Description
A detailed study of Tudor textiles, highlighting their extravagant beauty and their impact on the royal court, fashion, and taste
At the Tudor Court, textiles were ubiquitous in decor and ceremony. Tapestries, embroideries, carpets, and hangings were more highly esteemed than paintings and other forms of decorative art. In 16th-century Europe, fine textiles were so costly that they were out of reach for average citizens, and even for many nobles. This spectacularly illustrated paperback edition tells the story of textiles during the long Tudor century, from the ascendance of Henry VII in 1485 to the death of his granddaughter Elizabeth I in 1603. It places elaborate tapestries, imported carpets and lavish embroidery within the context of religious and political upheavals of the Tudor court, as well as the expanding world of global trade. Special attention is paid to the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a magnificent two-week festival held in 1520. Even half a millennium later, such extraordinary works remain Tudor society's strongest projection of wealth, taste, and ultimately power.
Published in association with Historic Royal Palaces
About the Author
Eleri Lynn is a fashion historian, previously curator at Historic Royal Palaces.
Reviews
"The book shines the most when it presents new and exciting research into surviving pieces such as the Bacton Altar Cloth. Non-specialist readers will find the material they encounter very thorough and will leave with a better understanding of the role of textiles in the Tudor courts, and those who are specialists will still find this a useful guide to the major topics in this area of study."-Sarah A. Bendall, Parergon (Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies)
"Altogether there is so much to recommend this book: Eleri Lynn has carved an immensely enjoyable read out of her impressive, holistic survey of the Tudor period and its love affair with textiles."-Embroidery magazine
"If you're a history lover, an enthusiast for historical textiles, if you are curious about the Tudor period and the royalty and palaces from that era, if you're into art history-you'll love this book!"-Mary Corbet, Needle 'n Thread magazine
"[F]ull of detail and evidence that may not have been drawn together in a book before."-HALI magazine
"Deftly told [and] nicely illustrated."-Fisun Guner, Art Quarterly
"Dress expert Eleri Lynn's lavishly illustrated volume Tudor Textiles shines a light on the dazzling beauty and extravagance of court fashion and decor. In raiding the sumptuous Tudor royal wardrobe, Lynn has uncovered some real gems."-Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine, "Best Books of 2020"
"Eleri Lynn's sumptuous new book and her careful and wide-ranging research offer the reader a glimpse of this vibrant, colourful world."-Maria Hayward, Burlington Magazine
Book Information
ISBN 9780300260571
Author Eleri Lynn
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
At the Tudor Court, textiles were ubiquitous in decor and ceremony. Tapestries, embroideries, carpets, and hangings were more highly esteemed than paintings and other forms of decorative art. In 16th-century Europe, fine textiles were so costly that they were out of reach for average citizens, and even for many nobles. This spectacularly illustrated paperback edition tells the story of textiles during the long Tudor century, from the ascendance of Henry VII in 1485 to the death of his granddaughter Elizabeth I in 1603. It places elaborate tapestries, imported carpets and lavish embroidery within the context of religious and political upheavals of the Tudor court, as well as the expanding world of global trade. Special attention is paid to the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a magnificent two-week festival held in 1520. Even half a millennium later, such extraordinary works remain Tudor society's strongest projection of wealth, taste, and ultimately power.
Published in association with Historic Royal Palaces
About the Author
Eleri Lynn is a fashion historian, previously curator at Historic Royal Palaces.
Reviews
"The book shines the most when it presents new and exciting research into surviving pieces such as the Bacton Altar Cloth. Non-specialist readers will find the material they encounter very thorough and will leave with a better understanding of the role of textiles in the Tudor courts, and those who are specialists will still find this a useful guide to the major topics in this area of study."-Sarah A. Bendall, Parergon (Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Association for Medieval and Early Modern Studies)
"Altogether there is so much to recommend this book: Eleri Lynn has carved an immensely enjoyable read out of her impressive, holistic survey of the Tudor period and its love affair with textiles."-Embroidery magazine
"If you're a history lover, an enthusiast for historical textiles, if you are curious about the Tudor period and the royalty and palaces from that era, if you're into art history-you'll love this book!"-Mary Corbet, Needle 'n Thread magazine
"[F]ull of detail and evidence that may not have been drawn together in a book before."-HALI magazine
"Deftly told [and] nicely illustrated."-Fisun Guner, Art Quarterly
"Dress expert Eleri Lynn's lavishly illustrated volume Tudor Textiles shines a light on the dazzling beauty and extravagance of court fashion and decor. In raiding the sumptuous Tudor royal wardrobe, Lynn has uncovered some real gems."-Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine, "Best Books of 2020"
"Eleri Lynn's sumptuous new book and her careful and wide-ranging research offer the reader a glimpse of this vibrant, colourful world."-Maria Hayward, Burlington Magazine
Book Information
ISBN 9780300260571
Author Eleri Lynn
Format Paperback
Page Count 208
Imprint Yale University Press
Publisher Yale University Press
