Tapestries

Origin of tapestry

In the middle Ages, tapestries had purely utilitarian function. They were originally designed to protect medieval rooms from damp and cold weather, to cover austere walls of big castles, or to insulate big rooms into more comfortable quarters. Tapestries used for furnishing stone castles were very big in size and they required big looms, many workers and high capital investments. By 1500, Flanders, especially Brussels and Bruges, had become the chief places of productions. Due to their size and intricacy, tapestries became investments and displays of wealth and power.
In these early tapestries, isolated figures or compact groups stood out against a background that was generally plain or embellished with plant motifs or flowers, those are called “mille fleurs tapestries (thousand flowers)”. Tapestry became beside painting, sculpture and architectures one of the major visual art forms.

Joseph Marie Jacquard (1752-1834) developed the concept.
The first step is creating the Jacquard card, which is the most difficult part. The artist has to create a tapestry design during several months. Before the first tapestry is made, several colour tests have to be made. This is sometimes called the “mise en carte”.
Once this card is made, the weaver is able to make the tapestry, more than once. However before the actual weaving can start there is a lot of work in preparing the loom. Thousands of dyed threads should be winded on enormous rollers. These threads will form the wrap of the tapestry. The various colored threads should be arranged, side-by-side, in a special order, depending the design of the tapestry.