with a scene of a village market and the community gathering for various activities, with town buildings in the background, lacking border, with a later pale blue outer selvedge,

The tapestry is lined and had old hoops across the top for hanging. Velcro is the recommended support for hanging tapestries. Tapestry has later narrow blue outer blue selvedge on all four edges (visible in photograph on-line). There are numerous areas of later reweaving for example: see areas of grey and light terracotta colour within the building in background on the right hand side and shoulders of man in red hat, the top right corner is largely rewoven, with repairs around face and turban of top right figure (see horizontal line at end of this area of reweaving), there is an an area of reweaving within and left of the red dress of lady kneeling in foreground, and others visible as the speckles of different colour in the robes of figures standing on the right hand side. There is a patch of dark green foliage top right corner, clearly different from surrounding tapestry. There are areas of weakness, especially to light areas. Browns are oxidised as visible in the photograph, and repairs within these areas, for example lower left corner.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

In a letter to Greta Garbo written between March and April 1947, Cecil Beaton recounts a stay at Notley Abbey, the house from where this tapestry possibly comes. The designer was visiting the Oliviers as he was involved with the productions of both 'Anna Karenina' and 'The School for Scandal'. Beaton writes to Garbo 'It is very romantic in a medieval way and it is lovely to see something that has been neglected taking on a new life. They have planted avenues of trees, 500 rose trees and are making great improvements both in and outside the house. This morning a tapestry was hung with everyone giving advice in their pyjamas' (Vickers, op. cit. p. 173).

The tapestry is from the serie𝓡s Les Fêtes de Village, circa 1750-1753, af🉐ter Etienne Jeurat (1748-1753), originally woven by the Gobelins workshop of Michel Audran 1701-1771: weaver and contractor at the Gobelins factory, Paris and director of the high warp workshop from 1732 until his death.

A weaving of the Village Fete, without a border, recorded as being Gobelins and from the workshop of Michel Audran, circa 1750, from Kunstgewerbe Museum, Leipzig, is illustrated in H. Göbel, Die Wandteppiche , 1928, Part II, Vol.ii, no.168. The present tapestry is very similar 𓄧to this published comparable, except the Gobelins version has a more vertical composition and more depth, and it too does not have a border. 

Another subject from the series depicted wedding celebrations, and a weaving of this subject, exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1753, was sold was at Sotheby's, London, 24th November 1972, lot 41 (without a border: approximately 270cm. high, 560cm. wide), and another weaving, was sold Sotheby's, London, 10th June 1999, lot 13 (without a border: approximately 290cm. high, 382cm. wide); provenance: Hotel Drouot, Paris 1893, and then sold Sotheby's, London, 15th December 1961, lot 54, by Count Edward Raczynski, Polish Ambassador to Court of St James's, 1934-1945, and Minister of Foreign Affairs to Polish Government in exile during war. The series was later woven by Aubusson workshops, and a weaving of the composition, within a frame pattern border (approximately 10ft. high, 17ft. wide), was sold at Bonham's, 8th April 1976, lot 16, and a tapestﷺry of the left side only, with a balcony with figures on looking the celebrations was sold, Sotheby's, London, 20th September 201✃1, lot 7.