age 170), owned by Mrs. A. von
Zedlitz, as well as in the other rare _Vulcan_ pieces owned by Philip
Hiss, Esq. This same Philip de Maecht worked under De Comans in Paris,
he having been decoyed thence by the wise organisers of Mortlake.

[Illustration: SIR FRANCIS CRANE]

[Illustration: PHILIP DE MAECHT]

The marks on tapestries are as numerous as the marks on china or
silver, and the absence of marks confronts the hunter of signs with
baffling blankness, as is the case of many very old wares, whether
china, silver or tapestries. Also, late work of poor quality is
unmarked. Having thus disposed of the situation, it remains to
identify the marks when they exist. The exhaustive works of the French
writers must be consulted for this pleasure. There are hundreds of
known signs, but there exist also many unidentified signs, yet the
presence of a sign of any kind is a keen joy to the owner of a hanging
which displays it.

[Illustration: TOURNAY]

[Illustration: LILLE]

CHAPTER XXII

HOW IT IS MADE

Wanting to see the wheels go 'round is a desire not limited to babes.
We, with our minds stocked with the history and romance of tapestry,
yet want to know just how it is made in every particular, just how the
loom works, how the threads are placed.

It seems that there must be some obscure and occult secret hidden
within the looms that work such magic, and we want to pluck it out,
lay it in the sunlight and dissect its intricacies. Well, then, let us
enter a tapestry factory and see what is there. But it is safe to
forecast the final deduction--which must ever be that the god of
patience is here omnipotent. Talent there must be, but even that is
without avail if patience lacks.

The factory for tapestries seems, then, little like a factory. The
belt and wheel, the throb and haste are not there. The whole place
seems like a quiet school, where tasks are done in silence broken by
an occasional voice or two. It is a place where every one seems bent
on accomplishing a brave amount of fancy-work; a kindergarten, if you
like, for grown-ups.

Within are many departments of labour. The looms are the thing, of
course, so must be considered first, although much preparing is done
before their work can be begun.

The looms are classic in their method, in their simplicity. They have
scarcely changed since the days when Solomon built his Temple and
draped it with such gorgeous hangings that even the inspired wr