Tapestries Of Life

By Author: Alla Marinow
Total Articles: 8
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Tapestries have been in our lives since recorded history, going back as far as the Egyptian times, through the medieval period right through to the 21st century.

What have tapestries told us about life and living?

Fragments of Coptic and Egyptian wall tapestries show both decorative as well as religious or worship elements. Because wall hanging tapestries are a woven product, most have not survived the destruction of mother ‘time’, but the ones that have, give a look into the world that existed during the time they were woven.

For example, some of the earliest hand woven tapestries that remain intact are the medieval tapestries from central Europe. Many of these tapestries from the 10th- 14th century were woven in Flanders and northern France by itinerant weavers who moved from place to place, producing wonderful hand woven tapestries for the church and kings of various countries. For example, the Apocalypse tapestry woven in 1375, and now resident at the 9th century Chateau D’Anger in France, ...
... measures 100 x 4.5 meters ( 300 feet in width x 14 feet high ) and consists of 84 different ( originally believed to be 100) scenes of everyday concerns, fears and politics of the 14th century. Some sections of the wall tapestry reflect on death and the hereafter, while others are humorous and witty. This tapestry gives us a wonderful ‘through the looking glass’ view into life and living 700 years ago.

Another marvelous set of medieval tapestries, complete and intact in their entirety are the ‘Lady with the Unicorn series’ woven approximately 1475-1490 and now resident in a special room designed for them at the Cluny Museum in Paris. These set of 6 wall hangings depict a magnificent lady with a lion and unicorn. Each wall tapestry in the first 5 sets depicts each of the senses – Taste, Touch, Hearing, Smell and Sight, while the last one, the 6th depicts the sixth sense and named ‘To My Only Desire’. There has been much speculation by historians and textile experts alike as to the full meaning of these hand woven tapestries, such as who the lady in the wall tapestry is, who belongs to the coat of arms on the banners and why have these tapestries been woven. Discovered in a an old chateau, rolled up and discarded in damp corner by George Sands (famous author) in one of her travels in France, these tapestries keep us admiring and puzzling over their message to us from 600 hundred years ago. Who wove these tapestry wall hangings, who where they woven for and what do they mean. A message to us, beautiful, yet curious.

Since most of the population was illiterate in central Europe up to and including the 19th century, tapestries were used as social media to convey life messages, religious inspiration and as statements of power and conquest. Kings and noblemen would have wall tapestries woven for them, depicting conquests in battle, historical events of the time, and their lives during leisure hours in their gardens with noble ladies or hunt scenes. Often these tapestries were given as dowry gifts or ‘political’ gifts to kings or noblemen in other bordering countries. Often a tapestry discovered in Germany may have been woven in France or Belgium, or visa versa. With no record of artists or weavers, and no signatures on the wall tapestries, the people who wove these magnificent statements of life remain mystery figures of the past who’s only remaining mark are the beautiful art they left behind in wall tapestry form for us to enjoy and speculate about today.