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Large custom-made Jules Pansu French tapestry with 18th-century royal hunting scene 'en Forêt de Compiègne' 390 x 157 cm
€7,500Bid from €4,000
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Private sellerProduct description
I am selling this impressive, vintage, custom-made original tapestry from the renowned French atelier Jules Pansu, produced in Halluin (Les Tissages de la Lys). Founded in 1878, Jules Pansu is known for its high-quality, museum-grade tapestries and works with the refined Point d’Halluin jacquard technique, a specialized weaving method developed to approximate the richness, depth, and picturesque detailing of historical Gobelin tapestries as closely as possible. Each piece is machine-woven using an extremely precise jacquard technique with a very high thread count, after which it is finished by hand.
I acquired the tapestry from the current owner of a national monument in Abbekerk. In this country house, where the Royal Family and the President of South Africa, among others, have stayed, this tapestry hung in the reception hall. The previous residents had once commissioned this tapestry specifically for the reception hall, and upon the sale of the property, this tapestry was left as a gift for the current resident. However, the current resident felt it looked a bit too heavy for the hall, so I was allowed to acquire it. The tapestry is in excellent condition and has clearly been handled with great care.
What makes this piece exceptional and unique is its impressive size of approximately 390 cm wide and 157 cm high, which deviates from standard production. It was therefore not a standard Jules Pansu catalog product, but a custom project commissioned for the country house.
The tapestry features two original labels that underscore its provenance and quality, and authenticate its authenticity. First, the Atelier label, featuring the Jules Pansu logo in the bottom right, which reads:
-Les Tapisseries d’Halluin ®
-finition main (hand-finished)
-made in France
-39070 (this is the serial number that makes the carpet traceable in the archives)
-Jules Pansu logo in the bottom right
Additionally, as you can see in the photos, there is also a woven technical label present, which makes it even more special. The text on this label is fully woven into the fabric and not simply printed on it, as is often seen in modern productions and their standard catalogue products. This type of label is characteristic of Jules Pansu's highest quality Jacquard weaves. While printed labels are sometimes used even in prestigious collections, such a woven label was specifically used for their masterpieces and special custom pieces. This guarantees the technical details and authenticity for the very long term. This label states the following:
-Point Genre Gobelins ® (This is a high-quality weaving style. It is a very fine
Jacquard technique that imitates the classic, hand-woven tapestries from the 17th and 18th centuries of the Manufacture des Gobelins (Paris)). Tapisserie conçue, réalisée, tissée en Flandres (à Halluin) (It was designed, made, and woven in Halluin)
-Sujet : 2900 – En forêt de Compiègne ( The subject is: In the forest of Compiègne, this was a royal hunting ground)
-Époque : Début XVIIIe siècle (inspired by the early 18th century during the time of the French King Louis XV and the royal hunting scenes of that time in the forest of Compiègne). -Size: 00 140 x 00 (140 was the standard roll or weaving width of the loom. A striking detail is the '00' designations next to the dimensions on the label; this is technical proof that this is a unique custom-made piece. Because the design was widened to nearly four meters specifically for the original client, the standard sizes in the weaving program were replaced by these placeholders, confirming the exclusivity of this specific example) Jules Pansu Logo bottom right
In terms of content, the tapestry is based on the hunting scenes of the famous French painter named Jean-Baptiste Oudry. The French King Louis XV was a passionate hunter and wanted to capture his favorite pastime for eternity. In 1733, he commissioned Oudry to paint a series of monumental designs (cartoons) for tapestries, which were eventually woven in the prestigious Manufacture des Gobelins in Paris. Instead of accurately reproducing one specific painted hunting scene by Oudry as a tapestry, the design in my Jules Pansu tapestry is constructed as a broad, panoramic composition in which multiple phases/elements of the royal hunt are combined to fill the entire width of the tapestry.
The depiction is clearly layered and narratively structured, featuring, among other things, the preparation and control of the hunt in the calm foreground, the dynamics of the pursuit and execution in the middle ground, and the riders in formation in the background, led by a central figure on a white horse, supplemented by a carriage and attendants, which makes the hierarchy and organization of the hunt within the court visible. This creates a panoramic and narrative fusion of the entire hunting cycle, in which various moments converge simultaneously, making the work strong and interesting both decoratively and in terms of content.
Since I am currently pursuing my Master's degree in Delft, it now hangs on a wall in my studio in Delft, as you can see in the photos. I have now slid a simple 4-meter beam through the fabric tunnel on the back to hang it, but I am offering only the carpet itself. I need the wall space in this studio to hang the many wall decorations I make and design for clients, so after much deliberation, I decided to find a new owner for it who can hang the carpet in a prestigious spot where it can be admired in all its glory. So, to be clear: Although machine-woven (and hand-finished), this is not like most other machine-woven vintage French tapestries you often encounter online (many of which lack atelier labels and belong to more standard, cheaper productions or are even completely fake), but a high-quality custom-made piece with both original labels from Jules Pansu, a renowned French atelier in the top segment, known for producing museum-worthy works using the refined Point d’Halluin jacquard technique, with a very high thread count and hand-finished, a process that requires a high level of craftsmanship and precision. Please bid according to value.
Specifications
ConditionExcellentColorsMulti ColorMaterialCottonNumber of items1Height156 cmWidth390 cmDepth1 cm
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Private sellerDelft, NetherlandsOn Whoppah since April 2026 • 0 sales