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When I hear the word "tapestry", the first thing that comes to my mind is the image of a medieval castle. I had this vision probably from watching the old swashbuckler movies of Errol Flynn. I did do a cursory look at the historical origins of the tapestry and was rather surprised that they go back centuries to ancient Rome and Greece. Their use was both functional as well as aesthetic. The tapestries served to retain heat by covering up the cracks and crevices in the stone walls of the castles and provided artistic expression.
Typically, tapestries are woven, however, I understand there are some that are so complex that reproducing them requires a silkscreening process. Unlike the tapestries of old, the products you will find at this site are manufactured by computerized machines...ah, technology. The tapestries of old often contained precious metals such as gold and silver. Centuries ago, some tapestries were actually burned for these elements. The value of these tapestries today would preclude that action occuring again.
The materials and equipment for the manufacturing of the old tapestries was much the same as was used in the making of fine oriental rugs. The work was meticulous and time consuming but the final product stunning. We carry a varied selection of tapestries from Belgium, France, Italy and occasionally Egypt. The scenes depicted on these tapestries provide windows into the past of Europe. Lifestyles, manners of dress, historical events and even mythological stories can be found in these fine woven wall hangings.
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