Tapestry of Africa

Datelate 17th century

Label TextEuropeans were increasingly enthralled with the romance of far distant lands as more and more wonders of the world arrived on their doorstep. A vast array of metaphorical images depicted in the arts of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries evoked the lush sights, exotic sounds, and rich smells of those distant places. Allegorical representations of the continents, or the four quarters of the globe, were personified by female figures representing Europe, Asia, Africa, and America.

Object number62.199.3

Photo CreditPhoto: Mark Woods

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Art Museum, Porcelain Stories: From China to Europe, Feb. 17 - May 7, 2000. Seattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Mood Indigo: Textiles from Around the World, Apr. 9 - Oct. 9, 2016.

Credit LineGift of the Hearst Foundation, Inc.

Dimensions155 7/8 x 140 15/16 in. (396 x 358 cm)

MediumWool; tapestry weave; natural dyes