Aubusson Tapestry Weaving

The ancient craft of tapestry weaving has been established at Aubusson for at least five centuries.  The little town of Aubusson, in La Marche area of France, became a natural centre for weaving due to a good supply of local wool and the exceptional dyeing properties of the River Creuse which flows through the town.

To view original Aubusson tapestries for sale click here.

In the Fifteeth Century, the weaving workshops there had to rely on the regional market of the local nobility for their productions, as Aubusson was a long way from the great centres and communications were difficult compared with today.

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Production was carried out by small family workshops grouped in guild organisations, creating mainly 'Le Rustique' style tapestries, such as the ever popular Verdures and other rural landscapes.  The skill of the weavers was therefore passed down in families from generation to generation.

The weaving industry gradually prospered at Aubusson, as its reputation and clientele grew, and the town was granted the title of Royal Manufactory in 1665, in line with the Beauvais and Gobelins Workshops.

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Production was carried out by small family workshops grouped in guild organisations, creating mainly 'Le Rustique' style tapestries, such as the ever popular Verdures and other rural landscapes.  The skill of the weavers was therefore passed down in families from generation to generation.

The weaving industry gradually prospered at Aubusson, as its reputation and clientele grew, and the town was granted the title of Royal Manufactory in 1665, in line with the Beauvais and Gobelins Workshops.