Tapestry with the Portuguese Royal Coat of Arms

Heraldic tapestry of the "verdure" or "millefleurs" type, with a blue-black background, decorated with plants and floral elements covering the whole field, intertwined with ribbons. This piece has the Portuguese royal coat of arms at its centre, with the shield surmounted by the crest with the winged serpent of the House of Avis. Depicted in each of the four corners is the armillary sphere, the emblem of Dom Manuel.

This tapestry was probably commissioned by members of the House of Avis, or else it was a gift offered to one of them, believed to have been made in Brussels, the main Flemish production centre at that time.

From the mid-15th to the late 16th century, Portugal ordered significant sets of tapestries from Flanders, although heraldic tapestries with Portuguese coats of arms are extremely rare.