In 1881 William Morris founded the Merton Works, "The Goose Girl,° from a Walter Crane cartoon, being the first produc tion. Designs by Burne-Jones were next car ried out. Among the best known Merton pieces are "Story of the Holy Grail' (in Stanmore Hall) ; °The Seasons' (Victoria and Albert Museum); °Star of Bethlehem' (in Oxford) ; "Primavera,' °Flora," "Pomona,' etc. Merton tapestries are of coarse weave, 10 to 16 ribs per inch.
Spanish Santa Barbara (Mad rid) atelier opened, in 1720, under patronage of Philip V, with the Jacques Vandergoten family, from Antwerp, as experts. Some of the noted 18th century 92 pieces, woven from 45 designs of Francisco de Goya, are in Escurial Palace, others in the Prado. The factory is still in operation.
Russian In 1716 the Imperial Tapestry Works was founded by Peter the Great, with Behacle and Beauvais operators as experts.
Japanese Tapestries are of very delicate and beautiful design, but very rare, hence few are discoverable in connoisseurs' collections.
American William Baumgarten, in 1893, started some tapestry looms at 321 Fifth avenue, New York City, with M. Fousa dier as manager. After several pieces had been finished (one in the Field Columbian Museum, Chicago), the industry was moved to Williams bridge, a suburb, and more weavers, from Aubusson, were engaged. A $20,000 set of wall panels and furniture coverings (after Boucher) was produced for P. A. B. Widener of Phila delphia. It took 13 months to execute. Next were some wall panels in the directors' room of the New York Life Insurance Company. Beau tiful work has been done for such patrons as Mrs. Shcperd of Scarborough, Jacob H. Schiff, Charles M. Schwab, J. B. Ford, D. G. Reid, etc. Here also are produced floor pieces in Aubusson pile style.
Extant Of Gothic verdures we have in America (Metropolitan Museum, New York and elsewhere) °Baillee des Roses,' "Capture of Jerusalem by Titus°; Cluny Mu seum has "Lady of the Unicorn°; Victoria and Albert Museum (London) has four "Hunt ing Scenes'; before the World War Rheims Cathedral had "Coronation of Clovis," "Capture of Soissons,' "Story of the Wonderful Stag,' •Victory over Gondebout," etc. Of Gothic tap estries dating from the 12th to 15th centuries there are in the Cathedral at Anglers a set of seven °Apocalypse; in the Brussels Museum were "Four Philosophers,' "Abraham and Isaac,' "Presentation of Infant Jesus in the Temple)); in Halberstadt Cathedral, "Christ and Apostles'; pieces (fragments) from the Saint Gereon Church, Cologne, are in museums at London, Lyons, Nuremberg. Arras productions of this period, known and identified, had be come reduced to a single set before the war; the "Story of Saint Piat and Saint Eleuther ius' in Tournay Cathedral. Late Gothic ex
amples are in the Louvre, "Last Judgment' "Combat of the Vices and the Virtues," °Crea tion,° "Triumph of Christ,° "Christ Inspiring Faith,' °Scenes° from New Testament, °Crea tion)); two David tapestries in Brussels Mu seum; °Story of David' in Cluny Museum. Transition Gothic-Renaissance pieces extant: in Rheims were °Story of Saint Remit' °Story of the Virgin'; °Story of Saint Stephen' (nine pieces) is in Cluny Museum; "Life of Christ' in Aix-en-Provence Cathedral; "Life of Christ' in La Chaise-Dieu (both latter 14 pieces). All are without borders. Renaissance pieces are °Acts of the Apostles' in 10 pieces in Beauvais Cathedral, French National Collection, Hamp ton Court, Dresden Museum, Berlin Museum, Imperial Austrian Collection, Royal Spanish Collection, and in Loretto Cathedral. Many other splendid examples are in private Ameri can collections. Fragments of the 15th century Burgundian "Sacraments' (J. P. Morgan dona tion) are in the Metropolitan Museum, New York.
Tapestry Characteristics.— In identifying the location of the weave special attention is given to the border, because special borders were designed for replicas of the noted pieces. The tape border or binding, known as the "gal loon' often contains the marks of the weavers, but they are often absent. The primitive design is a characteristic of Gothic tapestry, such as the Byzantine "stiffness" of expression and folds in clothing, the flatness or absence of what artists term "atmosphere,' the lack of perspec tive. Early works (14th and 15th centuries) usually have but a single subject, few person ages. Pointed Gothic architecture in the piece places its period, as do the capitals and shafts of columns. Of course, Renaissance tapestries display florid columns. The earliest pieces have no border— these verdures have simple flowers filling spaces. To find dates the costume is of great assistance; when armor appears the style affords a good clue. Much may be proven by the makeup of the lettering. Renaissance pieces are devoted to classic subjects, battle scenes, kings, queens and their courts. Borders are a clue; earliest were of woven tape (galloon) in a single tone. Then came frames of fruit, flowers, foliage (also ribbons sometimes), they are Gothic. Next we arrive at scenes depicted in square divisions, they are Renaissance, The relative value of the border keeps growing as well as the size, andt by the 18th century, we have the central subject actually crowded for space to make room for the elaborated border subjects. In Louis XV tapestries we arrive at actual gold picture frames in textile, moldings and all.