Aubusson tapestry. France, 17th century. "Moses making water flow from a rock". Knotted wool. Good general state of preservation. Slight wear and tear and missing lower border. Measurements: 210 x 270 cm. The refinement of this tapestry, which reproduces the biblical scene in which God grants Moses the power to make water flow from a rock, testifies to the high quality of Aubusson`s tapestries. They were very popular at the court of Louis XIV, the period to which the tapestry shown here belongs. With hardly any borders around the episode depicted, in order to give all the importance to the central scene, it is set in a wooded landscape in richly contrasting tones with a predominance of green and ochre shades. The figure of Moses points to the place from which the spring will gush forth to quench the thirst of the people of Israel. His companions express their faith in the word of the Lord with gestures of hope. The attire has been rendered in its rich qualities. The biblical theme has been reinterpreted to suit the courtly taste of the 17th century. Known as the "capital of tapestry", Aubusson`s centuries-old art of painstaking execution has been classified as intangible cultural heritage by Unesco since 2009. The making of a tapestry of this level requires a complex technique and the intervention of a whole chain of trades. The tapestries are executed with images of any artistic style prepared by a specialist in cardboard painting. The weaving is done by hand, on the back of the tapestry, by a weaver using a horizontally positioned loom and woollen yarns dyed by hand on the spot. This technique is very time-consuming and costly. Aubusson tapestries are the most emblematic craftsmanship of the luxury sector in Limousin, famous since the 17th century, and their value has even increased over time.