Bayeux tapestry draws crowds to London museum
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In London, the British Museum is displaying the Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter-long embroidered cloth depicting the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
The tapestry, usually housed in Normandy, France, is on loan to the museum while its home location undergoes renovations. King Charles III and French President Emmanuel Macron recently visited the exhibition, noting the tapestry tells a story familiar to many in Britain, and particularly to the King due to his relation to William the Conqueror.
The tapestry illustrates events leading up to and including the Battle of Hastings, showing William the Conqueror and Harold, an English nobleman, and their rivalry. Curators at the British Museum point to a scene where Harold swears an oath to William, an oath he later breaks. The detailed embroidery includes depictions of the Norman soldiers’ crossing from France to England and the likely death of Harold by an arrow.
Experts do not know exactly who created the tapestry, but believe it was likely the work of skilled women, as historical sources mention English women’s renowned embroidery abilities. Inspired by the original, artist Mia Hannson has spent nearly ten years creating a full-scale copy of the tapestry, meticulously recreating its details and hoping to reconstruct the final three meters which are lost to history.
