A Flemish Narrative Old Testament Biblical Tapestry, probably Oudenaarde late 16th/early 17th century

woven with narrative scenes from the Story of Joseph, the elder son of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and Rachel, depicting Joseph sold into slavery (Genesis. 37), showing Joseph's brothers, with jealousy of him being their father's favoured son, shown stripping him of his coat when he came to them working in the fields, and selling him for twenty pieces of silver to passing merchants on their way to Egypt. The brothers smeared Joseph's coat with kid's blood and took it to their father, pretending he had been devoured by a wild animal, and their father was inconsolable, and this scene is woven in the top right corner, with a later selvedge

This tapestry is lacking borders. It has been professionally cleaned and lined. It has a sleeve for a baton, for hanging purposes. Recommended in preference that Velcro is used across the top for hanging. Tapestry has evidence of outer brown selvedge. Some old repairs, for example foliage above turban. Patch and repair for example top left corner to the building and landscape. New pink highlights to facial features. Repair to old vertical fold in centre. Rust mark to the column, not obvious. Areas of repair to light highlights, commensurate with age. Old moth repairs. Some rewoven repair, for example to the sleeve of one figure and a cream area of repair to lower section of robe of figure far right. Tiny blue ink spot to robe. Some beautiful early weaving technique, such as hachures and eccentric weave, evocative period piece. Overall balanced colour and composition. Versatile size.
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The act of casting Joseph into a pit and drawing him out again was seen as a prefiguration of the Entombment and Resurrection of Christ. For this reason the story of Joseph owes an important place in Christian art. Primitive pastoral society rewarded the youngest born with privileges, since it would be his duty to care for his aged parents, and the elder children would tend the flocks.