Tapestry "March of Triumph"

From the series "A manière de Portugal et de Indye". On behalf of Philip I (the Fair), King of Castile (1478-1506), probably in connection with a marriage contract in 1501 for his son Charles, later Emperor Charles V (1500-1558).
The tapestry reflects the world power Portugal in the triumph of its global trade. The procession of the Portuguese nobility pays tribute to the expedition of Vasco da Gama (circa 1469-1524) to India, which enabled the spice trade with Asia. African animals probably from the menagerie of the Portuguese King Manuel I (1469-1521) dominate the scene: a dromedary and four tamed giraffes. In intimate contact with these is a group of exotic-looking people. They are smaller than the festival party - a reference to their subordinate place in the thinking and hierarchy of Europeans.