Apocryphally dated 1396, but later 19th century (or later) This is a rather odd tapestry with no discernible historic or literary subject matter. At ,the left, a rough military fracas transpires, with figures wielding short swords and axes, some falling wounded, with a wooden stile or framework in the foreground. Some figures are in armour. At the right of the composition are a crowd of progressively uninvolved spectators including several young boys. Spears, lances and polearms rise above the crowd at the right. Two helmeted figures rise above the crowd as well. Both costumes and coiffures are mixed, with figures in Renaissance garb and others in generic quasi-mediaeval military kit. The event takes place under a clear, light sky, on a sandy plain with sparse tufts of grass. The figures do not express emotions.. Who are these people and what event, if any, is depicted? The dark blue border shows spiky oak or holly leaves in the corners and more generic leaves openly wrapped by a running ribbon. At the corners are oval cartouches uniformly displaying a rampant lion. In the centre of the lower border is a rectangular panel with a putative date of MCCCXCVI or 1396. The only major historical event of that year was the Battle of Nicopolis at which the allied European armies were defeated by a force under the Ottoman Sultan Bayazid Yilderim. The event depicted does not look like a battle of thousands. Indeed,even though a few figures, e.g., the ones seen above the crowd, are in semi-Islamic military wear, there is nothing that points to an earth-shaking battle. In any case, why would one commission a tapestry alluding to or depicting a sound military defeat? A few fallen or combative figures do not make a battle. None of the figures are in dress of the later 14th century. We may conclude that it is a later, non-period tapestry, albeit well woven, a montage of quasi-historical (or historism) style, not really intended to depict a real event, but rather to give an aura of the past. The tapestry has none of the hue and cry of Gothic or Renaissance tapestries depicting battles or melees. Rather, it is a late 19th century, or later, creation. The mellowing of the dyes, when comparing the recto and verso, indicates some age. Note that there are no silk details, a feature of quality period tapestries.
