A Pair of Flemish Tapestry Borders Depicting Putti with Martial Trophies

Wool and silk, finely woven, each of elongated rectangular form. The borders richly decorated with winged putti crowned with laurel wreaths, playing amongst elaborate trophies of war, including helmets, shields, banners, spears, and breastplates. Draped silks and swathes of brocade set the scene in theatrical fashion, with abundant garlands of flowers and fruit symbolising prosperity and triumph.
The iconography draws upon the Baroque allegorical tradition of Victory and Fame, where putti serve as playful embodiments of martial virtues. The laurel wreaths and military trophies echo classical Roman triumphal imagery, a theme highly popular in the decorative arts of the Louis XIV period.
Borders of this type were woven to accompany larger tapestry panels, serving as overdoors, dado friezes, or bed/room hangings within grand interiors. Comparable examples are preserved in the collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris and the Musée du Cinquantenaire, Brussels, illustrating the close connection between Flemish and French weaving workshops in the late 17th century.