Presentation of the Keys to a City

This tapestry was woven and possibly designed by Francois Tons whose weaver's mark consisting of an F, S, T and a 4 appears on the selvage. This is one of the four known works that survive from Tons' Brussels period. The tapestry shows a surrender scene. On the left side, a victorious army general, holding a baton and wearing a laurel crown, is seated on a throne placed on a platform. He is surrounded by Roman soldiers holding spears. His opponent kneels in front of him and offers him a set of keys. This suggests that the kneeling army general is giving up the keys of his city in defeat. The background offers a view of a battlefield set in a landscape. Documents show that Tons produced several series dedicated to stories from ancient history, including a history of Scipio and a history of Troy. The original borders consist of flower arrangements and female virtues.