One of the oldest types of woven textiles is the tapestry, which became well known during the Middle Ages. The tapestry is best defined as a thick material that has colored threads woven throughout it in order to create a picture or design. This is completely different than embroidery work.
During the Middle Ages, people used tapestries as curtains and around doors to keep out the cold. They were also used decoratively around the house and as bed canopies that would stop falling objects from dropping directly onto the bed. If the tapestry was large enough, it would cascade down the sides of the bed as well, providing additional privacy.
The rich and wealthy with mansions and palaces used the tapestry as a partition to divide a large hall into smaller quarters. It was also used as one medium to portray religious and Bible stories and other tales of war victories. Kings and other noble men used to carry tapestries with them when they traveled, as a display of their wealth. The intricate and detailed designs woven in the tapestries made them an excellent work-of-art in high demand.
The process of creating a tapestry is a complicated and lengthy one. In the beginning a painter will sketch the design, called a cartoon. Then the weavers will extract the required dyes from plants and other sources and dye the threads to be used in the design. After all the treads are finally ready, a number of weavers will work together to complete the design. Sometimes it takes months to finish a square foot of tapestry for a skilled weaver. The tapestry weaving is a craft passed down from one generation to another. The tapestries were also of enormous size and some were known to be 20 feet high and 80 feet wide.
Some of the more common themes used on tapestries were hunting expeditions, fishing trips, and scenes of landscapes. There were even artists that were hired to accompany kings on trips and sports outings, just to be able to capture design scenes more realistically. When some of these designs began to be put down on the fabrics, they often had an unbelievable amount of different colors in them, which made the finished works look a lot like paintings.
Up until 1337, the best made tapestries came from France. While the Hundred Years War was waging, however, many Parisian weavers have to flee for their lives, and a great deal of tapestries were lost or destroyed. When the war finally ended in 1453, the tapestry business began booming again, and it continued unabated until 1789, the year of the French Revolution. Once again, war would lead to the destruction of many tapestries, this time for the gold and silver threads that could be found in them.
In 1801, weaver Joseph Jacquard revolutionized the production of tapestries with the invention of the Jacquard loom, which utilized a process involving punch cards. These cards allowed textile looms to operate more efficiently by controlling the weaving process. This allowed even less skilled workers to create some of the most intricate designs ever seen. While trained personnel were still needed to operate the looms, the process became much easier, and ordinary people were finally able to own tapestries of their own.
Museums around the world showcase these now historic works of art, the kind that were completely hand made and woven. There are arguably more tapestries from medieval times on display in museums than any other type of art. As you can imagine, the cost of these pieces of history are quite large. The Jacquard loom has not taken all the work out of making a tapestry, but the time and work have been cut considerably, and these beautiful accents are a lot less costly than before.
We should thank Joseph Marie Jacquard for his invention of his fine loom, as this allows for the continued creation of these beautiful woven fabrics at affordable prices. This opens the market for many, many more to take advantage of this opportunity to own their own tapestry wall decor. It truly is a delightful way to display stylish and sophisticated works-of-art in our very own home. Enjoy. - 15336
During the Middle Ages, people used tapestries as curtains and around doors to keep out the cold. They were also used decoratively around the house and as bed canopies that would stop falling objects from dropping directly onto the bed. If the tapestry was large enough, it would cascade down the sides of the bed as well, providing additional privacy.
The rich and wealthy with mansions and palaces used the tapestry as a partition to divide a large hall into smaller quarters. It was also used as one medium to portray religious and Bible stories and other tales of war victories. Kings and other noble men used to carry tapestries with them when they traveled, as a display of their wealth. The intricate and detailed designs woven in the tapestries made them an excellent work-of-art in high demand.
The process of creating a tapestry is a complicated and lengthy one. In the beginning a painter will sketch the design, called a cartoon. Then the weavers will extract the required dyes from plants and other sources and dye the threads to be used in the design. After all the treads are finally ready, a number of weavers will work together to complete the design. Sometimes it takes months to finish a square foot of tapestry for a skilled weaver. The tapestry weaving is a craft passed down from one generation to another. The tapestries were also of enormous size and some were known to be 20 feet high and 80 feet wide.
Some of the more common themes used on tapestries were hunting expeditions, fishing trips, and scenes of landscapes. There were even artists that were hired to accompany kings on trips and sports outings, just to be able to capture design scenes more realistically. When some of these designs began to be put down on the fabrics, they often had an unbelievable amount of different colors in them, which made the finished works look a lot like paintings.
Up until 1337, the best made tapestries came from France. While the Hundred Years War was waging, however, many Parisian weavers have to flee for their lives, and a great deal of tapestries were lost or destroyed. When the war finally ended in 1453, the tapestry business began booming again, and it continued unabated until 1789, the year of the French Revolution. Once again, war would lead to the destruction of many tapestries, this time for the gold and silver threads that could be found in them.
In 1801, weaver Joseph Jacquard revolutionized the production of tapestries with the invention of the Jacquard loom, which utilized a process involving punch cards. These cards allowed textile looms to operate more efficiently by controlling the weaving process. This allowed even less skilled workers to create some of the most intricate designs ever seen. While trained personnel were still needed to operate the looms, the process became much easier, and ordinary people were finally able to own tapestries of their own.
Museums around the world showcase these now historic works of art, the kind that were completely hand made and woven. There are arguably more tapestries from medieval times on display in museums than any other type of art. As you can imagine, the cost of these pieces of history are quite large. The Jacquard loom has not taken all the work out of making a tapestry, but the time and work have been cut considerably, and these beautiful accents are a lot less costly than before.
We should thank Joseph Marie Jacquard for his invention of his fine loom, as this allows for the continued creation of these beautiful woven fabrics at affordable prices. This opens the market for many, many more to take advantage of this opportunity to own their own tapestry wall decor. It truly is a delightful way to display stylish and sophisticated works-of-art in our very own home. Enjoy. - 15336
About the Author:
The Medieval tapestry are vibrant and tell us the events and goings on in the Medieval Era. A collection of fine woven goods can be found at Decor4u.com in the Tapestry Shop.
