Brussels (Netherlands), c. 360 x 528 cm, about 1600, heraldic tapestry with the biblical story (following Moses 1:38, 14 -18) of Tamar and Judah (both figures with lettering at the bottom of the clothing trim); (MA)

Image description:
Tamar was the daughter-in-law of Judah and the wife of two of Judah’s sons. Since neither marriage produced any offspring and both men died, in order to secure posterity, Tamar disguised herself as a prostitute and seduced her father-in-law, who promised her a goat, and she later gave birth to twins. In the central image of the carpet, Judah gives Tamar his staff and seal as a security deposit for her services. Tamar’s ruse was later revealed and her first born, Perez, became Judah’s heir. Tamar is one of four women whom tradition ascribed to the family line of Jesus. The carpet is fully preserved in its original size, the upper and lower galloon with Brussels weaver's mark replaced, several age-related repairs and exposed warp threads; despite this it is a tapestry of excellent quality with dynamic figures and large floral border frame from that time, the weaver's mark is preserved in the lower right blue galloon only as a fragment and cannot, therefore, be attributed to any specific workshop, secured entirely with old linen on the back. Lit.: Heinrich Göbel, Wandteppiche, Die Niederlande, vols. 1 and 2; Hermann Schmitz, Bildteppiche, Geschichte der Gobelinwirkerei; Menn, Esther Marie, 1997, Judah and Tamar (Genesis 38) in Ancient Jewish Exegesis. Studies in Literary Form and Hermeneutics (JSOT. p. 51).