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The Bayeux Tapestry

The Subject of the Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry shows the events of 1064 to 1066, Beginning with King Edward the Confessor sending Harold to Normandy and culminating in Duke William’s invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings.

Despite its name, it is not technically a tapestry, but an embroidery made with dyed distaff-spun woollen threads with a torsion of c. 350 turns per metre on a bleached linen back ground.

The Bleached Linen Background:

warp and weft approximately 18×19 threads per square cm.
c.68.38 m long (224 ft. 4¼ ins.)
c. 45.7 – 53.6 cm high (18 in. to 211/8 ins)

It is in in eight sections: the first two over 13.5 m long (44 ft)
the next five range from 6.6 m to 8.4 m (22 to 28 ft)
the last section is only 5.3 m long (17.3 ft) (see the joins of the sections)

The Embroidery:

The work employs two stiches, a stem stitch to outline the figures, and a laid and couched technique to fill in the colour.