H 333 cm x W 327 cm, early 17th century
This tapestry is a finely woven masterpiece of the highest quality from the Brussels manufacturers, depicting the biblical scene of Moses leading his people out of Egypt. After a long hike and lack of water, Moses, shown in the middle with a staff, conjures up a spring. The scene probably also shows his wife Zipporah drawing water from the spring to quench the people’s thirst.
Condition description
The tapestry, from the well-known Brussels tapestry workshop Franz van den Hecke, is around 400 years old, the colors are well preserved, the wool is quite dry and some of the silk has fallen out. There are visible defects as well as old restorations that affect the tension of the fabric and cause further damage.
Conservation
The preservation was carried out in the textile studio and included the removal of the old lining, dry cleaning with vacuuming of the front and back in gentle conservation method. Open areas were underlaid and strengthened with tension stitches, old repairs were removed, underlaid and strengthened as necessary. The tapestry was connected to a new linen lining by support lines and decorated all around and provided with a hanging device with a tunnel.
