As part of the creation of permanent rooms, entitled "L’Hôtel des Invalides, entre histoire et mémoire" which constitutes phase I of its MINERVE extension project as well as the redevelopment of its Royal Hall, the Musée de l’Armée is seeking to locate, for scientific purposes, all of the hangings that made up the cycle of eight hangings woven by the workshops of the Hôtel des Invalides between 1684 and 1692 to decorate the council room of the Hôtel royal des Invalides, as well as other tapestries that may have come from the Manufacture des Invalides between 1676 and 1715.
Woven in wool and silk in Savonnerie stitch, this cycle of tapestries consists of 4 wide panels and 4 narrow inter-window panels depicting trophies of arms, armour and standards. They are edged with flowers and foliage bearing the royal coat of arms. These panels vary in size, measuring between 3.85 and 4.1 m high and between 1.55 and 3.1 m wide.
The Musée de l’Armée would be grateful if anyone with information about these hangings could write or telephone to
Mrs Sylvie Le Ray-Burimi, head curator of the Fine Arts and Heritage Department of the Musée de l’Armée (sylvie.leray-burimi@musee-armee.fr, tel. 33 (0)6 60 45 85 30/01 44 42 37 73)
or Mr Sébastien Bontemps, in charge of promoting the monument at the Musée de l’Armée (sebastien.bontemps@musee-armee.fr, tel. +33 (0)6 84 30 76 48/01 44 42 59 14.