After goldsmiths’ work, tapestries and embroideries were among the costliest works of art in the Middle Ages, due to the precious materials and the countless hours taken to produce them. Whether hung on the wall or worn, textiles provided a potent display of their owners’ wealth and status. Their vivid decoration also provided the perfect backdrop for courtly pageants, royal ceremonies, and liturgical festivals.
This publication, the first of its kind in many decades, draws together thirty-six rare and sumptuous European textiles created between the late fourteenth and late sixteenth centuries, which together encapsulate the incredible breadth of Europe’s flourishing textile industries during the period. Incorporating objects made both for secular and liturgical use, it explores the contexts of their creation, their functions and purpose, and their changing fortunes over the course of the subsequent centuries.
The publication was released to coincide with an exhibition held at Sam Fogg, London, from 14 June to 13 July 2018. It was co-written with Dr Rosamund Garrett, Associate Curator of European and Decorative Art at the Brooks Museum, Memphis.
Matthew Reeves 