A History Of Tapestry: Part 2

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A History Of Tapestry: Part 2

Pre-Columbian America

It was the Andean Indian cultures of ancient Peru who produced the most accomplished weaving in pre-Columbian America. The technique of Tapestry weaving among these peoples dates back to the beginning of the Christian Era, and was well established by the 6th and 7th century. Tapestry was used to decorate garments and was often integral to the fabric itself. Surprisingly, due to the dry desert climate, a number of these weavings survived in Peruvian coastal burial sites. Examination of these relics reveals some of the most skilled and varied techniques of weaving ever present in any culture.

The study of Spanish chronicles and ancient Peruvian pottery inform us that the weaving was generally done by greatly skilled women. Such was their skill that some of the relics discovered have been found with 150 to 250 weft threads per square inch. Most of the tapestries are polychrome as the use of natural dyes made for a vast range of colors. Strong colours were favored over more subtle graded tones, especially in the Inca period. The designs were often of geometric patterns, or human and animal figures. Plant motifs were uncommon.

The viceroyalty of Peru, after the Spanish conquest, imported looms and the practice of tapestry weaving was continued throughout the colonial period. The Inca and mestizo people developed a surprising blend of Indian traditions and European Influences that is still witnessed today.

It is probable that climatic conditions in Central America and Mexico impeded the survival of tapestry relics so it is not certain whether these weaving techniques were present in other pre-Columbian cultures.

From Ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages

The Tapestries of the Native Egyptian Christians, (Copts) are of particular interest. Produced between the 3rd and 12th century they provided a link between the art of the Middle Ages in Western Europe and the art of the ancient world.

In the 4th century the practice and ritual of mummification was abandoned and the dead were buried in their daily clothes (tapestry trimmed) or wrapped in discarded tapestry wall hangings; as a result many fragments from the 5th to the 7th century have been discovered in the Egyptian burial sites of Antinoe, Saqqarah and Akhmim. Most of the early Coptic tapestries were woven with native designs often related to the Egyptian funerary cult of Osiris and included the wine amphora and the grape vine or ivy. Because of their relevance to revival in a life after death these motifs were considered appropriate. Other favourite subjects included the lions and the hares, hunter on horseback, mythological creatures, dancing figures and baskets of flowers and fruits. Christian figures and biblical stories are rare.

Tapestries were also used for the ornamental decoration of Christian Churches but few of these tapestries survive today.

Although a few silk weft tapestries have been preserved the majority of Coptic tapestries were woven with woolen wefts on linen warps. In the 7th and possibly 8th century embroidered borders or margins often supplemented the tapestries ornamentation. The earliest Coptic tapestries were done using the silhouette technique whereby a stunning effect was created by use of a single dark color for the design or motif against a lighter background color. Polychrome tapestries became increasingly common after the 5th century.

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A History of Tapestry: Part Two

admin    Tapestries     History, Part, Tapestry

A History of Tapestry: Part Two

It was the Andean Indian cultures of ancient Peru who produced the most accomplished weaving in pre-Columbian America. The technique of Tapestry weaving among these peoples dates back to the beginning of the Christian Era, and was well established by the 6th and 7th century. Tapestry was used to decorate garments and was often integral to the fabric itself. Surprisingly, due to the dry desert climate, a number of these weavings survived in Peruvian coastal burial sites. Examination of these relics reveals some of the most skilled and varied techniques of weaving ever present in any culture.

The study of Spanish chronicles and ancient Peruvian pottery inform us that the weaving was generally done by greatly skilled women. Such was their skill that some of the relics discovered have been found with 150 to 250 weft threads per square inch. Most of the tapestries are polychrome as the use of natural dyes made for a vast range of colors. Strong colours were favored over more subtle graded tones, especially in the Inca period. The designs were often of geometric patterns, or human and animal figures. Plant motifs were uncommon. The viceroyalty of Peru, after the Spanish conquest, imported looms and the practice of tapestry weaving was continued throughout the colonial period.

The Inca and mestizo people developed a surprising blend of Indian traditions and European Influences that is still witnessed today. It is probable that climatic conditions in Central America and Mexico impeded the survival of tapestry relics so it is not certain whether these weaving techniques were present in other pre-Columbian cultures. From Ancient Egypt to the Middle Ages The Tapestries of the Native Egyptian Christians, (Copts) are of particular interest. Produced between the 3rd and 12th century they provided a link between the art of the Middle Ages in Western Europe and the art of the ancient world. In the 4th century the practice and ritual of mummification was abandoned and the dead were buried in their daily clothes (tapestry trimmed) or wrapped in discarded tapestry wall hangings ; as a result many fragments from the 5th to the 7th century have been discovered in the Egyptian burial sites of Antinoe, Saqqarah and Akhmim.

Most of the early Coptic tapestries were woven with native designs often related to the Egyptian funerary cult of Osiris and included the wine amphora and the grape vine or ivy. Because of their relevance to revival in a life after death these motifs were considered appropriate. Other favourite subjects included the lions and the hares, hunter on horseback, mythological creatures, dancing figures and baskets of flowers and fruits. Christian figures and biblical stories are rare. Tapestries were also used for the ornamental decoration of Christian Churches but few of these tapestries survive today. Although a few silk weft tapestries have been preserved the majority of Coptic tapestries were woven with woolen wefts on linen warps. In the 7th and possibly 8th century embroidered borders or margins often supplemented the tapestries ornamentation. The earliest Coptic tapestries were done using the silhouette technique whereby a stunning effect was created by use of a single dark color for the design or motif against a lighter background color. Polychrome tapestries became increasingly common after the 5th century.

Copyright © The Tapestry House, all rights reserved.

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Tapestry Reproductions – History in Your Home

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Tapestry Reproductions – History in Your Home

Art has often been considered the finishing touch to any home. Tapestries are often overlooked, however; many people don’t mentally classify them as art and fail to take advantage of this easy and lush way to enhance their living areas. Tapestries are actually one of the oldest and most widespread forms of art, with a long and colorful history reaching back thousands of years.

Tapestry fragments have been recovered which date from around 1400 BC in Egypt, and pictorial evidence suggests that the weaving of tapestries might have existed as a craft even 1,500 years before that. Iran and Crimea both boast scraps dating back to between 1 and 4 AD, and the ancient Greeks and Romans predate them by a dozen years or more.

Some of the most common portrayals among the earliest known tapestries followed the predictable theme of conquest. Battles were fought and won both by current warlords of the day or the ancient mythic heroes from the mists of forgotten times. Animals, birds, creatures of legend and pretty maidens were always a large part of tapestry art as well, and floral designs abound.

Medieval Times

As the centuries passed, the art of tapestry became more and more refined. The amount of detail present in tapestries from the medieval era is highly superior to that which went before, but the same topics remain the focus of attention. Ladies, lords, warriors and foes alike are displayed in the costumes of whatever era they hail from, and are surrounded by the tools of their trade. Knights wielding swords and lances straddle mighty steeds; their awestruck female audiences carry lapdogs and use fans to hide their blushes.

Medieval tapestries served to keep out the drafts and insulate chilly castle rooms and halls. By the time of the Renaissance they had become a commodity for luxury’s sake alone and many a wealthy merchant or tradesman commissioned tapestries woven to imitate works of the masters in other artistic fields. Many famous paintings were rendered in warp and weft and reproductions became common. Fine artisans in the realm of tapestry weaving were high in demand, and many a noble would attach a master weaver to his castle retinue.

Coats of arms became popular subjects to have woven into a wall hanging. This could grace the front entry of any great hall and add a symbolic touch that reminded visitors that the lord of the manor was indeed the lord of the manor. Tapestries crossed the Atlantic with the early colonists and became a status symbol in the New World; The wealthy could use them to impress visitors with their worth and they still served a practical purpose by providing insulation on walls and added warmth in the bedchamber.

Tapestries Remain Popular Through the Centuries

With the invention of the Jacquard loom in 1801, tapestries became more available and reproductions became even more in demand. Recreations of tapestries showing historic battles and conquests have always been popular, and the constant warring among different factions in Europe provided plenty of inspiration. Medieval knights and the accompanying trappings regained popularity as well, with St George battling the Dragon proving a lasting favorite.

Prowess in sport is almost as popular a subject as that of combat – hunting scenes are a great favorite, with stag, fox and hare as favored game. Horse and hound course merrily across many tapestries while the foliage of trees and details of the forest in the background add to the lush three dimensional effect. Reproductions of these tapestries are favorites of interior designers as they blend easily into almost any décor. The earthy tones mixed with the gay hunting apparel make an appealing picture to adorn any wall.

Tapestries in Interior Design

Today tapestries that represent almost any period of history can be obtained to boost the interest factor of your walls. All you have to do is decide on an era you would like to portray, and build your interior decorating them around that ideal. This might mean a gentle decadence to accent the sweet romanticism of many Renaissance pieces, or a opulent setting to bring out the riotous colors in a floral design from India.

Whatever piece you choose, you can know it will never go out of style – tapestries are the definite last word when it comes to wall art and just like a painting by a master no-one can fault a tapestry when it comes to dressing up a room. The texture and depth they lend will make them sure conversation pieces and a welcome addition to any home.

A History of Tapestry: Part 1

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A History of Tapestry: Part 1

It is difficult to put an exact date on when and where the art of tapestry originated as the surviving evidence is both rare and fragmented (true tapestries include various primitive textiles woven on the rudest of early looms). However, the evidence we do have indicates that the earliest known tapestry weaving was worked in linen by the Ancient Egyptians between the period 1483 and 1411 BC. Some scholars believe that tapestry art was introduced to the egyptians by the ancient people of Mesopatamia. They argue that since tapestries were not produced in quantities until the 4th century the likelihood of the art being indigenous is remote. Fragments, preserved by the dry desert climate of Egypt, were discovered in the tomb of Thutmose IV (the 8th Pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of Egypt). Two of these ancient fragments have cartouches of Egyptian Pharaohs and the third is a succession of hieroglyphs. Also, a woven tapestry glove and a robe were discovered in the tomb of Tutankhamen c1323 BC.

In the first millennium before Christ the evidence suggests that the art of tapestry weaving was flourishing throughout Western Asia. Fragments that date from the 4th or 3rd century BC were discovered in burial places in the Ukraine near Kerch on the Crimean Peninsula. The designs of these fragments are very ornamental and of a Hellenistic style that was particularly prevalent in Syrian art at that time. Another fragment dating 200 to 500 years later was found in China at Lou-lan in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, and again shows Syrian connections and is of silken weave. The archaeological sites of Palmyra and Doura-Europus also produced fragments of tapestries. Unfortunately, the climatic conditions in the Middle East was not ideal for textile preservation and for this reason it is hard to determine whether  at the start of the Christian Era Syria was a great centre of tapestry weaving and production.

In both ancient Greece and Rome there are literary descriptions of tapestry production. Homer, in the Odyssey (8th century BC?), describes Penelope, whilst waiting for Odysseus, working on a tapestry that was unraveled each night.

In Metamorphoses, Ovid, the Roman Poet (43BC-AD 17), describes in detail the tapestry looms used by Arachne and Minerva in their mythological weaving contest. Throughout the period of the Roman Empire the Romans imported tapestries in vast numbers to decorate their public buildings and the homes of the wealthy. It is generally accepted that the Latin terms related to tapestry and weaving are Greek in origin and therefore that the art of tapestry making was introduced to the Romans by the Greeks.

Tapestry Production in Eastern Asia The K’o-ssu (Chinese tapestry of cut silk) has long been produced in China. The earliest surviving examples of K’o-ssu date from the T’ang dynasty (ad 618-907). Traditionally, made of entirely silk, these tapestries are fine in texture, light in weight and completely reversible. They differ from European tapestries in that the warps are vertical to the pattern as opposed to European tapestries that are woven horizontally. Fragments from the eighth century have been discovered in desert oases around Turfan in the Uighur Autonomous Region of Sinkiang, China. And late T’ang fragments have been found in the Ch’ien-fo-tung or Mo-kao-k’u (Caves of the Thousand Buddha’s) near the town of Tun Huang in Kansu Province. Although these fragments are not representative of the more developed K’o-ssu of the T’ang period their beauty is in their simplicity of simple repeating patterns of ducks, lions, flowers and vines; and they were found mainly in relatively remote areas of Central Asia along the silk trade routes.

The oldest known complete Chinese wall tapestry hangs in the Taima-dera, a temple near Nara, Japan. The tapestry is 43 square feet and tells the story of the T’ang dynasty priest Shan-tao. It was during the Sung Dynasty (960-1279) that the imperial family patronized the art of tapestry and workshops sprang up at Ting-Chou in Hopeh Province. In the Chekiang Province, under the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368) a government for weaving K’o-ssu was established at Hangchow. The rich ornamental designs produced by the factory were frequently woven with gold and silver thread. Few examples of the exquisite tapestries from the Ming period (1368-1644) exist today.

The finest tapestries produced during the Ch’ing dynasty (1644-1911/12) are renowned for their delicate colouring and their use of religious and philosophical themes. Later tapestries from the Ch’ing dynasty have survived in abundance but technical and artistic decline are evident. It was during the late 15th and early 16th century that the tapestry technique travelled from China to Japan. Tsuzure-nishiki (Japanese polychrome tapestry) is much different from Chinese tapestry in its more pronounced surface relief. This affect is achieved by using thick cotton weft threads covered with gold, silver or silken thread. The production of Japanese tapestry flourished during the Tokugawa (Edo) period (1603-1867) and continued throughout the seventeenth and eighteen century. Unusually, Japanese tapestries were used primarily to decorate garments and wrapping gifts, they were rarely used as wall hangings. The history of tapestry art in Korea remains somewhat ambiguous but the productions of coarse tapestry woven rugs with stylized motifs are still in production today.

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A Brief History Of The Linens You Use Everyday

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A Brief History Of The Linens You Use Everyday

Derived from Linum, the Latin word for the Flax plant, and the Greek Linon, Linen is a fabric associated with woven textiles known for domestic materials used for bed, bathing, and décor, such as towels, sheets, pillow cases, and tablecloths. Past references to linen, though, included lightweight undergarments like chemises, waist shirts, and lingerie.

Modern linen is composed of natural fibers (Cotton, silk, modals, and sometimes flax) and synthetic fibers (polyester and rayon), although at one time the fabric was made solely of fibers from the flax plant (linum usitatisimum), cotton, or hemp. In some cases, linen was made of a combination of flax fiber, cotton, and hemp. Now three thousand years old, Flax is one of the oldest fibers around and used in small amounts, so combinations continue to be the tradition.

Bulk linen yarn is measured in the lea (symbol: NeL), which equals out to three hundred yards per pound. This specific length (or indirect grist system, as which it is already known) is the count of length units per unit mass. The measurement of lea is calculated as thus: the length in the number of leas X 300. For example, forty lea handkerchiefs X 300 = 40X300= 12,000 yards per pound.

Linen was also used to make what were typically non-fabric items. During the Middle Ages, books (Liber Linteus is the only book surviving made of this fabric), shields, and gambeson were all made (either in whole in part) from linen, the last two due to their strength. Nowadays, billiard cues are wrapped in Irish linen because of the absorbent quality of the fabric. This works well with sweaty hands. Quality paper, too, is made of this fiber, which explains why paper currency is 25% linen and 75% Cotton. Because of its flax consistency, top-grade linen is firm and smooth.

For items composed of better-made material, it’s a good bet that the flax fiber is a part of that intricate combination. Because of flax’s extensive age, Linen is undoubtedly one of the oldest fabrics in the world. It’s understandable why such a fabric is still in use today.

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A History of Tapestries

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A History of Tapestries

A tapestry wall-hanging in your home brings not just interior beauty but also a sense of history. European weavers have produced these textiles for centuries, including the medieval, renaissance and Arts and Crafts periods.

Tapestries have been woven for hundreds of years in diverse cultures. Both ancient Egyptians and the Incas buried their dead in tapestry woven clothing. Important civic buildings of the Greek Empire, including the Parthenon, had walls covered by them. However it was the French medieval weavers who brought the craft to fruition.

In the 13th and 14th centuries the Church recognized the value of tapestries in illustrating Bible stories to its illiterate congregations. Few of these have survived. The oldest existing set is the Apocalypse of St John, six finely woven hangings 18 foot high, totalling 471 foot in length which were woven from 1375 to 1379 in Paris. This was the centre of production until the Hundred Years War (1337 – 1453) caused the weavers to flee north via Arras to Flanders (now Belgium and northern France).

Tapestries became status symbols amongst the aristocracy in the Middle Ages. They also had much practical use, providing insulation for castle walls, covering openings and giving privacy around beds. Kings and nobles took them on their travels from castle to castle for reasons of comfort and prestige. Tapestries often changed hands after battle, and since the victor’s door and window openings might be a different size the acquired hangings might be cut up or even joined to other tapestries.

Many of the best known works such as the ‘Lady with the Unicorn’ series were woven at the turn of the 15th century in the Loire valley. It has been estimated that 15,000 people were employed in the craft at this time. Many were itinerant and passed their skills from father to son. Their charming ‘mille fleurs’ scenes had backgrounds of small local flowers, perhaps inspired by the practice of strewing roadways with flowers on local fete days. At this time it would take a skilled father/son team two months to weave just one square foot of tapestry – and, remember, these were on a large scale.

Medieval weavers extracted their dyes from plants and insects in a range of less than twenty colours. For example, red came from madder, poppies or pomegranates and woad produced blue (a process that was so profitable in 16th century France that importing woad from the East was punishable by death).

The most popular medieval images were Biblical stories, myths, allegories (the ever-popular unicorn represented purity), and contemporary scenes of peasants working or nobles hunting. Battles were commissioned by victorious monarchs after the early 1500′s. The Holy Roman Emperor Charles V was even accompanied into battle by his court painter who made sketches at the site for later weaving. Hunting scenes led to ‘verdure’ tapestries of lush landscapes which later became romanticized with increasing Italian influences.

Medieval weavers used working sketches which they freely adapted with imagination and sometimes humour. By the Renaissance these had become full-sized working drawings (‘cartoons’) which were rigidly copied by the weavers. Thus tapestries became mere copies of paintings rather than independent works of art. In 1515 Raphael was commissioned by the Pope to paint cartoons for the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ tapestries for the Sistine Chapel. His introduction of perspective and composition together with the use of finer yarns dyed in up to 300 colour shades led to the subservience of tapestry to painting for over 300 years.

In 1663, during the lavish reign of Louis XIV, Les Gobelins factory was founded in Paris employing over 800 artisans in the production of tapestries for the royal court. Other European countries followed, opening factories on behalf of their rulers. They employed Flemish weavers who by now had to complete a twelve year apprenticeship. Louis XIV’s estate inventory at his death listed 2,155 Gobelins tapestries. Henry VIII’s collection totalled over 2,000 in seventeen royal residences.

Rococco landscapes were popular in the 18th century typified by the designs of Francois Boucher (1703-70), director of the royal workshops at Beauvais for 30 years. His cartoons produced over 400 tapestries.

During the French Revolution the social changes of the times so decimated the tapestry market that the French Directory ordered 190 be burnt in 1797 rather than retain them for their value complete. They considered the gold and silver threads to have greater value. However a positive development of this period was the invention of the Jacquard mechanical loom in Flanders in 1804. It processed perforated cards, like pianolas or early IBM computers, which fed the coloured yarns to the shuttle. It enabled tapestries to become accessible to a wider market and it still forms the basis of the techniques used today.

By the late 1800′s the Gobelins dyeworks produced a colour range of 14,000 tones. Producing tapestries with such detailing had not surprisingly become very expensive. Furthermore little creativity existed with most pieces being based on earlier designs.

Modern tapestry weaving owes much to the vigour and freedom bought by the Arts and Crafts Movement headed by William Morris in England. He revived many old crafts; tapestry weaving being one of the beneficiaries of his fresh vision and creative energy. He visited French weavers in 1878 and described the workshops at Aubusson as ‘a decaying commercial industry of rubbish’. A year later he had a high-warp loom built in his bedroom where he taught himself to weave from an 18th century French craft manual. With colleagues and friends he designed tapestries, like the Woodpecker, based on medieval styles and techniques. The weavers at Morris and Co. achieved commercial success and, more importantly, revived the ailing craft.

Today few tapestries are hand-woven due to the expense of their laborious production. Les Gobelins does continue this tradition on 19th century looms, producing modern designs for prestigious French public buildings. But for us modern yarns and techniques enable us to enjoy superlative copies of works of art at affordable prices (sometimes cheaper than a framed print). Today’s tapestries include reproductions of museum originals and classic works of art but they also offer a wide variety of contemporary designs. The range is broad, with something for everyone.

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