HAS THE LOST JULIUS CAESAR TAPESTRY FROM THE ROYAL COURT OF KING HENRY VIII BEEN FOUND IN THE COLLECTION OF PERSIAN GALLERY NEW YORK?
Persian Gallery New York has been all over the news this week with the discovery that one the antique tapestries from our collection, a piece depicting Julius Caesar Crossing the Rubicon, might possibly be one of the originals commissioned by King Henry VIII for his palace at Hampton Court!
The saga began with an inquiry from the renowned British writer and historian, Mary Beard, who was doing research for her upcoming book on Roman iconography in tapestries and other art forms, and came across the image of this tapestry online.
http://www.pgny.com/item27065/period-antique-brussels-historical-tapestry-13-9×15-0
16th Century Brussels Tapestry, featuring Julius Caesar Crossing the Rubicon, possibly from the court of King Henry VIII
She soon came to New York to see the tapestry in person, along with a colleague who is a historian and archaeologist, and together, they determined that our Julius Caesar tapestry bears a remarkable likeness to King Henry’s original from the mid 1500s. Thus began an investigation to determine whether our Julius Caesar tapestry is truly the original one woven for Henry VIII’s royal court, or if perhaps it was a later, secondary or tertiary copy of the original.
News of the discovery spread to the media during a recent interview with Ms. Beard in London, and has crossed the pond to the United States, and beyond. What started as a media sensation in England last week has become a continuing news story here in New York, with multiple news programs airing segments about it, as can be seen in these clips below:
CBS News:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/king-henry-viii-tapestry-mystery-new-york-city-rug-gallery-shop/
Fox 5 News:
http://www.fox5ny.com/news/226142741-story
MSN:
These are just a few of the many stations, but national and local, who have aired news segments about the “Lost Julius Caesar Tapestry of Henry VIII Found in a NYC Rug Gallery.” Many articles about it have sprung up online, from the Times of London to Time Out New York, and dozens more from other sources around the world.
Negotiations are underway to have the tapestry sent to a specialized facility for a kind of forensic testing to objectively determine whether this Julius Caesar tapestry is the truly same one that King Henry VIII admired as one of his most prized possessions in his royal court, or whether it was a “backup copy” that was woven at a later date.
Regardless, the possibilities are tantalizing, and we here at Persian Gallery New York are excited to be an integral part of what could be one of the biggest historical finds of its type, and are proud to own such a masterpiece as the cornerstone of our antique tapestry collection. We will provide updates in this forum as the story develops.
To find your own antique tapestry from our collection, which you can bring home and enjoy today, browse our tapestries online, and contact us for pricing and delivery information. Happy New Year from all of us to all of you!