Asilah, The Siege of Asilah, The Assault on Asilah, and The Fall of Tangier. Their historical context ties in with the Portuguese conquests and expansion of North Africa, begun by King John I and continued by his grandson, Alfonso V. The tapestries have undergone extensive restoration after natural damage by moths. They have been kept at the Colegiada de Pastrana Museum in Spain since

114-545: A burgher of the city of Tournai. At some point (date unknown), he married Marguerite de Lannoy and together they had seven children, who were listed in Pasquier's will including: Gilles, Pierre, Jean, Imbert, Colinet, Antoine (Antonin), and an unnamed daughter married to Corneille Daussat. In addition, Pasquier fathered an illegitimate daughter named Mariette. His sons Pierre and Gilles were both church canons , while Jean and Imbert were noted as being married. Pasquier

171-442: A polyphagous species as this one pure sodium chloride has no nutritional value and is in fact a strong desiccant , but this still attests to their robustness. Unfavorable temperature and humidity can slow development, but will not always stop it. Both adults and larvae prefer low light conditions. Whereas many other Tineidae are drawn to light, common clothes moths seem to prefer dim or dark areas. If larvae find themselves in

228-771: A Tournai tapestry dealer or merchant (French: " marcheteur ") selling his goods to several brokers in different regions of France, including: in 1449, to Pierre Peliche, a merchant in Puy-de-Dôme (in the Auvergne region) and to Jehan Vernie, another merchant in Lyon (in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region). Later, in 1460, he worked with a merchant named Geradin Glaude based in Reims , and to another unnamed merchant in

285-556: A courtier and advisor to the King, concerning a matter that came before the magistrate of Tournai and documented in the ancient registers of the " Consaux " (the four colleges that made up Tournai's municipal government). Then, another Consaux record dated 29 October 1481 explains that Pasquier served as an ambassador for King Louis XI to the city of Tournai. In Burgundy (part of modern-day Flanders in Belgium), Pasquier created

342-435: A small moth of 6–7 mm (0.24–0.28 in) body length and 9–16 mm (0.35–0.63 in) wingspan (most commonly 12–14 mm or 0.47–0.55 in). The head is light ferruginous ochreous, sometimes brownish-tinged. Forewings pale yellowish-ochreous; base of costa fuscous. Hindwings ochreous grey-whitish (it is distinguished from similar species by its yellow-brown or ochreous colouring and red-orange tuft of hair on

399-424: A specific buyer) or alternatively the client could order one with him to be woven to their specifications. On 22 September 1486, King Edward IV of England granted Pasquier, his son Jean, and their workers protection and licenses to import tapestries, and other textile objects into England. Two years later, King Edward permitted Jean Pasquier to import into the country, duty free , altar cloths and tapestries of

456-546: A strong hold between the new and existing fabric, and the holes were then repaired with stitches following the path of the original stitches. Pasquier Grenier Pasquier Grenier ( fl.  1447–1493 ) was a Flemish tapestry and wine merchant working in Tournai , and the greater region under the control of the Dukes of Burgundy . Once believed to be a master tapestry weaver, archival documents reveal that he

513-533: A subsidiary company based in Bruges , a major port town, allowing him to export his products to the royal courts of England , Italy , and Spain . He also had a showroom filled with an inventory of tapestries in Antwerp , where clients could stop by and purchase an already completed tapestry or set of tapestries (a transaction today referred to as " on spec " meaning the object made was sold on speculation, without

570-628: A well-lit room, they will try to relocate under furniture or carpet edges. Handmade rugs are a favorite, because it is easy for the larvae to crawl underneath and do their damage from below. They will also crawl under moldings at the edges of rooms in search of darkened areas where fibrous debris has gathered and which consequently hold good food. Larvae can also sometimes act as bookworms , chewing through paper (which provides them no nutrition) to reach book bindings or mold colonies for nourishment. Airtight containers should be used to prevent re-infestation once eggs, larvae, and moths are killed by any of

627-442: A workshop owner, as he did not own any low-warp looms or high-warp looms upon his death, nor did he have any stock of wool . Two of Pasquier's sons remained involved with the family business as tapestry dealers after their father's death: Jean (d. Feb. 1519) and Antoine. They both continued to sell tapestries till around 1520 to the leading noble families of Europe, including clients such as King Henry VII of England, Philip

SECTION 10

#1732776177245

684-400: Is commonly misspelled biselliella – for example by G. A. W. Herrich-Schäffer , when he established Tineola in 1853. The larvae ( caterpillars ) of this moth are considered a serious pest, as they can derive nourishment from clothing – in particular wool , but many other natural fibres – and also, like most related species, from stored foods, such as grains. Tineola bisselliella is

741-875: Is the western Palearctic , but it has been transported by human travelers to other localities. For example, it is nowadays found in Australia. The species' presence has not been recorded in France, Greece, Slovenia and Switzerland, though this probably reflects the lack of occurrence data rather than absence. This species is notorious for feeding on clothing and natural fibers; they have the ability to digest keratin protein in wool and silk. The moths prefer dirty fabric for oviposition and are particularly attracted to carpeting and clothing that contains human sweat or other organic liquids which have been spilled onto them; traces of dirt may provide essential nutrients for larval development. Larvae are attracted to these areas not only for

798-420: Is written on the top of the tapestry, this one describing the army's breakthrough into the wall of the city, launching a full attack. Soldiers scattered throughout the tapestry can be seen with weapons, swords or spears raised, and some can be seen playing instruments amongst the crowd. Some soldiers are drawn climbing over the walls, the raised swords and spears from within the boundaries of the wall heavily depict

855-495: The Champagne region at an unknown date. Archival documents also referred to him as a " tapissier " but scholars have argued based on the extant documentation about him that the term " tapissier " did not mean a tapestry (French: tapisserie ) weaver, but one who functioned rather as a supplier or dealer. On 20 July 1479, he established political and commercial ties to the King of France, Louis XI , through Olivier le Daim ,

912-489: The Trojan War series (see below). Pasquier was registered as a wine dealer in the city of Tournai's registers on 30 December 1483. It is likely that Pasquier became a wine merchant because of his contacts in France, especially Burgundy. However, he was not the first tapestry dealer to also become a wine seller, a career combination seen earlier in the late fourteenth-century and early fifteenth-century in merchants from

969-501: The common clothes moth , webbing clothes moth , or simply clothing moth , is a species of fungus moth ( family Tineidae , subfamily Tineinae ). It is the type species of its genus Tineola and was first described by the Swedish entomologist Arvid David Hummel in 1823. It and a number of closely-related species are together known as the clothes moths due to their role as pests in human households. The specific name

1026-477: The common clothes moth , a type of fungus moth. After this discovery, all of the tapestries had to be cleaned and exterminated of these pests, leading to an extensive process to rid them completely. After discovering the moth pests responsible for damaging all four of the tapestries, the insects had to be exterminated. Rentokil, a pest control company based in England, handled the extermination process. The project

1083-407: The conquest of Asilah and Tangier: They feature an impressive array of detailed depictions of Gothic plate armours and weapons such as swords, crossbows, polearms, cannons, and even handcannons , which would have been innovative in the period. This first tapestry details the events of King Alfonso V's army's arrival at the coast of Asilah. Like all the tapestries, it measures from 12 x 36ft. At

1140-556: The keystone vault , Pasquier had a painted sculpture created that includes an angel supporting his coat of arms , but it was over-painted in the nineteenth century, thus the image is not an accurate representation of his crest . Sometime between 1464 or 1469 and 1474, Pasquier Grenier and Marguerite de Lannoy donated a set of seven tapestries of the Seven Sacraments to the Church of Saint Quentin that were in turn hung in

1197-400: The 17th century. The tapestries' manufacture has been attributed to the workshop of Pasquier Grenier in Tournai , modern-day Belgium . The tapestries are remarkable for being one of the few surviving 15th-century works of weaving depicting contemporary rather than biblical or mythological episodes. They set the precedent for trends for the next three centuries, as sets of tapestries became

SECTION 20

#1732776177245

1254-506: The Good and Charles the Bold . Documented sales of tapestries (or sets of specific tapestry series) by Pasquier Grenier include the following: Some tapestry sales do not have archival documentation, but based on stylistic affinities with those surviving tapestries listed above, scholars have proposed that the following set of tapestries was a possible sale of Pasquier Grenier: From

1311-777: The Handsome, the Duke of Burgundy, and the Archbishop of Rouen, Georges d'Amboise . In 1497, Antoine Grenier sold Georges d'Amboise a tapestry altar frontal to be displayed in the Archiepiscopal Palace in Rouen, and then in 1508, Antoine sold him other tapestries for his summer archiepiscopal residence, the Château de Gaillon . Common clothes moth Numerous, see text Tineola bisselliella , known as

1368-472: The Landing at Asilah, the second tapestry out of the four highlights the siege of the town. It took over the total span of three days for the soldiers of the Portuguese army to seize Asilah. Many of the soldiers are seen on the large fleet placed in the center foreground of the tapestry, and the remaining ships can be seen surrounding the outskirts of the town. There is a separation on the left and right sides of

1425-460: The Portuguese army, surprised the town, leading to an intense battle and the Muslim citizens of Asilah trying to defend their town from the attackers. Ultimately, the Portuguese won and overtook Asilah, with numbers estimating to about 2,000 residents killed with over 5,000 captured. After they conquered Asilah, they set their sights on Tangier, and the citizens of Tangier were under the impression that

1482-514: The Portuguese. They collected their belongings and left, and the city in the middle shows a Portuguese soldier holding up a banner representing Portugal above the city’s walls. In contrast to the previous tapestries, the soldiers appear less aggressive and walking at a steady pace, due to the city already having been signed over. The people are depicted with their children holding their hands as they exit their homes, their expressions solemn, and with their bags of belongings on their backs as they leave to

1539-507: The Royal Manufacturers De Wit, a facility dedicated to cleaning dirty textiles. The dust was removed with the vacuuming unit and collected in an external unit outside the room so it could be removed. With the dust gone, the tapestries were then cleaned with water and a small amount of detergent, employed in a technique called aerosol suction, another specialty of the Royal Manufacturers De Wit. The process involved laying

1596-517: The archival sources, scholars deduce that Pasquier Grenier accumulated significant wealth and status. He became a patron of the Church of Saint Quentin, Tournai as early as 1464 or 1469, he provided the funds for the renovation of the east end ( chevet ) of the Church of Saint Quentin, including the addition of an ambulatory , eight new columns that supported the vaults of the choir , and three new chapels . The central chapel ( axial chapel ) of

1653-817: The choir of the church. Fragments that survive possibly from Pasquier's set (or more likely a related set that was woven from the same cartoons as those donated to the Church of Saint Quentin by Pasquier) are located in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Burrell Collection . Scholars argue that the imagery of the panel in Glasgow includes donor portraits of Pasquier Grenier and his wife, Marguerite de Lannoy, along with their children, but other scholars like Adolph Cavallo doubt this represents

1710-470: The church that were completed by October 1474, Pasquier paid for frescoed wall paintings that were executed between 1474 and 1493, and made with tempera for the axial chapel's ceiling vaults. In the vaults, the painting's imagery includes angels, the Four Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), chalices (or ciborium ), Eucharistic hosts , and banderoles with text. In the center of

1767-454: The city of Arras, such as Jean (Jehan) Cosset and Hugues (Huart) Walois who sold both wine and tapestries. Archival documents, gathered in various secondary sources, shed more specific information on his career, including that Pasquier Grenier sold several sumptuous tapestry sets to Philip the Bold , the Duke of Burgundy as early at 1454–1455. He was also the most important supplier of tapestries to later dukes of Burgundy, including Philip

Pastrana Tapestries - Misplaced Pages Continue

1824-406: The fabric, and there were also stains and dirt that had accumulated over time. Dyes were also bleeding in certain areas from a previous restoration, and all of these impurities needed to be addressed for a thorough restoration this time around. Next, dust was removed from the tapestries by the use of a dust suction system as the tapestries were laid completely flat on tables in the quarantine room of

1881-508: The family. His testament is dated 13 July 1493 and was entered into record on 24 July 1493. It is believed that he died on 21 July 1493. His testament outlined the division of his property among his survivors, including many tapestry models and " cartoons " (French: " patrons ") that he specifically left to be "equally divided" among "my children": Jean, Imbert, Colinet, and Antoine. No tapestries were bequeathed in his testament, leaving scholar Guy Delmarcel to deduce that Pasqiuer

1938-587: The food but for traces of moisture; they do not require liquid water. The range of recorded foodstuffs includes linen, silk and wool fabrics as well as furs. They will eat synthetic and cotton fibers if they are blended with wool and may use some cotton to build their cocoon. Furthermore, they have been found on shed feathers and hair, bran, semolina and flour (possibly preferring wheat flour), biscuits, casein, and insect specimens in museums. In one case, living T. bisselliella caterpillars were found in salt. They had probably accidentally wandered there, as even to such

1995-453: The governor of Asilah would assist in the defense of their town; however, the governor was occupied with a war already with the Fez governor, resulting in him signing Tangier over to the Portuguese in a treaty. Upon hearing the news, the citizens of Tangier packed their belongings and left their town while the Portuguese army marched to occupy Tangier. The tapestries depict four episodes regarding

2052-545: The grandest form of military art , a prominent example being the set commissioned some sixty years later by Emperor Charles V showing his Tunis campaign, and the English Armada Tapestries fifty years after that. Though the work has been linked back to Pasquier Grenier, part of the work can also be credited to Nuno Gonçalves , who was appointed as King Alfonso V's official court painter in 1450. After King Alfonso V's conquest of Asilah and Tangier, Nuno

2109-419: The head). Females lay eggs in clusters of between 30 and 200 which adhere to surfaces with a gelatin-like glue. These hatch between four and ten days later into near-microscopic white caterpillars which immediately begin to feed. They will also spin mats under which to feed without being readily noticed and from which they will partially emerge at night or under dark conditions to acquire food. Development to

2166-451: The larval stage, and once they hatch from cocoons their only goal is to reproduce. Adult mouth parts are atrophied and cannot be used on fabric or clothing. All feeding damage is done by the caterpillar (larval) form. The moths are seasonal in the wild, however heated buildings allow clothes moths to develop year-round. The overall life cycle from egg to egg typically takes 4–6 months, with two generations per year. This moth's natural range

2223-477: The massacre occurring within this scene. Over 2,000 residents were killed with over 5,000 captured. The final tapestry details the soldiers moving on to take over Tangier after conquering Asilah, which resulted in Tangier being occupied by the Portuguese army. The right side of the tapestry shows the inhabitants of Tangier leaving the city as they knew the fate of Asilah and how their city was already signed over to

2280-429: The most favorable conditions (75 °F (24 °C) and 70-75% relative humidity ) but may take several years (lower temperatures and humidity will only slow development, larvae will still hatch and grow at temperatures as low as 10 °C (50 °F) and can survive up to 33 °C (91 °F)). Unlike the caterpillars, the adult moths do not feed: they acquire all of the nutrition and moisture they need while in

2337-440: The moths, including the larva and eggs, died off. The standard amount of time that is usually recommended for this procedure is thirty days, however the tapestries were kept in that state for around sixty days. Once all the moths were removed, there was still much more to be done to finish restoring the tapestries. Though the pests were gone, the damage they left behind was still visible; gaping holes were visible in varying areas of

Pastrana Tapestries - Misplaced Pages Continue

2394-705: The next stage takes place through between five and 45 instars typically over the course of between one month and two years until the pupal stage is reached. At this point, the caterpillars spin cocoons and spend another approximately 10–50 days developing into adults. After pupation is complete, the adult moths emerge and begin searching for mates. Females tend to move less than males, and both sexes prefer scuttling over surfaces to flying— some adults never fly at all. Adults can live for an additional 15–30 days, after which they die (otherwise death takes place shortly after mating for males and shortly after egg laying for females). Life cycle may be completed within one month under

2451-794: The power of Portugal’s military further in North Africa, as well as the influence of the Catholic Church . Strategically, both Asilah and Tangier are located near the Strait of Gibraltar , the link between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. In 1471, Alfonso V then began his conquest of the North African cities, first landing at Asilah and launching an attack. Alfonso V and his son João II , followed by

2508-557: The right of the tapestry. In a restoration completed in the 1950s, the tapestries were given newer freshly woven silk, making it prey to moths who ate holes through them. This restoration took place at the Real Fabrica De Santa Barbara in Madrid, Spain. After the moths attacked the fresh fabrics, they ventured to the older original pieces of the tapestries. This culprit was later discovered to be none other than

2565-441: The tapestries out on a suction table, and an aerosol (mixture of air and water) was sprayed above the tapestries, with the suction table allowing the fabric to gradually moisten with the aerosol mixture. A mild detergent was added to aid with the cleaning process, and the fabric got rinsed with just the aerosol mixture of air and water afterwards. The tapestries were dried with the help of sponge tissues and absorbent papers placed over

2622-477: The tapestries to the Colegiada de Pastrana Museum. The tapestries have been kept in Pastrana , Spain, since 1664. The Pastrana Tapestries were already held in high regard for their accurate representations of weapons and armor for its time, and they also serve as a reference for important historical events, acting as accounts for what transpired during the time that Alfonso V reigned as King. Alfonso V’s conquest

2679-456: The tapestries, completed with a plastic sheet on the very top. The moisture was taken away through the suction, and any remaining moisture was vacuumed. Following the cleaning process, the tapestries could now be restored. Fabrics were placed on the backside of the tapestry where the restoration would take place, making it more stable in areas where the fabric was fragile and had holes. Angled stitches and large vertical stitches were used to create

2736-493: The tapestry, one half of the army split and led by Prince João II on the left side, while the right side is led by King Alfonso V. The visual representation of the siege was altered, changing the actual geographical traits of the city and not matching the real appearance of Asilah. This is due to the fact that the creators were not familiar with the actual layout of Asilah, leading them to base it off of Northern Europe architecture of high roofs and pointed spires. Another inscription

2793-404: The three was dedicated to the Seven Sacraments and later housed the sepulcher of Pasquier and his wife, Marguerite de Lannoy. Pasquier paid in perpetuity for masses to be said in the family's honor four times a week. Later, in 1519, Pasquier's son stipulated in his will that he too was to be buried in the same family chapel. In addition to paying for the structural changes and additions to

2850-503: The top, there is a large inscription describing the landing and creating a narrative focused on King Alfonso V's journey to the shore. The soldiers are seen approaching the shore on their boats, and King Alfonso V is with Prince João II on the upper right side, advancing toward the city with other soldiers. The residents of the town are seen on the defensive, having been taken by surprise by the Portuguese Army's arrival. Following

2907-633: Was a notable and engaged citizen of Tournai and lived in the parish of the Church of Saint Quentin . He was also a member of the noble confraternity of the Damoiseaux (founded in 1280), dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Pasquier owned several houses in Tournai, located on the "Grand Market," known today as the Grand-Place , and they were adjacent to the Church of Saint Quentin. The house

SECTION 50

#1732776177245

2964-480: Was actually one of the most prominent tapestry dealers of the fifteenth-century in Western Europe, working with tapestry workshops in cities such as Tournai, Bruges , and Antwerp . Pasquier Grenier was the son of Lottart, but his birth year is undocumented, as neither the primary archival sources nor secondary sources cite a date. What is known is that on 7 July 1447, Pasquier was officially accepted as

3021-564: Was funded by the Fundación Carlos de Amberes and the Belgian Inbev-Baillet Latour Fund. Their method consisted of depriving the insects of oxygen; this process required them to put the tapestries into a receptacle sealed with aluminum laminates. After being sealed shut, the oxygen was absorbed and replaced with nitrogen, resulting in the oxygen levels lower than 0.4%. With such a low amount of oxygen,

3078-418: Was indeed a tapestry merchant in that he was essentially a financier who owned the copyright to his models, cartoons, and designs, and he would have likely subcontracted these out to different workshops and weavers who would in turn manufacture the tapestries to be sold on spec or made on the request of a specific patron. Further evidence supports the argument that Pasquier was more of a merchant and agent than

3135-464: Was left to his son Jean in his will, along with another house in the city of Bruges. His other son, Imbert, was left a house in the town of Guise in France. Perhaps as early as 1448, Pasquier Grenier is associated with the Truye Brothers, tapestry merchants based in the city of Arras, who named him as their agent in Tournai. Then on 4 February 1449, he is mentioned in archival documents as

3192-403: Was part of the Portuguese expansion into North Africa , a continuation of the efforts begun by Alfonso V’s grandfather, João I . João I previously conquered Ceuta , a coastal North African city in 1415. Alfonso V’s expansion built upon the conquered lands Portuguese already claimed, and he sought to exploit more lands that could be economically profitable. Moreover, Alfonso V wanted to extend

3249-499: Was tasked with creating cartoons in color to celebrate the King's triumphs, and those cartoons were used as reference for the creation of the tapestries. Documentation reveals that the tapestries were held in the palace of dukes of El Infantando in Guadalajara , Spain in 1628; they were seen by Sousa , written in his Epitome de las Historias Portuguesas. Later in 1664, the son of the prince of Eboli , Rui Gomes da Silva, donated

#244755