Tapestries of early times were often patterned on current events or heroes of the day. Wall tapestries with knights and castles often adorned the very castles they displayed. Tapestries were important in castles to reduce the draft and cold in the large stone buildings. They were hung on the inside of exterior walls in the rooms where people congregated. Tapestries with knights and castles were often created to preserve the history of the occupants of the castle and the weavings often remained in the castle for many centuries and generations. With each new generation adding their piece of work to the visual history on the walls.
Tapestries from the middle ages can sometimes be very helpful in providing social information of the time period. They depict the armor that was worn and the accessories such as banners and horse decoration used during battle. They also showed the original construction of buildings that may no longer exist but still hold historical relevance. Such things as food and drink and household customs were depicted with pride and preserved as an indication of the family’s position. They were often very busy tapestries in that they may depict many people and horses and activities all one the same piece of work.
Medieval tapestries also depict art forms of, hunting scenes, gallantry of nobles and knights, the unicorn, and dining and feasting of the nobles. Unicorn tapestries are one of the marvels of the world. Unicorn tapestries reflect Incarnation, the Passion, the Resurrection, and the five senses.
By the early Renaissance period or fifteenth century, artists were anxious to leave the Black Middle Ages behind and express their feelings of individual freedom in the bright colors of huge paintings and tapestries with heraldic, pastoral, romantic or exotic themes.
Online tapestry retailers have become a very good source for purchasing tapestries with medieval themes and tapestries of all subjects. Designer Wall Tapestries offers very detailed pictures of each tapestry and provide you with the dimensions and features such as rod pockets and types of fabric used.