Bayeux Stitch

Author: Tanya Bentham
Publisher: The Crowood Press
ISBN: 1785009885
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 734

Book Description
The term 'Bayeux stitch' often describes the laid and couched work that was used across Europe in the middle ages. This practical book of techniques and projects demonstrates the simple style of the Bayeux tapestry, before showing variations based on both surviving examples and adaptations of medieval manuscripts. It explains the narrow range of stitches used in laid and couched work and introduces the limited colour palette in medieval embroidery and the rhythmic use of colour. There are twelve projects with step-by-step sequences that illustrate how to stitch subjects ranging from knights to trees, and from dragons to bishops. By introducing subtle variations of techniques and materials, Tanya Bentham illustrates the endless potential of this beautiful embroidery, and brings it alive for today's embroiderers.

The Bayeux Tapestry

Author: John F. Szabo
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442251565
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 577

Book Description
Commanding its own museum and over 200 years of examination, observation and scholarship, the monumental embroidery, known popularly as the Bayeux Tapestry and documenting William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in October 1066, is perhaps the most important surviving artifact of the Middle Ages. This magnificent textile, both celebrated and panned, is both enigmatic artwork and confounding historical record. With over 1780 entries, Szabo and Kuefler offer the largest and most heavily annotated bibliography on the Tapestry ever written. Notably, the Bayeux Tapestry has produced some of the most compelling questions of the medieval period: Who commissioned it and for what purpose? What was the intended venue for its display? Who was the designer and who executed the enormous task of its manufacture? How does it inform our understanding of eleventh-century life? And who was the mysterious Aelfgyva, depicted in the Tapestry’s main register? This book is an effort to capture and describe the scholarship that attempts to answer these questions. But the bibliography also reflects the popularity of the Tapestry in literature covering a surprisingly broad array of subjects. The inclusion of this material will assist future scholars who may study references to the work in contemporary non-fiction and popular works as well as use of the Bayeux Tapestry as a primary and secondary source in the classroom. The monographs, articles and other works cited in this bibliography reflect dozens of research areas. Major themes are: the Tapestry as a source of information for eleventh-century material culture, its role in telling the story of the Battle of Hastings and events leading up to the invasion, patronage of the Tapestry, biographical detail on known historical figures in the Tapestry, arms and armor, medieval warfare strategy and techniques, opus anglicanum (the Anglo-Saxon needlework tradition), preservation and display of the artifact, the Tapestry’s place in medieval art, the embroidery’s depiction of medieval and Romanesque architecture, and the life of the Bayeux Tapestry itself.

Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon Embroidery

Author: Jan Messent
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781844484096
Category : Altered books
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This book combines everything held dear to the author's heart in a single volume - embroidery, writing, artwork, history and books. Her beautifully executed creations combine myriad materials, including hand-stitched threads, glued papers, fabrics, fibres, paints and beads, and are presented here as a series of 'altered books', each representing a chapter that follows on from the last, and each exploring one of the major themes of the book, including textiles, stitches, clothing and accessories. Historical facts are ingeniously interwoven with contemporary renditions of ancient artworks, bringing to life the ancient skills of Celtic, Viking and Anglo-Saxon women, and celebrating the centuries-old tradition of embroidery in England that has served as a foundation for present-day excellence.

1066

Author: Andrew Bridgeford
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 0802719406
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 386

Book Description
For more than 900 years the Bayeux Tapestry has preserved one of history's greatest dramas: the Norman Conquest of England, culminating in the death of King Harold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Historians have held for centuries that the majestic tapestry trumpets the glory of William the Conqueror and the victorious Normans. But is this true? In 1066, a brilliant piece of historical detective work, Andrew Bridgeford reveals a very different story that reinterprets and recasts the most decisive year in English history. Reading the tapestry as if it were a written text, Bridgeford discovers a wealth of new information subversively and ingeniously encoded in the threads, which appears to undermine the Norman point of view while presenting a secret tale undetected for centuries-an account of the final years of Anglo-Saxon England quite different from the Norman version. Bridgeford brings alive the turbulent 11th century in western Europe, a world of ambitious warrior bishops, court dwarfs, ruthless knights, and powerful women. 1066 offers readers a rare surprise-a book that reconsiders a long-accepted masterpiece, and sheds new light on a pivotal chapter of English history.

The Bayeux Tapestry

Author: Carola Hicks
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1407065882
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 378

Book Description
The vivid scenes on the Bayeux Tapestry depict the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. It is one of Europe's greatest treasures and its own story is full of drama and surprise. Who commissioned the tapestry? Was it Bishop Odo, William's ruthless half-brother? Or Harold's dynamic sister Edith, juggling for a place in the new court? Hicks shows us this world and the miracle of the tapestry's making: the stitches, dyes and strange details in the margins. For centuries it lay ignored in Bayeux cathedral until its 'discovery' in the eighteenth century. It became a symbol of power as well as art: townsfolk saved it during the French Revolution; Napoleon displayed it to promote his own conquest; the Nazis strove to make it their own; and its influence endures today. This marvellous book, packed with thrilling stories, shows how we remake history in every age and how a great work of art has a life of its own.

The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry: Unraveling the Norman Conquest

Author: David Musgrove
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN: 050077658X
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 376

Book Description
The definitive and fully illustrated guide to the Bayeux Tapestry. The full history of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the story of the tapestry itself. Most people know that the Bayeux Tapestry depicts the moment when the last Anglo-Saxon king of England, Harold Godwinson, was defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 by his Norman adversary William the Conqueror. However, there is much more to this historic treasure than merely illustrating the outcome of this famous battle. Full of intrigue and violence, the tapestry depicts everything from eleventh-century political and social life—including the political machinations on both sides of the English Channel in the years leading up to the Norman Conquest—to the clash of swords and stamp of hooves on the battle field. Drawing on the latest historical and scientific research, authors David Musgrove and Michael Lewis have written the definitive book on the Bayeux Tapestry, taking readers through its narrative, detailing the life of the tapestry in the centuries that followed its creation, explaining how it got its name, and even offering a new possibility that neither Harold nor William were the true intended king of England. Featuring stunning, full- color photographs throughout, The Story of the Bayeux Tapestry explores the complete tale behind this medieval treasure that continues to amaze nearly one thousand years after its creation.

Cultural Treasures of the World

Author: DK
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0744077974
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 442

Book Description
Take a guided tour through history and discover the most precious, iconic, and celebrated objects ever created. Revered, admired, and protected - every country and culture has certain artifacts that are prized above all others. Cultural Treasures of the World brings together more than 200 of these objects, exploring the fascinating and unique stories behind each of them. From the Bust of Nefertiti to the Benin Bronzes, and the Altamira cave paintings to Van Gogh's Sunflowers, these artifacts and artworks are revered for their beauty, artistry, or historical significance - and often all three at once. Discover how and why they were created, unravel the hidden meanings and symbolism they contain, and learn about the cultural legacy they have left behind. So what are you waiting for? Dive into this awe-inspiring history of art book to explore: - An immersive “visual tour” approach, combining stunning photography with accessible text and annotation - Feature boxes on cultural influences, symbolism, and technique offer additional context - Covers a wide range of regions, periods, and media – including sculpture, painting, jewelry, tapestry, rock art, documents, sacred objects, and more A treasure trove of human creativity that offers a fresh and unforgettable new perspective on civilizations and societies, Cultural Treasures of the World is the perfect gift for gallery- and museum-lovers, and armchair travelers everywhere. Doubling up as a great coffee table book, Cultural Treasures of the World combines stunning photography with detailed annotation to highlight key elements of technique, artistry, and symbolism, making this museum in a book perfect for anyone with an interest in art, history and culture alike.

Stitching the Self

Author: Johanna Amos
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1350070408
Category : Design
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
The needle arts are traditionally associated with the decorative, domestic, and feminine. Stitching the Self sets out to expand this narrow view, demonstrating how needlework has emerged as an art form through which both objects and identities – social, political, and often non-conformist – are crafted. Bringing together the work of ten art and craft historians, this illustrated collection focuses on the interplay between craft and artistry, amateurism and professionalism, and re-evaluates ideas of gendered production between 1850 and the present. From quilting in settler Canada to the embroidery of suffragist banners and the needlework of the Bloomsbury Group, it reveals how needlework is a transformative process – one which is used to express political ideas, forge professional relationships, and document shifting identities. With a range of methodological approaches, including object-based, feminist, and historical analyses, Stitching the Self examines individual and communal involvement in a range of textile practices. Exploring how stitching shapes both self and world, the book recognizes the needle as a powerful tool in the fight for self-expression.

Threads of Life

Author: Clare Hunter
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 168335771X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Book Description
This globe-spanning history of sewing and embroidery, culture and protest, is “an astonishing feat . . . richly textured and moving” (The Sunday Times, UK). In 1970s Argentina, mothers marched in headscarves embroidered with the names of their “disappeared” children. In Tudor, England, when Mary, Queen of Scots, was under house arrest, her needlework carried her messages to the outside world. From the political propaganda of the Bayeux Tapestry, World War I soldiers coping with PTSD, and the maps sewn by schoolgirls in the New World, to the AIDS quilt, Hmong story clothes, and pink pussyhats, women and men have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. Threads of Life is a chronicle of identity, memory, power, and politics told through the stories of needlework. Clare Hunter, master of the craft, threads her own narrative as she takes us over centuries and across continents—from medieval France to contemporary Mexico and the United States, and from a POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland—to celebrate the universal beauty and power of sewing.

Crewel Embroidery

Author: Tatiana Popova
Publisher: SearchPress+ORM
ISBN: 1781266484
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 166

Book Description
Learn to create stunning needlecraft projects inspired by traditional fairy tales, including The Wizard of Oz, Karolcia, The Wild Swans, and Cinderella. This magical collection takes as its central theme a magnificent embroidery depicting the “Tree of Happiness.” Each part of the embroidery is then explored in detail through stitch diagrams, explanations of the threads used, and alternative ways of working. There are seven wonderful designs in total, each dedicated to one of Tatiana’s favorite fairy tales, and all illustrated with gorgeous photographs and informative diagrams. Over 90 stitches are described in the book, all worked using stranded cotton and cotton pearl thread rather than traditional crewel wool, which gives the embroideries a fresh, modern appeal. Whether you are new to embroidery or an experienced embroiderer looking for inspiration and expert guidance, Tatiana’s beautiful book is one you will turn to again and again. “Tatiana Popova is a major craftswoman in her art, and what she does is beautiful. She not only demonstrates the techniques of crewel, she simplifies and breakdown each design into small achievable parts.” —Postcard Reviews