Allegorical Tapestry with Sages of the Past

A wide tapestry divided into six arched panels, each framing a standing figure in long robes against a dark floral ground. Scrolling banners with lettering run above and within the borders, and the figures are shown in varied gowns, caps and cloaks. The woven wool and linen show faded reds, greens and gold-toned threads.

Look closer: Small bird-like eagles and flowers are woven into the dark ground between the panels.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1480–1500

Medium

Linen, wool, brass metal-strip-wrapped silk

Source

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Size

4000 × 1308 px

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Cloisters Collection, 2014