How to Value Tapestries & Textiles
Tapestries and textiles are utterly beautiful pieces of art that often tells a story. With unique features, tapestries and textiles offer a lovely way of decorating your home. Read more and find out how to value tapestries and textiles. And also – if you, by any chance, own tapestries or textiles – Value My Stuff will gladly assist you in value your items.
Many of the pieces in this category - provided they have been stored safely for years – will have unique histories and show an immense level of skill and handiwork that can be appreciated by keen collectors. Beyond decorative textiles such as religious tapestries and tablecloths, antique clothing fetches high prices on the art market. If pieces are kept in good condition, they can do very well at auction and provide extremely interesting pieces of social history.
Follow these easy steps to value your tapestry and textiles.
How To Identify and Value Antique Tapestry
There are a couple of details that can help you to identify and value antique tapestry. Below are five examples.
1. The Threads That Are Used
If the tapestry is made in modern times, you’ll probably notice that the threads are polyester or nylon. If, however, it’s an antique tapestry, made in the 18th, 17th, 16th or even 15th century, then the threads are either wool, linen, or cotton.
2. Uneven and Unique Stitching
Even the greatest and the most skilfully made tapestry isn’t perfect. Why? Because it’s made by a human. A machine may complete ten thousand perfectly made stitches, but a human can’t. By examining closely, you can tell that the hand-made stitching is somewhat uneven and hence unique.
3. The Colours
In the old days, access to colours was very limited. All dyes were created from natural material, and sometimes you notice that it’s not the perfect choice of colours. Today, however, you have all the colours in the world to choose from.
4. The Story in the Design
The story being told in the design is key regarding antique tapestry. You can often tell the time period of when the tapestry was made by looking at the story. Notable, even modern tapestry could tell a story which would indicate that the tapestry is from i.g. the 17th, so it’s important to look for other features too.
5. The Location of the Signature
Nowadays, an artist’s signature is often tagged on the back, whilst with antique tapestry, the signatures were often incorporated in the bottom corner of the tapestry.
An oil painting from c. 1545 featuring King Henry VII seated beneath a tapestry cloth of state. (Public Domain)
How To Determine The Value of Tapestry & Textiles
As stated above, there are some essential factors that you need to look at. However, the best way to get an accurate value for tapestry and textiles is to seek expert guidance. That's something we at Value My Stuff are more than happy to help out with. Follow these simple steps to value tapestry and textiles today.
The Value of Famous Tapestry
– "The Lady and the Unicorn" (French: La Dame à la licorne) is a series of six mille-fleurs ("thousand flowers") tapestries that are woven in Flanders from wool and silk. The tapestries are from the late 15th century and are on display in Paris at Musée de Cluny. One tapestry from the series sold for around 32 million pounds in 2013.
The Lady and the Unicorn. (Public Domain)
– "The Hunt of the Unicorn" (French: La Chasse à la licorne) is a series of seven tapestries from the late 15th century, made in the Netherlands. Woven in silk, wool, and metallic threads, the tapestries are in eye-popping colours, which were produced from dye plants, such as woad, madder, and weld. The tapestries are probably designed in Paris and are today on display in New York at The Cloisters. They are worth several million pounds per tapestry, the exact prices vary depending on the condition.
The Hunt of the Unicorn. (Public Domain)
– "The Apocalypse Tapestry" is an oversized medieval set of colourful tapestries woven during the 12th century in Paris and tells the story of the apocalypse from Saint John the Divine's Book of Revelation. The complete set of a total of 90 scenes is displayed in Angers at Musée de la Tapisserie, which is located at the beautiful Château d'Angers. The entire collection is valued at around 20 million pounds.
– "The Devonshire Hunting Tapestries" is a set of four Flemish tapestries made in Arras (Artois), France, during mid 15th century. The tapestries are over three metres wide, making them very oversized and something that was made for large, spacious homes. They are displayed in London at the Victoria and Albert Museum and were previously owned by the Duke of Devonshire. The tapestries are worth several million pounds for the set; the exact prices vary depending on the condition.
– "The Raphael Cartoons" is originally a set of ten large cartoons for tapestries; however, only seven survived. Commissioned by Pope Leo X for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Palace, the great Raphael made the design in the 16th century. Notably, the original tapestries are lost. Hence the value lies in the designs themselves, which are estimated to be worth several millions of pounds. Since 1865, the cartoons have been on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from the British Royal Collection.
"St Paul Preaching in Athens" – one of the seven large cartoons by Raphael, "The Raphael Cartoons". (Public Domain)
"The Miraculous Draught of Fishes" – one of the seven large cartoons by Raphael, "The Raphael Cartoons". (Public Domain)
How To Get Tapestry & Textiles Valued
Only a professional will be able to provide you with a sure and particular range of value and an up-to-date price for your tapestry & textiles by using their experience and expertise to eliminate as much chance for misstep and error as possible. Luckily here at Value My Stuff, there are experts in the field who can provide professional valuation services so that you can take the necessary steps to discover how much your tapestry and textiles are worth today! Start Your Tapestry & Textiles Valuation Here!