In a true tapestry, scenes and images are woven into the cloth as it is made. In the Royston Tapestry, the scenes are stitched onto pre-finished linen.
When Jane Vincent dreamt up our masterpiece, she wanted to create an artwork that was directly comparable to the Bayeux Tapestry. Where the Bayeux shows grand national events, ours shows the lives of everyday villagers. We believe that these stories are just as important as battles and kings and queens.
To make this point, we’ve ensured that the Royston Tapestry mimics the Bayeux at every point: in scene design, in art style, in technique, and, yes, in name.
The Bayeux itself is also an embroidery! Of course, in the 12th century, the word that evolved into “tapestry” was broad enough to include any fabric where “images
are depicted using coloured, gold, or silver threads”. The meaning of the word changed over time.
So even though we don’t have a “tapestry”, we DO have a Tapestry.
And thanks to the brilliant efforts of Ad Shots Digital, the entire length of the Tapestry is now viewable on our Museum touchscreen! Stop by to enjoy a virtual walkthrough in incredible detail.
