Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Favorites of European nobility and royalty for more than 300 years, the tapestries and textiles made by the Royal Manufacture of Aubusson remain legendary for their exceptional quality and grand designs.
The origins of Aubusson’s textiles date back to the 14th century, when residents of the town of Aubusson, located at the base of the Creuse river in France, started small weaving workshops. When skilled weavers from Flanders, Belgium, arrived in Aubusson, seeking refuge and settlement, the town’s weaving industry flourished.
Aubusson was granted the Royal Manufacture title by King Louis XIV in 1665. Along with pieces by rival workshops such as Gobelins and Beauvais, Aubusson’s textiles, carpets and tapestries were prized for their meticulous designs. Early Royal Manufacture of Aubusson works resemble Turkish rugs and Asian textiles, which were popular with European royalty. In later years, though, Aubusson’s weavers shifted their style to reflect Western European and Caucasian rugs as well as Italian Renaissance style, incorporating floral, religious and pastoral themes into the tapestries.
Throughout the 18th century, Aubusson’s tapestries and rugs remained among the most desired by the European aristocracy. An inventory compiled in 1786 listed more than 100 Aubusson carpets at the Palace of Versailles. After the French Revolution, many workshops, including those of Aubusson, lost their Royal Manufacture status. Upholstered and machine-made carpets also became more dominant in the industry.
In 1869, the establishment of the École Nationale des Arts Décoratifs d’Aubusson sparked a renewed interest in Aubusson tapestries, which the school still produces today. Although the advent of wallpaper during the late 19th and early 20th century reduced consumer demand for tapestries as wall decor, Aubusson adapted to the shift towards modernist style. Artists like Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso often had their artworks translated into tapestries.
Aubusson’s carpets and tapestries continue to be coveted by interior designers and collectors of 18th-century, mid-19th-century and Napoleon III textiles and furniture. Aubusson’s history of weaving, wool production, spinning and dyeing is on UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson wall decorations, Asian-inspired art and furniture, carpets and more.
17th Century French Regency Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool, Linen
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool, Silk
1840s French Romantic Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool
Mid-18th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Silk
Late 18th Century French French Provincial Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool
1840s French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool, Silk
Early 20th Century Japanese Japonisme Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Silk, Wood
Late 19th Century Turkmen Other Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Silk
Early 20th Century Japanese Meiji Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Cotton
17th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool
18th Century French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool
Early 19th Century Egyptian Egyptian Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Cotton
Late 20th Century Chinoiserie Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Silk, Rosewood
17th Century French Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool
1750s French Aubusson Antique Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Wool, Silk
Early 20th Century French Royal Manufacture of Aubusson Tapestries
Paint
