Tapestry: Chancellerie
Etienne-Claude Le Blond; Royal Factory of Furniture to the Crown at the Gobelins Manufactory
about 1728–1730
Wool and silk; modern linen straps and lining
A richly detailed tapestry features a central golden urn adorned with coats of arms, laurel wreaths, and a crown, set against a deep blue background patterned with fleur-de-lis. Ornate borders with cherubs and decorative motifs frame the central scene. The French king Louis XV presented Germain-Louis Chauvelin, his Keeper of Seals, with this tapestry, originally one of a set of ten. Known as a portière, it would have hung across the door of a formal room to keep out drafts. Its prominent heraldic symbols would have clearly announced to visitors the importance of its owner and royal donor. Displayed under a gilded and tasseled canopy, the royal coat of arms appears against an ermine-lined mantle. The arms rest upon a gilt metal box decorated with fleur-de-lis and L's, the king's initial, representing the casket for the royal seals. The tapestry's wide border contains crossed maces,
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