Decorative fabrics

Tapestry – aesthetics and functionality
Tapiserie is the name of decorative fabrics, hand-made and usually richly
decorated. The word tapestry comes from French and means a one-sided fabric
used to decorate interiors. In Europe, tapestries have been known since the 15th century, but textile
wall decorations were already known in ancient Egypt and China. Fabrics with interesting
patterns also served as thermal and acoustic insulation in rooms,
similarly to modern acoustic panels made of felt or other materials, which are
popularly used to arrange apartments, houses and office spaces.

Tapestries differed in color, theme, decoration, and materials used. Wool, silk, and velvet were used to create tapestries. The themes of tapestries were genre scenes, historical events, scenes from the Bible, Greek and Roman mythology, as well as landscapes. One of the interesting types of tapestries is verdure.

Verdure is the name of tapestry whose main motifs are animals, plants, and landscapes.

A characteristic feature is the dominance of various shades of green, which usually form the background of the
composition. Verdure depicted perfectly reproduced animals in their natural
environment or mythical and fantastic creatures. Interestingly, they had a specific function:
they decorated the walls of palaces and castles during important ceremonies. Verdure was
popular with kings and princes from the 15th to the 17th century. Verdure can be found in the famous
collection of the Polish king Sigismund Augustus.

Tapestries are coming back into favor, which can be seen in many arrangements. Original
design, high quality of workmanship and above-average durability affect the growing
interest in extraordinary wall decorations. Tapestries perfectly
emphasize the charm of interiors decorated in classic, eclectic, boho, rustic
and Provencal styles. Unconventional decorative fabrics, just like centuries ago, are not
the cheapest decorations, but it is worth emphasizing that tapestries are an investment for many years.

Tapestry – an extraordinary form of textile art

Tapestry is often associated with the collection of fabrics of the Polish king Sigismund Augustus. The richly
decorated fabrics located at Wawel delight not only with their craftsmanship,
but also with their breathtaking history. For centuries, the Wawel tapestries were
the subject of dispute, but after a long stay in Sweden, Russia, France, England and Canada,
they returned to Krakow.

Wall tapestries were already known in antiquity, but the word arras itself comes from the name of a city in France. It was Arras that in the 14th and 15th centuries became one of the main centres of decorative fabric production. Tapestries enjoyed great interest among rulers
and aristocracy, especially in France, England and Flanders until the 19th century.

Tapestries were made of natural materials such as wool, silk, cotton.

Creating patterns required not only appropriate experience, but also exceptional

precision, artistic craftsmanship and … patience. Renowned painters often supported
craftsmen in the arduous process of making fascinating wall paintings.
The subject matter of tapestries was very broad and depended on the individual preferences of kings,
princes, counts and barons. Biblical, mythological and historical scenes were most often chosen,
but genre scenes also quite often appeared on the walls of palaces, castles
and estates. Tapestries were not only decorative elements of interiors, but also had a
practical function. In residences, in winter they were used for thermal insulation of rooms,
and in summer as decorative window coverings.

Perfect, time-consuming and impressively crafted tapestries

Carefully made, richly decorated decorative fabrics decorated walls, as well as
furniture at royal courts. The name tapestry comes from the surname of the family from which the
King Louis XIV of France bought land and then founded a factory dealing in
textile decorations. Fascinating works were created in France from the end of
the 17th century, but it is worth emphasizing that this unique art of weaving was already known
in ancient Egypt. In Poland, tapestries enjoyed great popularity in the 18th century.

Tapestries were made of wool and silk using a vertical loom.

The complicated and time-consuming production process and the use of natural materials
affect the price of tapestries, which is why they were most often found in the estates of rulers
and aristocracy. The subjects of tapestries were genre, mythological, and biblical scenes. Many
craftsmen drew inspiration from the works of famous painters, which can be seen in carefully
selected colors and the imitation of painting effects used by masters of the brush.

Today, tapestries are used as decorative furniture upholstery. Although modern technologies are used in their
production and the main theme is floral motifs, they still impress with their nobility and original design.

Kilim – wall decoration at royal courts and under thatched roofs

Kilim is a unique type of wall decoration. Unlike tapestries and tapestries,
a kilim is a double-sided fabric, and more importantly, it is the only type of wall decoration
that could be found in peasant huts. Kilims were also used as
decoration for floors, tables and beds. In some cultures, kilims played a role in funeral
rites. They can be divided into court, folk and manufactory, depending on
the materials used, as well as the motif and decorations. The history of kilims dates back to ancient Greece,
Egypt and nomadic tribes in the Middle East and Central Asia. Initially,
they served a practical function, and only later a decorative one.

The most popular technique is flat weaving, in which colored threads create patterns on
a flat surface. Kilims are distinguished by their richness of patterns and symbolism. Colorful
geometric motifs, stylized flowers or abstract forms are commonly found in many designs. The craft of kilim production is passed down
from generation to generation. The kilims were distinguished by their borders and characteristic fringes,
as well as the richness of colours obtained thanks to natural dyes. Dyes based on plants found in different areas were used to dye the kilims, which influenced the
colours characteristic of different regions.

In Poland, the tradition of creating kilims has been known since the 18th century. The patterns and colors of kilims
were associated with the folk art of a given region. Kilims were most popular
in the Eastern Borderlands, but it is worth noting that in the 1920s they were
present in practically every home. The most common were geometric and plant patterns, but their design was also the work of outstanding artists such as Stanisław
Wyspiański and Zofia Stryjeńska. Kilims can be found in many Polish museums, open-air museums, as well as private residential homes