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17th Century Mythological Aubusson Tapestry "The Rape of Proserpina"

$10,800
£8,202.87
€9,477.02
CA$15,136.59
A$16,940.69
CHF 8,841.74
MX$206,589.11
NOK 113,162.22
SEK 107,122.54
DKK 70,725.75
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About the Item

17th century mythological Aubusson tapestry "The rape of Proserpina" and Cerberus Wool Measure: 200 x 210 cm circa 1660 Perfect condition Mythology: The first living visitor to the underworld, though an unwilling one, was the goddess Persephone. The only daughter of Zeus and Demeter (the goddess of grain, agriculture, and fertility), Persephone was an innocent maiden, a virgin who loved to play in the fields where eternal springtime reigned. Hades, the god of the Underworld, fell in love with Persephone and wanted her as his bride. His brother Zeus consented to the marriage—or at least refused to oppose it. Yet he warned Hades that Demeter would never approve this coupling, for she would not want her daughter spirited off to a sunless world. At Zeus's suggestion—or with his tacit understanding—hades resolved to abduct the maiden. Persephone was gathering flowers one day on a plain in Sicily. Hades suddenly appeared, thundering across the plain in his four-horse chariot. The god swooped down upon Persephone, scooped her up with one arm, and literally and figuratively deflowered her—leaving the plain scattered with blossoms of every color. The appearance, abduction, and disappearance happened so swiftly that none of Persephone's companions witnessed the kidnapping. And though she called out to them—and plaintively called for her mother—no one heard her pleas. The earth opened up before Hades' chariot and the god drove the jet-black horses down into the chasm. As Hades and Persephone disappeared into the depths, the hole closed up behind them. "Cerberus", in Greek mythology, the monstrous watchdog of the underworld. He was usually said to have three heads, though the poet Hesiod (flourished 7th century BCE) said he had 50. Heads of snakes grew from his back, and he had a serpent’s tail. He devoured anyone who tried to escape the kingdom of Hades, the lord of the underworld, and he refused entrance to living humans, though the mythic hero Orpheus gained passage by charming him with music.
  • Creator:
    Aubusson Manufacture (Designer)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 31.01 in (78.74 cm)Width: 32.55 in (82.67 cm)Depth: 0.16 in (4 mm)
  • Style:
    Classical Greek (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
    Wool,Hand-Woven
  • Place of Origin:
    France
  • Period:
    17th Century
  • Date of Manufacture:
    circa 1660
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    New York, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU4553116421641

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