Miscellany 2024 Tapestries & Wall Hangings

 
Thanks to the sharp-eyed member who spotted a  terminology error on Page 3 of Miscellany 2024. 

We want to apologise for this. We offer the following correct explanation of the looms used for tapestry weaving:
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The basse lisse loom is not vertical/low warp as described in the Miscellany text, but horizontal/low warp, and haute lisse refers to a vertical/high warp loom.
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Tapestry is woven either from the front, the design being seen as it is drawn, or the back, where the design is reversed and the bobbins carrying the threads hang or lay in front of the weaver. Both methods can be done on both types of loom and this is still the case at the Gobelin workshop in Paris. See images below. The chosen methodology often depends on the complexity of the design, but in both cases the design is transferred to the warp using ink, and the cartoon is generally cut into strips to lay behind the warp, whether it is horizontal or vertical.

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Haute lisse (c) Valerie Ducos

Ducos) Basse lisse (c) Valerie Ducos

The traditional method for large tapestries is to weave from the back, weaving the design from side to side, which makes shading and blending of colours for depicting figures, drapery, architecture etc easier and more effective.   You can see that in the ‘Crossing the Water’ examples illustrated here the blue one is woven from side to side and the red one from top to bottom. The outline of the letters in the blue one are smoother than the red, so a chosen technique will have an impact on how we see the image. ​

Woven side to side Woven (c) Penny Bush, West Dean Tapestry Studio

Woven bottom to top (c) Penny Bush, West Dean Tapestry Studio

​More modern tapestry weavers, where designs may be simpler, tend to weave from the front, and bottom to top.  However, weaving from the front means that a certain technique known as double interlock cannot be used. It is one of the ways of forming joins between blocks of colour and generally seen on historic tapestries.

The diagram below is the double interlock and the reverse detail of a leaf shows that technique.


There have been many discussions between curators and conservators over whether they can identify a tapestry as being woven on a basse or haute lisse loom, in the hope of possibly identifying provenance, but all agree this is nigh impossible!

Double interlock (Illustration Pat Thorne) (c) NT/Ksynia Marko)

Double interlock (c) NT/Ksynia Marko)

There are numerous publications available regarding tapestry weaving techniques.  The following are just a couple of examples.
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An excellent book on technique is, ‘Anatomy of a Tapestry’ by Jean Pierre and Yadin Larochette,
Schiffer Publishing 2020.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Anatomy-Tapestry-Techniques-Materials-Care/dp/0764359339
Further explanations regarding tapestry history, techniques and examples of care and conservation
can be seen in ‘Woven Tapestry, Guidelines for Conservation’ by Ksynia Marko. Archetype
Publications 2020.
https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/woven-tapestry-guidelines-for-conservation/?id=288

Please note the images attached are all taken from the Archetype publication.