File:American homes and gardens (1912) (17965423228).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar91912newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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46 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS February, 1912
Text Appearing After Image:
This Gothic tapestry, and the ones shown at the bottom of this and of the facing page, were originally woven for bed hangings. They the Spanish Royal Collection and measure about thirty inches by eleven feet are in those in front of them, will appreciate the attempt here made to present the points of difference, with illustrations that effectively supplement the printed story. First, as to what constitutes real tapestry. There have been many poetic descriptions glorifying it with the iri- descent beauties of the rainbow, and the rich tones of sun- rise and sunset; but such descriptions are of little help in deciding whether a particular textile is or is not a real tapestry. Only a definition based on weave can do that. It is the weave that makes the difference. A real tapestry is a fabric in plain weave with warp en- tirely concealed by the weft, which is of uniform thickness, and is exactly alike on both sides, except for the loose threads on the back that mark the passage of bobbins from block to block of the same color. With some exceptions, it is also a rep fabric—that is to say, it has a ribbed surface—and in weaving open slits are left where two colors meet parallel with the warp. This sounds harder than it really is. If the fabric is ribbed with from seven to twenty-four ribs to the inch, is of uniform thickness and exactly alike on both sides, with the characteristic open slits, then it is a real tapestry. If the threads that float loose on the back are parallel instead of zigzag, then the fab- ric is not a real tapestry, but a broche tapestry, with body that is thicker where figured. The loose threads on the back are not a necessary criterion, for they can easily be clipped close, leaving the back exactly as if it were the face show- ing through. This is sometimes done to ancient tapestries, which are then mounted back side out, like two of the famous pieces of the "Seven Sacra- ments" series of the Fifteenth Century A Gothic tapestry, "Starting for the Hunt," tapestries in the Metropolitan Museum, four by nine and a half feet, in the famous New York, in order to show the colors, Hoentschel Collection now owned by Mr. J. that have faded less on the protected '" VS f< 1; ',vi "l"l"u"tJ "' llu' Mo,"v back than on the long-exposed face side

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