Reflections during the tour
The year 2009 has passed. There were many tapestry exhibitions. Let's sum it up?
The article was published in the magazine “Deco” No. 1 for 2010.
Here I present it in the author’s edition and add photographs from exhibitions.
Some of the work can be viewed on the blog using the links provided in the text.
For many years in Moscow there was almost no place to see tapestries or ancient tapestries. No, not curtain fabrics or industrial copies of famous tapestries, but real designer wall hangings, narrative or decorative, woven on a handloom.
For example, such as this beautiful trellis "Multiplying the Loaves"(1730–1735 Brussels) from the Tsaritsyno Museum.
Due to lack of information, rare appearances of tapestries at exhibitions of the Moscow Union of Artists went unnoticed even by those who remembered and still loved this art.
The reasons were not only that the fashion for tapestry passed and the peak of the artists’ passion for weaving. Creating a tapestry is a long process. It is difficult to do without knowing whether there is a wall on which to hang the tapestry.
A newborn carpet has three paths in life. It will appear at the exhibition first, perhaps even astonishing viewers. And then it will disappear. Where?
It’s an honorable fate to be included in the museum’s storerooms; it’s wonderful to be on permanent display. Good luck in a private interior, but the best thing for a tapestry is to decorate a public interior.
During perestroika, the practice of orders from official bodies and organizations and the execution of tapestries by weavers stopped. Having found the coveted freedom, the creators were at a loss. Those who continued to work faced the problem of implementation. Only a few did not change their business under such conditions.
Tapestry, as a luxury item, has always been available to a few. Wealthy people nowadays make do with not so expensive industrial and Chinese copies of European tapestries or purchase antique tapestries. Rare customers do not require serious themes and plots for interior decoration. Understanding the value of the unique, original work of contemporary artists is apparently still a long way off.
But the situation is changing. Exhibitions of applied art and tapestries presented at them have recently become more and more numerous.
In November 2008, perfectly preserved four Flemish tapestries from the first third of the 18th century from the collection of the Counts of Ledeburg appeared at the Tsaritsyno Museum. They were purchased by the Moscow Government in Spain specifically for the museum.
The tapestries are part of the “Life of Christ” series: “The Trial of Christ in the Wilderness”, “The Miraculous Catch”, “The Multiplication of the Loaves”, “Christ and the Samaritan Woman” and are distinguished by a high artistic level. They were created in 1730–1735 in the Brussels workshop of Jean Baptiste Vermilion from cardboards by Flemish artists Maximilian de Haze (1710–1781) and Aurel-Augustin Coppens (1668–1740).
De Haze is a Brussels painter who created several tapestries on biblical themes; Coppens is a landscape painter who worked with the largest tapestry workshops.
Weaving density – 8 warp threads per 1 cm.
Trellis "The Trial of Christ in the Wilderness." GMZ "Tsaritsyno". 
Multi-figure plot compositions woven from wool and silk are framed by a woven border in the style of that time, brilliantly imitating a carved and gilded wooden frame.
Trellis "Wonderful catch." Fragment. 
Later, the museum acquired two landscape trellises - verdures:
"Nymphs in the Park"(c. 1700) 
And "Landscape with a river, a fountain, a parrot and a dog"(late 17th – early 18th centuries).
Entire trellis - see below. So far snippet: 
Despite the lower density of weaving, their skillful design is not inferior to tapestries with biblical scenes. Time has treated the woven paintings with care, although in some places the colored threads have lost their brightness, and the green color has turned bluish over the past centuries. We often see this effect on antique trellises. This is the result of the fact that in Europe, turmeric and other unstable yellow dyes were often used to obtain green color after the first indigo dyeing.
The reverent attitude of museum workers towards the tapestries, the love with which the exhibition was created is undeniable. But, unfortunately, the ancient trellises are not placed in the interior in a “natural way”, but hang on “pylons”, painted, moreover, in the color of the caretakers’ costumes (or vice versa?).
Left: trellis "Wonderful catch"; on right: "Christ and the Samaritan Woman." 
I would like to hope that the ancient tapestries will find their real place in the interior of the palace. So far, the only example of a historically accurate arrangement of tapestries in the interior (18th century) in Moscow is the Kuskovo museum-estate. This solution gives the visitor more food for the eyes, mind and heart.
For the 25th anniversary of the Tsaritsyno Museum in the spring of 2009, the exhibition of tapestries was continued under the general title “The art of the tapestry: two glorious eras - Western European tapestry of the late 17th - first third of the 18th century - Soviet tapestry of the second half of the 20th century.”
The exhibition will include the works of two contemporary artists as a link between the ancient tapestry and the tapestry of the Soviet period.
From right to left: trellis "Landscape with a river, a fountain, a parrot and a dog." Southern Netherlands. Brussels (?), Oudenaarde (?). Late XVII – early XVIII centuries Density 5-6 warp threads per 1 cm; Heimrats R.(Riga). "Fragments of memories of the 18th century." 1982; Madekin A.(Moscow). "Marriage in Cana of Galilee." 1989. GMZ “Tsaritsyno” (Photo courtesy of A. Madekin). 
Series of fine tapestries Rudolf Heimrats, who stood at the origins of the Latvian tapestry, is dedicated to “memories of the 18th century.” Before us is an image of “surviving” fragments of ancient tapestries. 
They are placed on a tetrahedron at the end of the hall with trellises, almost in the path of the visitor, which does not contribute to a harmonious perception of the interior. Andrei Madekin’s tapestry “The Wedding in Cana of Galilee” (1989), which is connected with ancient carpets only by a biblical plot, also loses here.
The exhibition is planned to be permanent, but with the renewal of tapestries from the museum's extensive collection (more than 370 works). Now you can see 60 tapestries here, including a series of mini-tapestry of the finest silk weaving by Irina Kolesnikova, dedicated to the Tsaritsyn Palace.
The collection consisted of works that were acquired by the Ministry of Culture and the Union of Artists of the USSR in the years 1960–1980. They were transferred to the Tsaritsyno Museum when it was founded in 1984. The museum was planned as a future collection of works of decorative and applied art of the peoples of the USSR.
Such an extensive retrospective exhibition gives a fairly complete picture of the heyday of tapestry in our country during the period of passion for this art in many countries around the world.
Here, as in years past at large exhibitions of decorative art, artists from the Baltics, Russia, and the Caucasus are all together again.
Artists from Latvia continue to amaze with bursts of emotions, unbridled color, pomp and luxury of textures, and a variety of techniques and materials:
Edith Wignere."Concert" (1975). Fragment: 
Mara Zvirbule."Fertility" (1981): 
Fragment. 
Estonian Leesi Erm(Tallinn). "Earth" (1982), "Rime II" (1987). Photo of the second work is below on the left.
On the right is part of the tapestry Ingi Squeeny(Riga) “Student Summer” (1981). 
Fragment. 
Riga resident Egil Rosenberg ("Morning" 1978) pleases with the relaxedness of the drawing.
Mina Levitan-Babyanskiene (“Harmony of the Universe” (1987) from Lithuania) amazes with the mystery of the seemingly simple weaves.
Amazes with its exquisite picturesqueness R. Heimrats(Riga) in "Saturday Night" (1980) (steam seems to be rising from the tapestry!).
Fragment: 
or unbridled brightness - in “The Festive Dance” (1973–75). Central part of the triptych: 
Lithuanians are more restrained in their search for textures.
Bright, passionate works of the Baltic people have always raised the tone at exhibitions, turned them into a festival of weaving and attracted more and more new artists
to create tapestries.
Russian craftsmen rarely succumbed to temptation and worked mainly using the smooth weaving technique. One of the early tapestries on display - Valentina Platonova"Moscow Rus'" (1968). Long (6 m), unevenly woven in places, its rough handwork seems to remind us that the tapestry itself was once born from a simple homespun runner, which was woven by craftswomen on long winter evenings. 
The tapestries are striking in size, powerful design and unique blue-red color scheme. Lina Sokolova: diptych "Time" (1986) and
"Eternity" (1988): 
Leningrad resident Boris Migal, one of the few who experimented with textures, weaving techniques and various materials (“Sky of the World” (1989) and “Magistral” (1972). And his tapestries always made us stop and think about seemingly invisible details, talking about a lot of things.
For many years these carpets were kept in “honorable exile” in a dark storage room. And finally, they are ready to please people again. However, the enfilade of small halls, where tapestries sometimes hang on windows covered with shields and on wide partitions in the center, obscuring carpets, does not always allow one to take in the entire tapestry. But in most cases, full perception of a woven image is possible precisely at a distance.
The museum’s desire to display as many works as possible is understandable, but the interiors of the palace have become a cramped storage facility open to the public. The tapestries, designed to decorate the interior, were almost destroyed this time.
The exhibition also lacks its logical conclusion – contemporary works.
But now they can be seen at Moscow exhibitions. Looking around their thinned ranks, the artists discovered that they were engaged in tapestry, not only in Moscow, but also in other places. And even those artists who do not participate in exhibitions do so very successfully, for example,
Lilia Yakina(S.-Ptb.). "The Hunt" (2004). For photos of fragments, see artist's blog .
And a generation of young artists appeared, sometimes still somewhat hectic with the joy of finding the opportunity to express themselves in weaving techniques.
Let's take a look at the Moscow exhibitions of 2009.
The most interesting was the All-Russian Exhibition of the Union of Artists "Russia XI" in the Central House of Artists (see. And ).
More than 50 tapestries were presented, created by young and already famous artists from all over the country.
For many years they have been working in the technique of traditional smooth weaving Sergey Gavin (Moscow) “Restoration Project” (2006) (photo ).
Alexander Gorazdin (Moscow) “Code of Relations” (2008) Andrey Madekin (Moscow) “Jacob at the Source” (2004) and “Flight of Pegasus” (2006), M. Rybalko (Tula) “Life” and “Movement” (2008) (see the two links above to “Russia XI”).
Others delicately and successfully introduce elements of relief into a smooth tapestry: N. Zinchenko (Novosibirsk) “Space of Ice” (2005), E. Odintsova (Naberezhnye Chelny) “Ellipsis” and “Sky” (2008) (see link to the exhibition) .
V. Goncharov(Voronezh) in the triptych “Awakening” (2005) creates an interesting image in a strict palette, varying matte and shiny threads of different textures. Light emerges from the darkness with dynamic, multidirectional strokes of twill. Only B. Migal worked so masterfully in this technique.
Triptych fragment: 
Sometimes an artist is captivated by a difficult task: to convey other types of fine art through weaving. Although what is interesting about tapestry is not the imitation of other techniques, but its own language, in the work O. Popova(Belgorod) “Undergraund” (2005) is done elegantly, freshly and laconicly. The past and future, dreams and reality are blurred with watercolor colored spots and “drawn” from oblivion with a “fine pen” and black “ink”. An additional effect of mossy antiquity is provided by dyed sisal fibers. 
Extreme laconicism of color and design creates a capacious image in tapestries N. Fedulova“Running of the Moon” (see link).
and “Scythian tattoos” (2008): 
Perhaps the features of the tapestry are due to the use of a rare material that is difficult to weave - horsehair in natural shades. Tapestries have a pleasant fluffy surface.
We were attracted by the humor and freedom of design in the small tapestries of V. Mukhin (Ivanovo) “Night Melody” (2005) and others (see link).
At the exhibition "Dialogue" in the Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Arts (see. ) along with the works of artists, exhibits from the museum’s collection were presented. It was not possible to trace the connection between the modern tapestry and folk tradition at the exhibition. But tapestries of previous years by A. Madekin “The Good News of the Apostle Andrew” (1994), V. Rybalko “Composition”, S. Yurchenko “Emergence” (2006) (see link) adorned the exhibition.
At the exhibition "Artconnect" in the gallery "Belyaevo" (see. ) we saw a number of works that had been exhibited more than once at previous exhibitions. Some of the work did not rise above the initial level.
Tapestries by V. Rybalko “Composition” and “Reflection”, as always, amaze with the sophistication of their design and color (see the link above
And ).
Based on single works presented at general exhibitions, a distorted idea of the artist’s work is sometimes created. Therefore, personal exhibitions are the most interesting. An event in the history of Russian tapestry was exhibition by A. Madekin in the Gallery of the Cultural Center "Dom" in November, where thirteen works from different years were presented (see and ). All these years, the artist tirelessly wove tapestries at the behest of his heart, despite the lack of exhibitions, market demand, and the whims of customers.
A wonderful final chord of the entire textile year was the new tapestry by A. Madekin “The Path of the Magi”. (Cm. ).
There are so many exhibitions that, apparently, artists no longer have time to create new works, and they wander from one exhibition to another, turning into a permanent exhibition, which is also good for popularizing the tapestry. But I want something new, fresh and highly artistic.
Continuing the line of a classic tapestry does not mean weaving the same thing as in the old days. Tapestry is an art that allows it to be relevant in essence at any time, even while remaining within the framework of classic smooth weaving.
It will be alive as long as people who know how to perceive beauty are alive, as long as textiles as such are alive. But, of course, this art changes. And why not finally look for new forms of working with textile materials? And what prevents artists from more actively seeking ways to collaborate with architects and return the tapestry to its significance as a monumental art form? Today, when architectural buildings themselves sometimes become unique works of art, they should also receive interesting interior solutions. It seems that this path is more productive than, yearning for past government orders, going into a “chamber” tapestry. Woven products will also create warmth and comfort in interiors with fashionable decorative plasters replacing wallpaper.
In weaving, it is not easy to convey creative fire to the viewer. This requires a lot of work, patience and time. And most importantly - love for your work. An interesting solution is always born organically, in accordance with the thoughts and feelings that motivated the artist. Then there will be no need for our favorite supports in the form of a formal division of the plane into geometric shapes, filling the remaining space with “something.”
Finding your own unique style for an artist means writing your page in the history of art. The secret of any talented work is known - give it your whole soul. And then it will definitely find a response in the viewer’s soul.
And instead of a conclusion, let’s dream of a large retrospective exhibition of Russian tapestry, starting from the first - St. Petersburg tapestries of the 17th century (not excluding works from the 30-50s of the 20th century) to the present day. And you can dream even more broadly – about an international exhibition.
Thanks to their unusual appearance and texture, tapestries often attract the attention of designers and customers. Some knowledge about it will help you understand all the intricacies of creating an interior and caring for such a product.
What it is?
A tapestry, or tapestry, is the result of one of the types of applied art. The finished product has both utilitarian and decorative properties. In modern design, a tapestry is treated as a work of art, a painting. No brushes or paints are used to create the canvas; the material is purely woven.
Thanks to the various interweavings of colored threads, a unique work is created, which is made on a specific theme, for example, a love story or one of the moments of a summer hunt, or it can also have an abstract meaning.
History of origin
The origins of the creation of trellises are very difficult to trace. This is due to the fact that many peoples independently engaged in and developed weaving within their ethnic group. The most ancient tapestries come from Egypt. In the tomb of Thutmose IV (XV BC) a linen cloth with images of scarabs and lotuses was found, and in the tomb of Tutankhamun (XIV BC) - a dress and gloves created in the likeness of a trellis. But even such compelling reasons to claim that these are the very first tapestries do not prove this.
Historians claim that the Egyptians adopted this type of weaving from the peoples of Mesopotamia, as evidenced by the records of ancient authors.
In Homer's poem "The Odyssey" there is a mention of burial objects made using the tapestry technique. This fact indicates the existence of weaving in Ancient Greece and Rome.
On the other side of the world, in pre-Columbian America, mainly in ancient Peru, during excavations, elements of tapestries were found, most of all in their application corresponding to modern ideas about tapestries. The Peruvians not only decorated their walls with woven paintings, but also used them to hide from drafts.
The ancient trellises from China were distinguished by their sophistication and special subtlety. To create such decorative elements and clothing, Chinese craftsmen used motifs taken from nature: unusually beautiful and exotic flowers, intertwined stems, sophisticated landscapes. Japan adopted the art of this type of weaving from the Chinese peoples.
Tapestries became widely known in Europe in the Middle Ages thanks to the massive campaigns of the Crusaders. Tapestries were especially valuable trophies and were highly prized.
Each nation had its own name for trellises: among the Greeks - “tapes”, in Italy - “arezzi”, in Latin - “tapetum”. The word “tapestry” itself comes from France. In the 17th century, the royal Gobelin manufactory opened, giving its name to its products.
Moreover, experts claim that only the products of this factory can rightfully be called “tapestry”, the rest are tapestries.
It is worth noting that the scope of woven art is large and diverse. In addition to their utilitarian and decorative properties, tapestries are used to this day as upholstery for upholstered furniture, as elements of clothing or clothing in general (to create traditional outfits), as a replacement for classical icon painting, in the heraldic sense, and so on.
Manufacturing technique
Traditionally, tapestries are created by hand. The process is reminiscent of weaving lint-free carpets, but it is more labor-intensive and painstaking, since the threads are much thinner and the pattern is very detailed.
Initially, the main tool for creating a product was an ordinary frame onto which warp threads were stretched. To achieve the required tension, they used nails driven into the frame or evenly made special holes on the inside of the frame itself. A weft thread, wound on a spool or simply wound into a ball, is thrown between the warp threads, and after completing the row, it is nailed with fingers or using a special mallet.
The process using a machine is considered more technical. Its peculiarity is that the machine can be placed both horizontally and vertically.
The master works according to a sketch drawn on cardboard, and the size of the design and color completely coincides with the size and colors of the future trellis. But despite the fact that the weaver has to copy another work, he must have artistic inclinations, be able to preserve color rendition, understand the intricacies of light and shade, and imagine what the finished woven work will look like in order to select the right thread in a given row.
Large manufactories producing products on a global scale even set up art schools at their factories, which improved the quality of the finished product.
Since the process of creating this canvas is very labor-intensive and time-consuming, up to 5-6 people can work on one trellis. Thus, one work is divided into several parts, which are then stitched together with silk thread. This could be understood by looking at the reverse side: there were seams on it.
Thanks to a large number of techniques, it is possible to achieve a variety of effects when making trellises. If in the classic form the warp threads remain invisible, then in the modern version the craftsmen can deliberately leave them on the front side of the design. This technique is called rep, because the fabric takes on a certain ribbed relief, which translated into French sounds like “reps”.
The modern tapestry as a decorative element has undergone great changes over the past decades. This type of decoration of walls and various surfaces has become so popular in recent years that it simply had to become more accessible to the masses.
A fully woven product is an expensive pleasure; few can afford such a luxury. But the non-woven tapestry is very simple to make, and in appearance it is almost indistinguishable from the original.
Such a product is created using a special layout of the pattern with colored fibers or threads on the base. It is difficult to call the product a tapestry in the traditional sense of the word, because a “tapestry” is, first of all, a woven fabric. However, the laid out pattern has a woven texture and a very detailed and dynamic pattern.
Chinese masters have come up with another type of non-woven trellis. The panels are made without the use of knitting needles or hooks. All elements are made of cardboard, onto which yarn is subsequently wound. The master glues ready-made parts onto the fully wrapped base and frame, creating a composition.
Advantages and disadvantages
Tapestry has many advantages as a decorative element. This picture looks very elegant, you want to look at it, remember every element, it magically attracts attention, creates comfort and a warm atmosphere in the house.
In a practical sense, such an acquisition will also be useful. The canvas has antistatic properties and does not attract dust, the fabric holds its shape well, does not warp or deform, and is easy to care for. Tapestries are suitable for any style in the interior, the main thing is to choose the right design.
The disadvantages include the relatively large weight, which does not allow the technology to be used in everyday clothing. At home, it is better not to wash or iron the product, as this may affect its appearance.
Main characteristics
Each nation had its own way of weaving tapestries. They differ in texture and material used. Currently, to create a certain relief, the master selects any necessary manufacturing method.
- Plain weaving is considered the most common and is more widely used by craftsmen. To create the product, the weft thread is passed through the warp threads in a checkerboard pattern. Thus, the first throw covers the even warp threads, and the second one covers the odd ones.
- Egyptian weaving creates a semblance of an ordinary braid from weft threads. This effect is achieved due to the fact that the thread creating the pattern is braided around the warp thread in a knot and tightened. This process is one of the most labor-intensive. Often only certain elements are woven in this way.
- Greek weaving forms a loose, loose surface. To knit a row, 2 or 3 weft threads are required, which are intertwined with each other with warp threads like a regular braid.
More complex weaving methods: knitting, sumac weaving, twill, gyordes, hay. Each one differs in density, relief, and the ability to manufacture elements of varying complexity. Each method has its own material.
Woolen, cotton, and silk threads can either emphasize the relief or, conversely, create a perfectly smooth surface.
Types of fabric
In modern understanding, tapestry as a material is a type of jacquard fabric. Jacquard is a large-patterned fabric of complex or simple weave of more than 24 threads, which is characterized by high density, strength, complexity of the pattern, versatility of textures, colors and patterns. The warp is usually linen, but the weft threads are silk, wool or synthetic.
Thin, elegant, detailed tapestries are made from silk threads. Clothes, curtains, and bedspreads are made from this material.
For utilitarian purposes, such as protection from drafts, wool products are suitable. Wool threads are the most convenient and less labor-intensive material for weaving, but they are very heavy. It makes carpets for walls and floors. Upholstery of upholstered furniture is best made from cotton materials. And tablecloths and bed linen are made of linen. Metal threads are used for decorative purposes; they add shine and shimmer in the light.
Fashionable patterns and colors
Since these products have a centuries-old history and are considered an attribute of antiquity, in our time it is considered fashionable to emphasize this particular property. Based on this, the theme of the tapestry design reflects moments not related to modern life - these are illustrations for a medieval book or a woven reproduction of a Renaissance work, an image of a hunting scene in Rus'.
Such canvases, even those made in modern factories, will make you think that perhaps this particular tapestry once hung in the palace of the King of France. The interior will immediately acquire a “history”.
Another “classic” in the execution of tapestries is the depiction of nature on canvases. Tapestries with deer, bears, horses and simply gorgeous landscapes are a more democratic option than, for example, classic battle scenes.
For romantic people who prefer styles such as shabby chic, flowers on tapestries will perfectly complement the interior design. Chic peonies, roses, hibiscus - the main attributes of the antique style. More infantile subjects are stills from anime films or images of cute cats and puppies on canvases. Woven calendars are an original way to find out the date and emphasize the stylistic direction of the interior.
In a historical sense, tapestries do not have too bright colors. Previously, there were no pigments that could create, for example, a juicy lime color or sky blue; all shades were muted, soft, but deep. Based on this, choose a tapestry for classic and minimalist interiors in these colors. In bright pop art designs you can experiment with paints. There will definitely be food for thought here for the plot.
Areas of use
In the modern world, the scope of use of tapestries has narrowed somewhat. Because of their heaviness, tapestries are not suitable for full-fledged clothing production, although in ancient times woven robes and dresses were considered traditional clothing in Japan and China. Designers in the world of high fashion continue to create couture outfits using this technique, but such models are unlikely to make it to ready-to-wear collections.
But the elements - processing the edge of a sleeve or lapel on a jacket - can be found in everyday life.
In interiors, their scope is wider. Jacquard fabric is used to make upholstery for furniture, pillowcases, and bedspreads. If we talk about the ancient areas of application of tapestries, then it is enough to recall Homer’s “Odyssey”, in which Penelope wove a shroud for her father-in-law, since housing construction technologies were at a low level, and woolen carpets were woven for shelter from drafts and cold. Entire tents made of tapestries were prepared for kings during their travels and military campaigns.
The best manufacturers
There are many weaving factories specializing in the production of tapestries or having one of the directions related to them, both in Russia and around the world.
The city of Ivanovo is famous for producing a wide variety of fabrics. Ivanovo trellises are used to make pillowcases, paintings, panels, curtains, bedspreads, napkins, bags, and calendars. Factories employ designers, artists, design specialists and workers responsible for the smooth operation of machines. All equipment is mainly manufactured abroad, and the experience in creating drawings was adopted from masters from China, Turkey and Italy.
You can purchase Ivanovo tapestries at exhibitions of Ivanovo products, at retail sales points, and also through online stores.
Starting from the end of the 15th century, Flanders took the lead for three centuries in the workshop production of trellises of the highest class. The main centers were the cities of Belgium - Bruges and Antwerp, and a little earlier Arras. The main difference between Belgian tapestries is the introduction of “Cypriot gold” threads into the fabric - twisted silk or linen was wrapped with gold or silver wire. The product includes precious metals, which gives the canvas a special price.
To this day, Belgian tapestries are unique and are considered an expensive acquisition.
Along with them, French and Italian products have incorporated traditional aspects of weaving, compatible with the latest technologies. European factories offer panels with medieval motifs, and are also ready to create reproductions by contemporary artists.
From ancient times to this day, France, Belgium and Italy are considered classic producers of tapestries.
For unique and colorful solutions, it is recommended to turn your attention to the East. Here, handicrafts are presented by Indian, Chinese and Japanese craftsmen. The themes of tapestries from India include traditional patterns, images of elephants, the god Shivva and other deities.
Chinese tapestries also reflect elements of history and tradition. Many motifs are dedicated to the depiction of nature, amazing and beautiful flowers, and significant events.
Japanese products amaze with their colorfulness. A frequent theme is Japanese women in national costumes with all kinds of cultural paraphernalia, cherry blossom branches, landscapes, and architectural elements.
It’s funny that now a carpet on the wall is not comme il faut, but a tapestry - it’s creative, fashionable, modern.
Handmade tapestries
Today I will talk about tapestries, or rather, how to create a creative business based on this craft. The ancient Egyptians and Greeks knew tapestries; medieval knights decorated their castles with them; such artists as Raphael and Goya created scenes for them, and now they are no less relevant.
Woven paintings are a fairly broad topic, as there are tapestries (trellises) that are created industrially and tapestries that are handmade. The first is real fabric, used for upholstering furniture, creating bedspreads and other textiles for interiors or, practically, woven paintings, and to create such beauty by hand, you will have to spend half your life. The latter are often made deliberately roughly - from thick threads and with a noticeable weave. But this does not make them less beautiful, it’s just that they are practically an independent industry, which is united with the first by a common name and some techniques.
Classic tapestries
Types of tapestries
Nowadays, carpets created using different techniques are called tapestries. Sometimes, even radically different from the traditional one.
- smooth (planar) – created using traditional techniques;
- textured (relief) - the technique is traditional, but some parts of the product are distinguished by larger (convex) stitches, creating a relief fabric;
- multi-level - different weaving techniques, relief, embroidery, etc. are used.
- non-woven - these are fabric paintings created using other techniques: appliqué, thread printing, knitting, embroidery, isothread;
- volumetric-spatial - these are actually not so much paintings as structures that are an additional element of room design.
Volumetric tapestries by Yu.N. Hovsepyan
If you decide to engage in this creativity, it doesn’t matter just for the soul or for earning money, you will gradually develop your own style, your own techniques will appear and, as a result, your work will become unique. That is, something will appear that makes these things interesting for buyers and raises their value. That is why you should not use ready-made schemes, create your own. It’s not for nothing that this business is called creative.
Tapestry making technique
I won’t go into all the details; I’ll list the main points. You will need a machine to work and the larger your products are, the larger it should be. In essence, this is hand weaving, which is based on the technique of plain weaving of warp and weft threads. You can make the machines yourself if there is a handy man in the family or order them online. For small products, for example, if you use this technique to create souvenirs, bags and some other accessories, you can make a machine from scrap materials. The main thing is that you can evenly tension the warp threads and then weave in a comfortable position.
If earlier threads from natural materials (wool, flax, silk, cotton) with the addition of gold or silver threads were used for work, now tapestries are mainly woven from artificial and synthetic threads.
First, they draw the future tapestry, apply this design to warp threads stretched on a machine (or place cardboard with a design under the work and focus on it), then begin to reproduce it in color with threads.
The most important point is to maintain the distances between the threads to create a clear, correct pattern. Having prepared the warp threads, they begin to create a pattern, fasten the first transverse thread and begin to stretch it between them alternately above and below the thread. The completed row is compacted with a wooden strip, which also serves to separate the warp threads into even and odd, and also helps regulate the tension of the threads.
A braid is woven along the edge of the weaving, leveling the edge with it, and a special linen earnings are woven vertically on top of it, which is then folded onto the end of the stretcher if the tapestry is intended to be stretched and inserted into the frame in the future, or hemmed on the wrong side if the finished product will hang directly on wall. On the other hand, weaving also ends with earnings.
The work is painstaking, requiring perseverance and accuracy. If necessary, the finished canvas is supplemented with some other elements - embroidery, appliqués, fringe, etc.
How to make money from tapestries
The options are generally traditional for any needlework and craft, but I think it’s worth listing them:
1. Making tapestries. This is the main source of income for craftsmen. Moreover, if you modestly distribute them among your friends, piteously looking into the eyes of each buyer, then the price will be the same; if you start promoting your own brand, participating in exhibitions, advertising your products on the Internet and generally presenting yourself as the discovery of the century :), then the price will be completely different.
I write so angrily on purpose, in the hope that the craftswomen who read me will also be “angry” and will have great respect for their own talent. Why is it that someone’s well-publicized daub with oil paints often costs millions, but the long, painstaking work into which the craftswoman puts her whole soul costs pennies?
2. Master classes. Now you can transfer your skills by giving both real lessons and conducting classes via Skype. This means that finding students who want to learn this beautiful creativity is now much easier than before.
3. Video lessons. They can be posted on YouTube, on your own blog, on social networks. But how to make money from this? That's what advertising is for. Placed next to the video, it will attract people's attention, they will click on it, and you will get paid for it.
4. Website. This could be a personal blog, where there will be information not only about your products, but also articles on other topics, video tutorials, diagrams, etc. It could just be an online store where you will sell tapestries and perhaps something else, for example, everything needed to create them. Or all of the above can be combined into one portal. This will help attract not only potential buyers, but also other visitors, and the more traffic, the more earnings from advertising and other methods of monetizing the site. Such sites already exist on the Internet, so this is a completely working option.
5. Training course or e-book. Many craftswomen follow this path (you can see examples of such courses and books), and they create not only training courses, but also sell patterns for work, ready-made kits, etc.
I hope that this article about such a beautiful creative business will be useful to someone, will lead to some thoughts and will force them to reconsider their earning potential.
Literally from the moment of its invention, tapestry has been considered a luxurious and expensive fabric. After all, it was not without reason that back in the Middle Ages, wealthy people used this material to decorate furniture and create decorations for castles and palaces. In ancient times, tapestries were made by hand. It was a long and painstaking work, which resulted in luxurious woven paintings called tapestries. Although tapestry fabrics have undergone some changes over the course of their existence, they remain loved and in demand by both designers and ordinary people.
History of the tapestry
The decorative tapestry, or tapestry, has been familiar to mankind for hundreds of years. Items of clothing made from this material were found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. The ancient Greeks decorated their homes with woven carpets with images of gods and mythical heroes, and Peruvian craftsmen wove funeral shrouds.
All work on the production of carpets with various subjects was carried out manually. At the same time, wool and silk threads were cross-woven, and in special cases, fibers of pure gold or silver were woven into the fabric.
Creating a tapestry is a labor-intensive task that requires an incredible amount of time and patience from the weaver. In a year, one master could weave a carpet measuring 1.5 x 1.5 m, so the cost of such products was incredibly high, and only wealthy people could use tapestry fabric.
At the end of the 17th century, this delightful fabric began to be produced at the French Gobelin manufactory, at which time the modern name “tapestry” appeared. In Russia, the first trellis factory appeared under Peter I, and exclusively French craftsmen worked there.
Experts say that this name can only be given to those fabrics that are made at the manufactory in Paris, and all the rest should be called tapestries. However, nowadays this term refers to any woven fabric.
Features of the material
After the Frenchman Joseph Jacquard invented a loom for making complex patterned fabrics at the beginning of the 18th century, a new era began for tapestries. Now this luxurious, exquisite fabric began to be produced in large quantities.
Nowadays, tapestry fabric is made by. If the production of a regular jacquard fabric requires 2-3 threads, then to produce woven paintings you will need more than ten fibers of different colors and textures.
In tapestry fabrics, the base must meet certain requirements, only then will the picture look natural. The weft threads must be elastic and the warps must be very strong.
Most often, the following materials are used for the production of tapestries:
- Sheep wool is a strong natural fiber that can be easily dyed any color;
- linen, cotton - allow you to make light, breathable materials;
- silk - natural fibers that give the product elegance and noble shine;
- synthetic threads;
- threads with added metal (Lurex).
Typically, tapestries depict paintings by famous artists, floral arrangements, or landscapes. Recently, new technologies have emerged that make it possible to transfer even photographs onto fabric.
Pros and cons of tapestry fabric
The advantages of tapestry fabrics are determined by the properties of the threads used to create the material and the characteristics of the jacquard weave.
- The fabric has a high density, holds its shape well, and is resistant to wear.
- Retains colors for a long time - does not fade or fade in the sun.
- It has antistatic properties - does not attract dust and small debris, does not accumulate static electricity.
- A huge variety of artistic compositions and textures ensures wide application in many areas of human activity.
- Does not require special care - special treatment protects products from contamination.
The disadvantages include the following qualities of the fabric:
- the increased rigidity and significant weight of the material do not allow sewing clothes from it;
- Products must not be washed or ironed, otherwise bends and creases may appear.
Even though the material has some disadvantages, tapestries are popular and sought-after fabrics that lift your spirits and fill your home with joy and beauty.
Types of tapestry
There are many types of tapestry. Paintings and tablecloths, napkins and pillowcases for sofa cushions, furniture upholstery, handbags, belts, gloves and even shoes are made from tapestry.
The woven picture should fit the overall design of the room and subtly convey the mood of the owner and the atmosphere in the house.
Here are some common themes that tapestry lovers often choose.
- East style. An original and unique plot, full of philosophy and tranquility, distinguishes paintings created in the oriental style. Images of people taming wild animals will harmoniously fit into the interior.
- Country. For those who love and appreciate antiques, tapestries have been developed that take you back to the past. Such paintings go well with a fireplace and pottery, rare books and homemade rugs.
- Scandinavian style. Naturalness and simplicity distinguish this type of tapestries. To decorate a room in a Scandinavian style, paintings in light colors are more suitable: grayish, blue, light turquoise.
- Provence. Tapestries in the Provence style are associated with the sea and the sun. Magnificent flowers, beautiful houses on the river or seashore remind of summer holidays. Such fabrics are often made from coarse cotton or bleached linen.
How to choose a real tapestry
Today everyone can afford tapestry products. In order for them to truly become a decoration of the home and attract the attention of the owner and guests for a long time, the materials must be of high quality.
When choosing items made from tapestry fabric, you need to consider the following points.
- It is better to purchase trellises in specialized stores, where the seller probably has a quality certificate for the product.
- The color and texture of the chosen item should match the overall design of the room, furniture and curtains as best as possible.
- The woven picture should be of such dimensions that it can be seen in its entirety.
- The neat, smooth backing and frame supplied with the painting indicate that the tapestry is of high quality.
- The drawing should be clear and bright, with a clearly visible composition.
A tapestry in a home is always a strong visual symbol that can create a mood and shape the image of the owner. Therefore, the choice of woven paintings must be approached as competently as when buying furniture or clothing.
Caring for tapestry fabric
Tapestry fabric has a rough surface, on the ribs of which dust very quickly accumulates. If you do not attach importance to this, the product will soon be covered with a gray coating and its appearance will be ruined. In addition, coffee or orange juice can be spilled on furniture, a tablecloth or pillowcase made of tapestry fabric, and then the product will definitely have to be washed or cleaned. Manufacturers claim that trellises are durable, but this is only true if they are properly cared for.
- Dust can be removed using a vacuum cleaner or clothes brush. At the end of cleaning, it is advisable to walk over the surface of the material with a damp sponge so that the item takes on a fresh look.
- If a stain appears from food or street dirt, the product should be washed. A soft sponge or piece of cloth is moistened in a soap solution and the dirt is rubbed off with light stroking movements. You can dry the product outside, in a sunny place with good air circulation.
- It is not recommended to iron products made from this fabric. As a last resort, ironing from the reverse side is allowed with an iron heated to no more than 150°C.
- Tapestry items should not be machine washed. If you need to wash a tablecloth or pillowcase, it is better to do the job manually using gentle detergents.
- To wash and clean tapestry fabric, you should use only special gels and powders. Moreover, before processing the product on the reverse side, you need to check whether the chosen product does not have a negative effect on the material.
- It is better to hide woven paintings from direct sunlight. Otherwise, the tapestry may crack, the rich colors will fade and the painting will take on a grayish tint.
When buying paintings or other things made from tapestry, you should carefully study the manufacturer’s recommendations left on the product label and, if possible, follow them. Then the items will retain their original appearance for a long time.
Tapestry fabrics are a luxurious, dense material. They are always fresh, attractive and never go out of style. A huge variety of models and a magnificent appearance make this material indispensable when decorating premium-class premises. Despite the fact that modern materials are protected from dirt, they require careful handling and delicate care.