Wall Tapestries

November 14th, 2008 | Collectibles, Decorative Collectibles, Tapestries

Oriental Tapestry wall hanging Dragons silk circa 1875

US $3,500.00

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THE HIGH END 7x13 AUBUSSON TAPESTRYWALL HANGINGSH524

US $3,450.00

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Dealers -> Textiles-Linens -> Tapestries

A wall tapestry can be a beautiful addition to your home, whether it’s a reproduction or an antique piece. A tapestry is much more than a woven cloth that covers the wall, it’s often a piece of history that tells a story, and speaks about the period in which it was created. The weaving used to make tapestries was considered one of the major art forms in ancient times, and while many new, modern tapestries are done with machines and focus more on the design than the craftsmanship, you can still find reproductions that are done painstakingly by hand in much the same way original tapestries were created.

Entire stories were told in wall tapestry in times past. Homer’s works were represented in tapestry form, as were other important books, stories from the Bible, and major historical events. Castles and compounds often displayed tapestries, as the aristocracy often owned hundreds of them. Tapestries were status symbols, speaking of wealth and affluence, and their impressive size made them perfect for covered stone castle walls and hallways.

The subject of wall tapestry changed with the times, moving from telling stories of battles and religion to more romantic subjects around the year 1200, during the Gothic period. This revived wall tapestry as an art form after a period of very little creation aside from painting and some needlework. Romantic stories were depicted in each tapestry, with each piece telling a full story. During the Renaissance, the subjects of wall tapestries changed again along with the paintings of the era, to symbolism and imagery. There was less focus on the need to tell a story, but instead they were designed to make an impression.

Most of the best tapestries were produced in Paris from the Middle Ages onward. But during the Hundred Years War, many were destroyed, either from the simple destruction of the violent time, or because many were made with thread that contained precious metals like silver and gold, so the tapestries were burned to retrieve the valuable metals within them. A wall tapestry you might find today would most likely only date back to the Renaissance. Most of these valuable pieces of art are owned by the wealthy, or they’re house in museums. It’s unlikely that the common collector could afford such a piece.

Fortunately, a wall tapestry reproduction is still an amazing piece of art, so much so that they’re quite expensive also, though only a fraction of what a real antique wall tapestry would cost. The only ones worth considering are the ones that are handmade and are true to the original. While you can buy “tapestries” today that are relatively cheap, they’re turned out quickly and lose much of the charm of the original. A true reproduction wall tapestry contains such craftsmanship, it can take up to 4 years to complete. When you find a wall tapestry online ask to see a picture of the back—the design on the back will show you whether it’s truly a handmade piece.

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