Though modern tapestries are more decorative than functional, in castles, which were often made of stone, they were also instruments of insulation.
The embroidery on this tapestry depicts Caesar crowning a young Cleopatra. Though the two shared a somewhat melancholy story, Palais de Chine chooses to immortalize the most beautiful part of the tale.
It’s said that Julius Caesar had an immediate and undeniable attraction to the Egyptian queen. Though Caesar had to pull himself away from Cleopatra due to his conquest, after he fulfilled his ambitions, he returned to Cleopatra and openly professed his affection for her. On a bookcase next to the tapestry is a statue of an eagle. The eagle is a symbol of an emperor’s power. The statue and the tapestry draw contrast between the emperor’s love and sovereignty.