Elephant I Small French Cushion

This jacquard tapestry cushion cover, Elephant, is imported from Europe. It shows an exotic Asian elephant covered with rich carpets and ornaments. Companion piece to this one is #889 Camel. This panel is inspired from a famous 19th century tapestry on display in the Louvre Museum in Paris. It was woven at a carpet factory in Aubusson established by Alexis Sallandrouze, 1808-67. The design, attributed to Jean-Baptiste-Amédée Couder, 1797-1864, draws on a number of different sources. By introducing these exotic influences, the tapestry contributed to a revival of the decorative arts in France in the 1840's. The luxuriant landscape is framed by pairs of twisted columns. The ornamental border is very rich, composed of a dense, complex tracery recalling the decorative vocabulary of Islamic architecture. Beyond this architectural frame lies a luminous landscape in which an Asian elephant can be seen passing between a palm and a banana tree. The elephant, richly caparisoned from top to toe. The tapestry may have been part of a set representing the continents.