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Decorative arts

Six-fold Screen

1 of 17
Type
Decorative arts(Opens in new tab)
Date
1719/84; frame of later date (probably nineteenth-century).
Accession number
11.41
Makers
Alexandre-Francois Desportes(Opens in new tab) (French, 1661–1743)
Savonnerie Manufactory(Opens in new tab) (French, 1627–2001)
Dimensions
69 1/2 × 24 in. (176.5 × 61 cm.) 69 1/2 × 24 × 12 in. (176.5 × 61 × 30.5 cm.)
Medium
wool and linen; modern wooden interior frame; gessoed and gilded beech (?) exterior frame; brass hinges and metal upholstery tacks; modern linen and silk linings.
Description
A six fold screen with inset tapestry panels with designs of animals, flowers, and fruit.
Credit
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens
Department
European Art
Find out more
View in the Art Museum catalog(Opens in new tab)
Strategically placed in an elegant interior, paravents were used as shields from drafts. This particular screen’s six panels feature an arbor surrounding a variety of animals and birds. The Savonnerie Manufactory typically reserved its folding screens exclusively for the French royal family. The size of this example indicates that it was intended for use in a private apartment rather than a public parade room.

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