Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The Beauty of European Tapestries Enhance Home Decor

By Stacy Mar

Hanging tapestries on the castle walls helped dramatically in insulation from the long cold winters. Of course, the decoration was an amazing bonus to keeping out the cold. As time marched on they were known as a sign of nobility. Kings had tapestries made with their insignia, emblems, or coat of arms over or behind their thrones. This was the symbol for authority.

During the 14th century this textile art form reached new levels in Europe. This was most evident in France, Germany, & Switzerland. Centuries later the main center for tapestry production was Flanders.

The artist William Morris and his company, together with designer Edward Burne-Jones, began creating tapestries in the Medieval styles in the 1800's and 19th century. Morris & Burne-Jones have created scores of important tapestries. Many of these designs are still being replicated today.

Highlighting important events in history and as well as enhancing the arts and literature brought huge popularity to the European tapestries. The Battle of Hastings in 1066 is shown in The Bayeux Tapestry. This is a very popular French work of art, which illustrates when Normandy invaded England.

Two other major European tapestry pieces include "The Hunt of the Unicorn" and "The Lady and the Unicorn." The "Hunt of the Unicorn" is a seven-part tapestry piece about the hunt and the capture of the mythical beast. This series has several underlying themes, although its evident Catholic allusion is the most evident and most accepted.

Morris includes several tapestry pieces on the Arthurian legend of Camelot. This was a stable theme in their European workshop. The most notable work is the quest of the Holy Grail. This tapestry series shows the Knights of the Round Table during their quest for the chalice - used by Christ.

Because of its rich history, European tapestries are popular around the world today. Because of the efforts of Morris and other European tapestry weavers, mass reproduction of these tapestry masterpieces is now possible. There are also tapestry replicas of various European artworks.

Try to find the high quality replicas of these European tapestries for decoration in your home decor. A trusted source is Decor4u, as well as other online tapestry shops that can help make it fast and easy when seeking out classic wall decor. Having a European tapestry is like owning a piece of history.

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