Tapestry at Hampton Court
Paid a visit to Hampton Court yesterday and what a pleasant one it was. Loved the castle with all its nooks and crannies. The size of the kitchen area was a revelation, food was very obviously of great importance. Or maybe the way food was prepared can be part of the explanation – in the 1500s preparing food for hundreds of people was a tad bit more difficult than it is today.
As intriguing as the layout of the castle itself was, with an abundance of courtyards and cloisters, I was thoroughly impressed by the ever ubiquitous tapestries. What fantastic works of art! All hand-made from wool and silk, interlaced with gold and silver thread they each took three years to complete. It’s therefore perhaps not surprising they cost the equivalent of a modern-day battleship, or £2,000 in 1537. It seems that Henry VIII was a VERY wealthy man. And a very happy father of a new-born boy – the Story of Abraham Series was created in his honour.
If you like me are into textiles, then the £14 entry fee to Hampton Court is worth it just to check them out.
