Tapestry
:''This article is about tapestry the textile. For other uses see
Tapestry (disambiguation).
Tapestry is a form of
textile art. It is
woven by hand on a weaving-
loom. It is weft-faced weaving, which means that all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike cloth weaving where both the warp and the weft threads are visible. In this way, a colourful pattern or image is created. Most weavers use a naturally based warp thread such as linen or cotton. The weft threads are usually wool or cotton, but may include
silk,
wool,
gold or
silver, or other alternatives.
Both craftsmen and artists have produced tapestries. The 'blueprints' on cardboard (also known as 'tapestry
cartoons') were made by a famous artist, while the tapestries themselves were made by the craftsmen.
The term is commonly (though incorrectly) applied to embroidered items made in
canvas work or
needlepoint, probably because this type of
embroidery mimics the woven effect.
The success of the decorative tapestry can be partially explained by its portability.
Kings and
noblemen could transport the tapestry from one residence to another. In
churches, it could be displayed on special occasions.
The iconography of most Western tapestries goes back to written sources, the
Bible and
Ovid's
Metamorphoses being two popular choices.
Apart from the
religious and
mythological images,
hunting scenes are the subject of many tapestries produced for indoor decoration.
Tapestry has been known since at least Hellenistic times. Samples of Greek tapestry have been found preserved in the desert of
Tarim Basin dating from the 3rd-2nd century BCE.
Tapestry found a new stage in
Europe since the early fourteenth century. The first wave of production originated from
Germany and
Switzerland. Over time, the market expanded to
France and the
Netherlands.
In the 14th and 15th centuries,
Arras,
France was a thriving textile town. The industry specialised in fine wool tapestries which were sold to decorate
palaces and
castles all over
Europe. Few of these tapestries survived the
French Revolution as hundreds were burnt in to recover the gold thread that was often woven into them.
Arras is still used to refer to a rich tapestry no matter where it was woven.
By the 16th century,
Flanders had become the centre of European tapestry production. By the end of the 16th century, the Northern Netherlands became the most important producers of tapestries, and
Delft and
Amsterdam became the most important tapestry cities.In the 17th century
Flemish tapestries were arguably the most important productions, with many specimens of this era still extant demonstating the intricate detail of pattern and colour.
*The
Sampul tapestry, woollen wall hanging,
3rd-
2nd century BCE, Sampul,
Urumqi Xinjiang Museum.
*
The Hestia Tapestry,
6th century, Egypt,
Dumbarton Oaks Collection.
*The
Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the events surrounding the
Battle of Hastings; note that this is not, strictly speaking, a tapestry, but is instead
embroidery.
*The six-part piece
La Dame à la Licorne (
The Lady and the Unicorn), stored in l'Hôtel de Cluny,
Paris.
*
The Hunt of the Unicorn is a seven piece tapestry from 1495 to 1505, currently displayed at the
The Cloisters,
Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
*
Studies in Western Tapestry Catholic University of Leuven, Faculty of Arts, History of Art Department
