Glossary
Tapestries were displayed in the palaces, cathedrals and grand residences of Medieval
and Renaissance Europe. People had tapestries for many different reasons:
- Brussels
-
A city in Belgium, referred to as the Low Countries or Flanders in the 16th
century. During this time, Brussels was renowned for the high quality and large
number of tapestries produced there.
- Brussels Mark
-
-
The double 'B' symbol woven into tapestries made in Brussels workshops. It was compulsory
to include this symbol on all tapestries woven in Brussels after 1528.
- Cartoon
-
The full scale, colour image of the design that a tapestry is based on, usually
created by 'freelance' artists.
- Centurion
-
A commander in the Roman army who was in charge of one hundred men.
- Commission
-
An order or command for something, particularly a work of art, to be produced specially
- Flemish
-
The language, people and products of Flanders, a region of Northern Europe divided
between present day France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
- Fortitude
-
Courage or strength in the face of adversity.
- Habsburg
-
The House of Habsburg was a powerful and prominent family of European rulers, patrons
and collectors. The Austrian members of the family ruled Austria from 1278 until
1918, and were Holy Roman Emperors from 1452 until 1806. The Spanish branch which
controlled Flanders was established in 1516 and continued to occupy the Spanish
throne for the next 184 years.
- Humidity
-
This is the amount of moisture present in the air. In a gallery or museum, humidity
has to be monitored to ensure that conditions do not become too damp or too dry,
either of which could cause damage to the works on display.
- Julius Caesar
-
The first Roman emperor.
- Loom
-
The wooden frame on which a tapestry is woven.
- Medieval
-
The period of European history lasting from
c
1100 until 1453
AD
.
- Philistines
-
A non-Jewish people who lived in ancient Palestine and came into conflict with the
Israelites.
- Renaissance
-
A revival of art and literature in 14th-16th century Europe,
influenced by classical Roman and Greek culture.
- River Tiber
-
The Italian river that runs through the heart of Rome.
- Tapestry
-
A piece of thick textile fabric with pictures or designs formed by the weaving of
coloured weft threads through thicker warp threads.
- Tribune
-
An official in ancient Rome, elected by the ordinary people to protect their interests.
- Warp
-
Load bearing threads, usually of wool or linen, which form the structure of a tapestry.
- Weaver's Mark
-
-
This is a symbol sewn into a tapestry by a weaver. It may be the weaver's personal
sign, or perhaps that of a merchant involved in the commission and sale of a tapestry.
Although we cannot always be sure of the exact meaning, weaver's marks help us identify
which tapestries originated in the same workshop. They are sometimes known as atelier marks - atelier is French for
'workshop'.
- Weft
-
The colourful, decorative wool, silk or metallic threads that form the patterns
of the tapestry.
- Virtue
-
A quality considered morally good or desirable.