The Rich History of Tapestries: Functional and Stylish

STORIES and artwork are all part of the rich tapestry of life, recording our experiences – good and bad – for us to learn from and grow.

And it is no coincidence we use the phrase ‘rich tapestry’ to describe our lives, for tapestries were a prime way of recording and passing on stories, quite literally.

The fabric wall hangings came into being in the middle ages, as a way for the church to explain key bible stories to an illiterate congregation.

But it was soon realized the medium – as well as providing beauty and showing considerable skill – also added warmth and insulation to otherwise cold rooms, helping keep out drafts and trapping a layer of air between the wall and the fabric.

In a time before curtains or blinds, the tapestry soon found its way into the homes of the ruling class, providing art for the walls of stately homes across Europe as well as privacy in the bed-chamber

And given they were handmade, with considerable skill, each one could be custom created to tell a favorite story or establish heraldry, helping the well-to-do- to establish just how powerful and well off they were.

To this end, many tapestries have also become historical documents in their own right though it is worth noting that the most famous example of all – the Bayeux Tapestry telling the story of William the Conqueror defeating King Harold of England – is in fact not a tapestry at all but an embroidery.

But for our purposes, the point stands – whether the needlework of embroidery on fabric or the woven nature of a true tapestry – these wall hangings are back and are adorning the walls of many homes.

While we may have central heating and double glazing in today’s buildings, we still like warmth, comfort, and art – and a tapestry combines all three elements perfectly to provide a feature statement for your wall.

And with modern weaving technologies, tapestries can be used to display anything you want – famous works of art, photographs, landscapes – all are available on tapestries, and it is even possible to have your own commissioned from your own pictures – without having to have the bank balance of a noble lord or lady.

A traditional tapestry was woven on a loom, taking the horizontal threads – the weft – over and under the vertical threads, called the warp, the tamping them closely together so the vertical threads can no longer be seen, using whatever fabric was to hand – wool, linen or cotton.

Today the weaving itself is a key feature of the tapestry, adding an interesting texture, especially when different knotting and weaving techniques such as hitching, reef knots, and tassels. These techniques will also each have their own unique properties in providing warmth and sound insulation to your rooms.

A tapestry in your home could provide anything from an understated backdrop providing some texture to the room or be a full-on feature piece with exaggerated colors to provoke a conversation.