Le Thé, A Louis XV Chinoiserie Tapestry, Aubusson, from the series ‘tenture chinoise’ (The Story of the Emperor), after Jean-Joseph Dumons and François Boucher, from the workshop of Jean-François Picon third quarter 18th century

woven with a seated Mandarin and Empress taking tea seated at a table in the open air, with an attendant holding a parasol to create shade and another bringing tea to the table, with a small boy having tripped at their feet and broken a tea cup, with another attendant pouring the boiling water from the stove and making more tea, on the platform support of a small hut to the far right there is a young armed attendant helping a younger young boy drink some tea, all in an exotic landscape of tropical trees, flowers and plants, with a pagoda in the distance, in a four-sided shield cartouche and acanthus frame border, all woven within a four-sided shield cartouche and acanthus frame border, the lower selvedge with partial manufactory marks, M.R.DAVBV.SON.NDON.

Göbel, Heinrich, Die Wandteppiche, 1928, Part II, Vol.ii, no.276.

This tapestry is lined and has Velcro attached for hanging purposes. The selvedge is later on the left and right vertical edges. The selvedge with the workshop and weaver's mark is inset. There are some minor repairs and spots of reweaving in areas. There is reweaving within the border, for example the light mustard area along the top of the lower border, and to the top left corner of the border. In the left side of the composition there is a repaired old vertical fold line, to the right of the figure pouring tea. The areas of light highlights, used in clothing especially, have some minor weaknesses and repairs, which is commensurate with the age and colour of wool. This is a finely woven tapestry, with delicate detailing and colours to the clothing and faces. It is balanced in colour and composition and is a striking overall tapestry, of charming subject matter.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Picon were a principal Aubusson weaving family in the 18th century. Jean- François Picon is recorded as having had a tapestry warehouse in Lisbon through which to trade. The designs of François Boucher, painter and engraver and director of the Gobelins from 1755-1770, including the Chinese scenes were woven in Aubusson with great success. Jean-Joseph Dumons, history painter and 'appointed painter and designer of His Majesty for the tapestry factories established in the town and suburbs of Aubusson' and its environs'. In 1755 Dumons took the place of Juliard as painter at Beauvais, and Juliard went to Aubusson.

The present tapestry is from the series of nine tapestries based on the original series woven at Beauvais under the direction of Behagale, known as the Premiere Tenture Chinoise. The series is considered to depict the everyday life of the Chinese Emperors, believed to be Shunzhi (reigned 1644-1661) and Kangxi (reigned from 1661- 1722) and their Empresses. Many of the images are based on Johan de Nieuhof's Legatio bactavia ad magnum Tartatiae... of 1665 and include scenes such as the Audience of the Emperor, the Emperor on a Journey, the Emperor Sailing and the Empress Sailing, s Bremer-David, C, French Tapestries & Textiles in The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, 1997, Cat. 9, pp. 80 -97). The scenes included Le Repas chinoise (Le Festin de l'empereur), La Foire, La Danse, La Pêche, La Chasse and La Toilette. The second series, represented by the present tapestry, was by Dumons after sketches by François Boucher in the Musée de Besancon comprised of six compositions and they were also woven at Aubusson through Picon’s workshops in 1754, the designs being adapted and modified by Dumons and three additional designs being added to the series, which includes La Volière, Le Jardiniere and Le Thé.

For a wider version of the Aubusson panel of this subject (246cm. x 657cm; 8ft. 1in, 21ft. 7in) which shows more of the stove to the left and the hut and further figures to the right see Sotheby's London, 12th November 1920, lot 133, (later offered in Arts of France, Christie's New York, 23rd October 1998, lot 100). It has the same distinctive cartouche and acanthus border, as the present tapestry. There is a figure present in the above cited wider composition which is of a standing figure of a shepherdess in a unusual cape and straw hat, La Bergère a l'Houlette (See Sotheby's 13th December 1998, lot 23 for a panel of this subject alone, without border). A version of this extended composition, without a border (232cm. high, 516cm. wide), is illustrated in Chevalier, D, Les Tapisseries d'Aubusson et de Felletin, 1988, pp.114-115, which is from the Musée du Louvre.  

For a similar version of the present composition (290cm. high, 523cm. wide) see Sotheby's New York, 1st June 1978, lot 412, and Sotheby's, London, 11th June 2003, lot 70, for another similar weaving, without the complete hut on the right and the seated boys having tea (356cm. high, 437cm. wide), both within the same four-sided border type.