Belgian Tapestry
This beautiful tapestry in Special Collections at the Suber Archives was woven in Belgium between 1699 and 1709. Although the exact workshop is unknown, it was believed to have been created at the workshops of Albert Auwercx in Brussels, which was active from about 1660-1710. That workshop produced the Metamorphosis series of tapestries which centered around the relationships between Narcissus and Echo, as well as events relating to Jupiter. The designer of the figures in the tapestry was potentially identified as Louis van Schoor, with a strong possibility that Peter Spirincx designed the landscapes. This is not certain, however, because there was no weaver's mark on the border (which is no longer available). It was woven from wool and silk on a tapestry loom, although it is unknown if it was woven on a high warp or low warp loom.
Dan Manget, LaGrange College trustee and benefactor, paid $75,000 for the tapestry in 1940 in New York. He later donated it to LaGrange College where it was hung in the Edmondson Parlor in Smith Hall. In 1971 a student set fire to the parlor in Smith, and students who were in the infirmary and Pitts dormitory sounded the alarm, helped put the fire out and rescued items. Unfortunately, the tapestry sustained smoke and fire damage. After consulting the Milliken Company for restoration advice, the tapestry was cleaned before being attached to a large piece of burlap with latex. The most damaged parts were removed and placed in frames. The tapestry parts are currently at the Suber Archives, and the central portion has been rehung. 
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