September 04, 2016 • Digitize Software

A Few Fun Facts about Wall Tapestries

 

All of us want to decorate the interiors of our homes in our own way. We choose the furniture, the curtains, the carpets and even the light fittings as per our tastes and preferences. One thing that is most coveted when it comes to decorating your home is wall tapestry. In fact, these have been considered as a major part of home décor since many centuries.

While originally created to insulate the cold stone walls of huge castles, tapestries went on to become prized possessions of the rich and the wealthy. With more and more intricate tapestry designs being introduced, they made their way into the common homes of the modern world.

Today, you can find tapestries in all kinds of styles. While royal homes can display those with ornamental motifs, those of the hippie culture can go for tapestries with psychedelic designs. You may even wish to display your family tree through a wall tapestry.

Although wall tapestries are quite popular as items of interior décor, there are many who are absolutely unaware of their history and making. This article should throw some light on a few interesting facts that can help you understand who tapestries became a major part of culture and art.

Tapestry Weaving

Tapestries are woven usually on a vertical loom. As a textile art, wall tapestries have gone through a lot of development and refinement over the centuries.

Tapestries use a combination of two interlaced threads – Warp and the Weft. Warp is the one that runs parallel to the length and Weft is one that runs parallel to the width.

The warp threads remain absolutely hidden with the entire weaving facing the Weft side. It is very different from how normal clothes are weaved, where in both threads are exposed.

Back since Hellenistic times, wall tapestries have been a part of interior décor in homes.

Although rugs and tapestries differ from one another, a Navajo rug is considered as a tapestry.

• A small chapter from history - Greek tapestry has been found preserved in the desert of Tarim Basin dating from the 3rd century BC!
• The art and industry of tapestry weaving and designing reached a new dimension in the 14th Century when they became popular all over Europe. The first wave of production originated in Germany and Switzerland and expanded over time to France and the Netherlands. In fact, Arras in France became the home of a thriving textile and tapestry weaving industry. The regions wool tapestries were actually imported by royals for their castles all across the continent.
• Few of these wall tapestries survived the French Revolution as hundreds were burnt to recover the gold thread that was often woven into them
• The utility of tapestries goes far beyond just being a decorative element in the house. They are easy to carry and roll up, which adds to their portability. Plus they have been used for insulating walls of castles since centuries – another major contributor to their popularity.

Happy tapestry shopping!