A Flemish historical tapestry from the second half of the 16th century, depicting Tomyris’ victory over Cyrus the Great, with Tomyris, the leader of a pastoral Greek-Iranian people, the Massagetae, standing triumphant at center holding a bow, and her forces standing beside her in the foreground, with the defeated Persian army appearing in the middle distance, and the battle raging in the background.  Enclosed within a narrow monochromatic border.  Wool with silk inlay.

Subject: Cyrus the Great’s massive Persian army initially defeated Tomyris’ forces when the Massagetae were drunk and caught off-guard, leading to the capture of Tomyris’ son and the general of her forces, Spargapises.  After her son’s suicide while in the hands of the Persian army, Tomyris challenged Cyrus to another battle, and in the second encounter, her Massagetae upended Cyrus’ army, leading to this climactic scene in which she stands victorious.  Having defeated Cyrus the Great, Tomyris is reputed to have said, “I warned you that I would quench your thirst for blood, and so I shall.”

History & Provenance: This tapestry is part of a series of tapestries detailing The Story of Cyrus the Great, appearing in the Spanish Royal Collection in the Palacio de Aranjuez.  The cartoons for this tapestry have been convincingly attributed to Maerten van Heemskerck (1498-1574), a Flemish painter of the Roman School.

Hanging: The tapestry comes ready for hanging, with linen backing and a strip of hook and loop tape at the top end, which can be connected to the opposite side of the supplied hook and loop tape, which could be tacked to your wall. For those who prefer the use of a tapestry rod, we can add the appropriate size loops to accommodate your needs. We now have a large selection of antique tapestry rods available as well, which we can provide detail upon request.

For additional information about this style of product, visit our Glossary page in the About drop down menu at the top of this page.


Associated Words and Descriptions:
accessory, antique, antiques, antique rug, antique carpet, antique tapestry, carpet, carpets, cleaning, classic oriental rugs, collectibles, collector items, collector piece, decor, decorative accessory, decorative item, decorative rug, decorator, design, designer, europe, european, farsh, fine, fine antique decorative rugs and carpets, floor covering, floral, geometric, ghali, hali, hand knotted, hand made, hand woven, home decor, home design, interior decor, interior decorator, interior design, interior designer, iran, iranian carpets, iranian rugs, luxury, luxe, new york, new york city, nyc, oriental rug, oriental carpet, persia, persian rug, persian rug gallery, persian carpet, persian carpets new york, persian carpets nyc, persian gallery, period european tapestry, period european tapestries, pgny, pillow, pillows, vintage, vintage carpets, vintage decorative pillows, vintage rugs, rare textiles, repair, restoration, rug, rug cleaning, rug repair, rugs, semi antique, pillow, pillows, tapis, tapisserie, tappeti, tappette, tappic, teppiche, textile, traditional, traditional decor, traditional design, used rugs, used tapestries, wall hanging, wall decor, wool pile, wool rugs,