Les amours de Gombaut et Macé
The wedding arrives. Gombault welcomes Macé who has arrived with her father and a witness.
By The Château du Moulin
Château du Moulin
It is believed, without having complete proof, that the creator was "Henri Baude", 15th Century author and a contemporary of François Villon, who left a collection of poems entitled "Moral verses to set into a tapestry."
Like Phillipe du Moulin, Henri Baude was a companion of Charles VIII.
Legend has it that this tapestry depicts the marriage of Charles VIII and Anne of Brittany (1491). This is based on the following markers: Macé has a crown and the costumes worn by the bride and groom are more elegant and sophisticated than the costumes worn at the time by the common folk.
Gombault is very lavishly dressed in colorful embroidery, with flowers in his hat. His witness has brought wine in a beautiful ewer. He has the same flowers in his hat.
Macé, the bride, arrives accompanied by her father who has the dowry in his purse. Macé is wearing an elegant and lavishly embroidered dress, jewelry and a crown.
Poulaines, shoes of the Middle-Ages, were worn up until the end of the 15th Century. The length and curvature of the toes of the shoes indicated the occupation of the the person wearing them.
Margot prepares the table. She is laying the tablecloth while another servant brings out a plate of chops.Both are wearing the same flowers as Gombault on their headdresses.
“Margot we must make haste to have everything ready: bread, wine, and meat…”
While the meat turns on a spit in front of a large fire, the cook chases around a dog who has knocked over a cooking pot.
"approach Mastin to the pot to pour out and taste your soup..."
Two musicians accompany the celebration with the sound of Flemish bagpipes, a three-hole flute, and a hand drum.
These instruments were played by "drummers", widespread across France between the 12th and 15th Centuries. Hanging in the tree are a keg and a flask.
Les Amours de Gombault et Macé was woven by numerous sewing groups. The line of 9 tapestries woven during the 16th Century - the 1st 8 in a workshop in Bruges and the 9th in Aubusson. This latter, the most famous, can be found in the St Lô museum.
Two other tapestries, "La Dance" and "La Noce", can be found at the Gruuthese Museum in Bruges. The have the same features as those in the Château du Moulin. However, they are surrounded by a border with bagpipes as trophies.
