The world-famous medieval Bayeux Tapestry shows the story of the Norman conquest of Britain and the Battle of Hastings in AD 1066. On Wednesday 12th November, between 10.00 - 13.00, and again, because of much interest, on Thursday 13th November, again from 10.00 - 13.00, a special interactive workshop will be given at the TRC in Leiden by Prof. Gale Owen-Crocker (Anglo-Saxon Studies, Manchester University, England). The workshop includes a talk about the history of this famous 11th century AD embroidery and at the same time there will be the chance to try out various forms of couching and laidwork techniques assocatied with the Tapestry. No previous experience in embroidery is required. Materials and equipment will be provided by the TRC. Number of participants: 5 minimum, 15 maximum. Costs: 25 euros per person (tea/coffee included). The meeting for 12th November is fully booked, so please register at the TRC (see email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.), if you want to attend, for the 13th. If this is a problem, please contact the TRC.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. following text is taken from the as yet unpublished 'TRC Needles' website, which will be coming on line soon and which eventually will include more than 5000 entries in the field of decorative needlework.
The Bayeux Tapestry is a COMMEMORATIVE EMBROIDERY depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England in 1066 by William the Conqueror (1028-1087). The tapestry is now exhibited at the Musée de la Tapisserie de Bayeux, Bayeux, France. There are numerous theories as to the tapestry’s origin. According to traditional French accounts the tapestry was commissioned and created by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror’s wife, and by her ladies-in-waiting. However, various 20th century scholars believe the tapestry was probably commissioned by Bishop Odo, William’s half-brother, and made in England in the 1070s. The earliest known written reference to it is in a 1476 inventory of Bayeux Cathedral, France. The tapestry is now about 68 m long and 0.5 m wide, but it is believed that originally it was longer and that at some point the end panel was removed. The Bayeux tapestry is made of linen (TABBY WEAVE) and embroidered using WOOLLEN YARNS in blue, dull gold, blue-green, olive green and terracotta, with small amounts of black, dark blue and sage green. Later repairs were carried out in light greens, orange and yellow. The stitches used are OUTLINE STITCH and STEM STITCH for the lettering and outlines of figures, plus COUCHING and LAIDWORK for filling in the figures. Laid threads are couched in place with yarn of the same or a contrasting colour. After each panel was embroidered, the individual panels were sewn together and the seams disguised with embroidery.
At the beginning of the 21st century there remain nine linen panels, each between 3 and 14 m in length. The overall design is based on a broad central field with narrow, decorative borders at the top and bottom. The tapestry consists of about fifty scenes with Latin captions (titulus), emphasising two main figures, William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, later King of England, while depicting events leading up to the Conquest and ending with the Battle of Hastings. The scenes include oaths of loyalty, preparation of the Norman fleet, horses, battle scenes, and the death of Harold. The main events are generally separated by highly stylised trees. The tapestry’s central field contains most of the action, but it sometimes overflows into the borders. In general the borders are decorative and consist of beasts, birds, fish, scenes from fables, agriculture and hunting. There is also a depiction of Halley’s Comet (scene 32), which is its first known representation. Later generations patched the hanging in various places. In c. 1724 a linen backing cloth was sewn on and in c. 1800 large ink numerals referring to each of the scenes were written on this backing. These numbers are still in use for reference purposes. The end of the tapestry is missing, and the final Latin caption: Et fuga verterunt Angli (“And the English left fleeing”) is believed to have been added in about 1810 when anti-English sentiment was high due to the Napoleonic Wars.
