Originally woven in the Loire Valley in France, this early sixteenth century tapestry now hangs in the Cluny Museum in Paris. The scene is of three mounted noblemen who are leaving the castle in the distance for a falconing expedition. They are accompanied by an escort on foot, who carries his masters sword. The mounted noble in the centre has just flown one falcon and is slipping another from his gauntleted fist. The rider on the left is also holding a falcon. Strips of leather called jesses were tied to the legs of the falcons. These jesses were about six inches long and always worn by trained birds to enable the falconer to hold the birds on the fist. On the left in the background two peasants are out walking. This tapestry reflects a transitional period between the Mille-Fleurs tapestries of the fifteenth century and the hunting scenes of a later period. This beautiful tapestry is Silkscreened (also known as serigraphed) onto an irregularly woven fabric made from wool, cotton or linen. Considerable labour is required with this process including hand-painting to finish the details. Silk screen tapestries appear antiqued and aged giving them the look and feel of tapestries that hang in museums today. This tapestry is fully lined incorporating a sleeve along the top for hanging with a Hines hanging rod. Alternatively, this tapestry can be hung with a wooden batten which is a concealed method of hanging. Composition: Silk Screened Finish on reverse: This tapestry is fully backed with luxury cotton lining incorporating a sleeve along the top for hanging purposes.