Beaufort, Turenne and Comminges Tapestry Fragment

French

A tapestry portion, one of only ten fragments of what is the only armorial tapestry pre-dating the fifteenth century known to have survived. It is rectangular in shape and is a fragment of the Beaufort armorial tapestry. This portion shows a lion with a shield on his back, with an angel on either side holding a crown over his head. Under the lion are castle walls and towers arranged in a V-shape, all this is surrounded by four elongated birds at right angles to each other. The pattern is repeated with different animals, portions of a deer, unicorn and elephant being visible. The fabric is heavily restored. The tapestry was made to commemorate the Beaufort, Comminges and Turenne families in the person of Guillaume Rogier III de Beaufort who was rector of Avignon during the papacy of his brother, Gregory XI.