Click on the photo for the design category, and the chain link on the lower right hand corner of photo to go to that page.

Tapisseries de la Mere 

Hand Woven Wool Tapestry Wall Hangings

​About Our Tapestries
​
"Tapestry" often evokes an image of traditional European wall hangings utilizing the artistic designs of the classical age. We have broken out of this mold by creating a beautiful line of tapestries adapted primarily from the work of present-day artists. Our unique line includes Floral and Garden, European Impressionist, American Scenic, Contemporary Abstract and Nature designs. Our design team works with established graphic artists from all over the USA and Europe to translate their best designs into original hand-woven images. The result is a woven painting with warmth and texture that easily finds a place in any interior design scheme. 

Mere Cie Tapestries are woven in five standard sizes, as well as custom sizes, keeping in mind the requirements of the modern home and office. Our standard sizes and prices are as follows:

Size C - - - 16" x 24" - - - - - - -$85.00
Size D - - - 24" x 40" - - - - - - -$290.00
Size E - - - 30" x 48" - - - - - - -$530.00
Size F - - - 36" x 60" (3'x5') - - - $742.50
Size G - - - 48"x 72" (4'x6') - - - $1182.50


Mere Cie Tapestries are manufactured in Pondicherry, India, a city 100 miles south of the major southern city of Madras on the Bay of Bengal. Unlike machine-made tapestries, each of our designs is created by hand on a traditional upright loom using the finest quality carpet wool. The weaving center was founded in the mid 1970's by members of The Mother's Service Society, a social science research organization dedicated to national and international development. From its early beginnings with a few weavers and simple tapestry designs, the center has flourished and now employs over 100 weavers from the local community. 

Mere Cie Tapestries are wool tapestries woven on a cotton warp (the threads around which the tapestry is constructed). The design you see is all wool. We use the finest grade of carpet wool from the northern province of Punjab in India. Our color palette includes an extensive range of rich and subtle colors. Most of our wool is dyed by hand at the weaving center in Pondicherry using the highest grade commercial dyes to ensure uniformity, color-fastness and resistance to fading. The wool is moth-proofed before being spun into yarn for the weaving, and the finished tapestries are all shipped with moth balls. We have thus never had problems with moths in the wool.

The weaving is done by young adult women from the local community who receive special training in European style tapestry weaving. These are all women who have finished at least their secondary school education (the equivalent of high school in this country). We encourage everyone to continue their education into college, and many do so, while others leave to start families. Thus we are always training new weavers. Our most intricate designs require a great deal of skill and dexterity which only the most talented weavers can acquire. Production time varies according to the design and the size of each piece. The complex designs may take a month or more for weaving even in a small size. 

The weaver sits on a stool in front of the loom to work on the tapestry. She works from a drawing called a cartoon, which is a black and white rendition of the tapestry with numbered areas corresponding to the various colors of wool to be used. The weaving technique used is called split-weave, so called because there are gaps or splits in the tapestry upon completion of the weaving, generally wherever there are color changes in the design. This technique allows for the depiction of very fine, life-like detail in the design. When the weaver is finished, the tapestry is sent to the finishing room, where the splits in the design are hand-sewn tightly shut and the edges of the tapestry are turned and sewn over. A sleeve is also sewn on the back where a rod can be slipped through for hanging on the wall.

Occasionally there is interest in using these hangings as rugs. This is fine in an area where there is little foot traffic. The overall construction of these tapestries is strong and finished pieces are very durable, but they are still not woven in the same manner as rugs, which are designed to hold up under a lot of foot traffic.

The following pages depict the many stock designs we offer. We produce custom tapestries as well, and can weave any custom design you may be interested in.

How to Order
Tapestry Policies:
1. Designs are stocked in our warehouse in Pondicherry, INDIA and can be shipped within 3 Weeks from receipt of your order.
2. Custom designs can be woven in any size. If you require custom work, please send a picture of your design and we will quote you the price.
3. Custom designs in standard sizes are $70.00 per square foot. We require a full deposit before we undertake custom work.
4. We are always looking for new art work. If you know an artist whose work would translate well into tapestry, please ask them to contact us.
5. N/A items are available by special order only. Allow 3 to 4 months for delivery.
6. Prices are subject to change without prior notification.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. Payment in advance by check or money order payable to Mère Cie Deux, or C.O.D. shipping. We also accept Credit Cards (Visa, American Express, MasterCard, Diner's Club, & Discover) or PAYPAL. You are welcome to call us at our phone number below, or contact us by email @  (info@mereciedeux.com) .
2. Please add the appropriate shipping and handling charges from the following list:
     $85-$290.00 add $14.50
     $291.00 -$860.00 add $20.50
     $861.00 - $1450.00 add $35.00
     ******  Anything over, please call for shipping cost.
3. We will ship all orders by UPS, FedEx or the Postal Service.
4. For all orders outside the USA, freight and handling will be billed on actuals.
5.  If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, you can return it within 10 days from the date of delivery for a refund. Return shipping cost is the customer's responsibility.