LEE: Tapestries

Tapestries have been woven for hundreds of years and by a variety of cultures. Primarily used for decoration, privacy around beds, and insulation is castles.

Tapestries are cloth woven with intricate designs that were hung from walls and other objects in medieval times. Tapestries are known to reach sizes up to 18 feet high and 471 feet in length, and taking years to create.

Intricate tapestries became status symbols among the rich and famous of olden times. And were often claimed from slain enemies as trophies of battle.

Many of the most well known tapestries were created In the 15^th century in a place named Loire Valley. There were tens of thousands of people employed in the tapestry weaving business, and these professions were often passed down from father to son. On average it would take a 2 man team of weavers up to 2 months to complete a square foot of tapestry.

Some of the most popular images to be woven into tapestries are biblical stories and figures, mythical stories and figures and scenes of peasants and hunters.

Servants would even sketch their masters in battle and create a tapestry afterwards in honour of their master.

Tapestries used no more than 20 colours that were sourced from plants and insects. Woad was used to produce the colour blue, and interestingly enough importing Woad from the east was punishable by death because it was such a profitable activity.

Today few tapestries are hand woven. Most are copies of tapestries seen in museums that are mass produced to be sold at affordable prices to the general population.

Bibliography:

http://www.tapestry-art.com