Royal d’Aubusson –

Royal d’Aubusson – that was woven ontothe selvedge. All tapestries also had to besurrounded by a blue border.Detail from Hayao Miyazaki tapestry© Gillian ThorntonToday, nodesign seemsbeyond thecapabilitiesof a skilledweaver. Afterproducing 14tapestries andtwo carpetsinspired bythe works ofTolkien, theCité is nowworking withJapaneseanimationstudio Studio Ghibli on six large-scaletapestries based on the ‘The Imaginary World’of Hayao Miyazaki’. The largest tapestry willtake 18 months of weaving at the Cité and willcome off the looms in summer 2026. In themeantime, I am captivated by the fourth workin the series, a fantasy scene in an enchantedbedroom, packed with intricate detail inhundreds of vibrant shades.Designs for tapestries are known as cartoons,paintings on paper or canvas that sit beneaththe threads of the loom. The weaver thereforeworks from the back of the scene, only seeingthe front at the very end. I head next to theCartoon Museum and Workshop run bycollector, restorer, and dealer Chantal Chiracon the banks of the river Creuse.Cartoon Museum, Pont de la Terrade, Aubusson © Gillian ThorntonCartoon Museum and Chantal Chirac’s workshop © Gillian ThorntonChantal’s passion began in the 1980s whenshe was offered some rolls of unwantedcartoons. ‘I knew nothing about the tapestryindustry, but I loved the designs and boughtthem on the spot,’ she says. ‘With a numberof businesses closing down at the time, therewas an enormous stock available to buy.’Chantal began collecting, restoring andselling original cartoons, large and small,for use by interior designers and in privatehomes, and now anyone can own a framedpiece of original tapestry artwork, whatevertheir budget and without needing the wallspace or stately home for the finishedneedlework. Her atmospheric riversidepremises are a must-do for anyone interestedin stitching, design, or simply beautiful things.Saint-Léonard de Noblat © Gillian ThorntonView of Aubusson from the old watchtower © Gillian Thorntonwith rooms, all vast and furnished withantiques. Next morning, I head up the hillbehind the Tourist Office and follow theAllée de l’Horloge to the old watchtower,last vestige of the city walls that oncesurrounded this buzzing small town.Across the Creuse on the opposite hillsidestand the remains of an 11th century castle,demolished in 1632 by order of Louis XIII.The stone served to build houses andworkshops as Aubusson’s tapestry industryLeave time too to discover the historiccentre of Aubusson, it’s surprisinglyanimated for such a small town. I spenda very comfortable night in the elegantsurroundings of the Hôtel Colbert, a periodproperty that now operates as a restaurant86 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 87