Early 1600s impressive Flemish tapestry fragment depicting Vulcan; Roman god of Fire & The Forge, son of Jupiter & Juno, and husband of Venus. He is preparing the shield armor and weaponry for Achilles, who will be the most famous warrior of the Trojan War. The baby Achilles and his mother Nereid Thetis stand behind the shield, and his father Peleus holds the breastplate armor above them. Blacksmiths with hammers & anvil assist in the upper left corner. An eagle with arrows stands in the lower left corner of the tapestry. Similar iconography is featured in the frescos of Giulio Romano (pupil of Raphael) in the Palazzo Te (Mantova). Composed of handloom woven wool & silk. A fragment of an original larger tapestry, missing the original edgings.

Measures: 78.75" width, 107" height (200 cm width, 272 cm height)