Aubusson Tapestries 
Aubusson sofa coverings, style of Louis XVI., and part of an Aubusson set, the cbairseats 
illustrating two of La Fontaine’s fables. Designed by the famous Oudry, director of the 
French National Tapestry Works at Beauvais in the first half of the eighteenth century 
In the last years of the 
reign of Louis XIV., when 
work came to a standstill 
even at the Gohelins, it is 
probable that there was hut 
little activity at Aubusson. 
The promised painter and 
dyer were finally sent in the 
year 1731, in the reign of 
Louis XV. The painter was 
lean Joseph du Mons; the 
dyer was the Sieur F'izameau, 
who was succeeded shortly 
by Pierre de Montezert. An 
ordinance of 1732 provided 
that the work of Aubusson 
should he distinguished hv 
weaving the name of the town 
and the initials of the weaver 
into the border. After the 
arrival of Du Mons and 
largely as the result of his 
efforts, the industry became 
again prosperous. 
During the French Revolu¬ 
tion, weaving was practically 
suspended both here and at 
the Gohelins. The condi¬ 
tion of Aubusson a little 
later can be seen from a re¬ 
port made to Napoleon in 
1804. It gives the number 
of workmen on flat rugs, 
hangings and furniture cover¬ 
ings, as 240 to 250, and on 
pile rugs as fifty to sixty. 
The looms, except those for 
pile rugs, were at the houses 
of the workmen. Linen 
came from Flanders, silk 
from Lyons, wool from 
Bayonne. Work was partly 
by the piece, partly by the 
day, and wages were from a 
franc to a franc and a half 
a day. The total production 
was about ^30,000 a year. 
Tapestries in fine wool were 
from ^10 to $18 a yard, in 
silk from $24 to ^30. 
At the present time no less 
than 1800 men and women 
are employed at Aubusson in 
making rugs and tapestries 
by hand, the total product 
being about $200,000 yearly. 
The best foreign customers 
are the United States and 
