Sitting in the open air, we see first the elder Tobit. Well stricken in years, and blind, he is leaning his right hand upon a staff; in his left hand he holds a folded document—the note-of-hand signed by Gabael. Thinking that he must die in a short time, he has called to his side his well-beloved child the young Tobias, and after having given him the most wholesome counsel for his religious and moral behaviour through life, speaks of his own burial, and how he wishes that when his wife Sarah’s days are done, the boy should lay his mother’s body by his father’s in the grave. As an ending to this discourse, the elder Tobias said, “‘I signify this to thee, that I committed ten talents to Gabael—at Rages in Media. Seek thee a man which may go with thee, whiles I yet live—and go and receive the money.”
Then Tobias going forth, found a beautiful young man, standing girded, and as it were ready to walk; and not knowing that he was an angel of God, he saluted him and said: “Canst thou go with me to Rages, and knowest thou those places well?” To whom the angel said: “I will go with thee, and I know the way well.” Then Tobias going in told all these things to his father; and all things being ready, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and he and the angel set out both together; and when they were departed, his mother began to weep; and Tobias went forward, and the dog followed him.—Book of Tobit, chapters iv. v.
Seated, and leaning his right hand upon his staff, the old man is outstretching with his left to his starting son the note-of-hand to Gabael, behind him stands his wife Sarah weeping; before him is his son, who, leaning his long travelling staff against his shoulder, with his left hand is about to take the important document from his father, at the same time that he turns himself half round and points with his right hand to the angel behind him, as if to comfort his father in the knowledge that he is to have such a good companion for his guide. The angel, who carries a traveller’s staff in his left hand, holds out his right towards the young man, as telling his father and mother how carefully he would lead him to Rages, and bring him safely home again. Last of all, and standing beneath a tree we find a saddled ass with a large gaily ornamented pilgrim’s wooden bottle for water hanging by its side, and the ass’s head is turned round as if looking on the faithful dog that is lying on the ground ready to follow his young master on the way. Magnificent buildings arise as a background to the spot where we see old Tobit seated, and standing behind him his weeping wife Sarah. On the threshold of their own fine house behind them there stands in a niche the statue of Moses, who is figured with the two horns upon his forehead, as representing the light that shone about his face, and darted all around it in rays like horns, as he came from Sinai a second time with tables of the law: his left hand leans upon those two tables that stand beside him; and on his right arm lies a long scroll.
The borders all about the piece are made up of wreathed boughs of foliage, from out of which peep forth fruits and flowers. The left-hand strip shows a peacock perched upon the stem of a vine, and little boys are shooting blunt-headed arrows at it: on the strip to the right, other little boys are disporting themselves amid the branches, playing music, one beating a drum, a second blowing the flute, others clambering up amid the roses, fruits and flowers; one little fellow, conspicuous for his dress, is waving a flag in great delight: on the lower border children are at their gambols with equally graceful energy. At every one of the four corners is a large circle, wrought in imitation of bronze, all in gold, but now so faded that the smallest lustre from the metal is lacking. They were figured by the means of outlines done in brown silk, each with a subject drawn from the Book of Tobit. In the circle, at the upper left-hand corner, we observe the young Tobias going out from his father to seek, as he had bidden him, for some trusty guide to Gabael’s house; in the lower round of the same side the wished-for companion, Raphael in his angel shape, has been brought in, and is speaking with the blind old man. Looking at the circle on the upper right-hand of the border we see the same Tobit giving comfort to his sorrowing wife Sarah, just as both have been left by their son gone on his journey.
Gold-covered thread has been much employed all about this fine specimen of tapestry; but, like too many other instances of misapplied economy in material, this exhibits nothing but blotches of dirty brownish black in those laces which should have shone with gold.
Tapestry Wall-hanging; ground, rather white; subject, a feast. French, or Gobelin, 18th century. Lent by the Board of Works.
Within a large stone hall, roughly built and festooned, is spread a long well-provided table, at which the guests, male and female, are sitting: in the foreground are the servants, some of whom are shown in very daring but successful foreshortenings, reminding us somewhat, on the whole, of one of Paolo Veronese’s banquets, though here we behold a rustic building in a garden, not an architectural hall in a Venetian palace.
Tapestry Wall-hanging; ground, mostly white; subject, Cupid among the rustics. French, or Gobelin, 18th century. Lent by the Board of Works.