Introducing European Tapestries

These tapestries, primarily from the medieval and Renaissance periods, showcase the skill and talent of their makers, both in terms of technique and imagination. That they still survive is testimony to the care with which they were treated by their owners throughout the centuries.

This book reveals 50 of the most important pieces from Glasgow’s world-renowned Burrell Collection, with full colour images of each one. Included are grand tapestries woven for royalty, such as the Exploration of the Indies, religious narratives made for church altars, including Death of the Virgin, and decorative cushion covers sold to the aspiring merchant classes. Divided by century, the text unpacks the history of these tapestries, exploring their respective themes and explaining the background as to why the narratives were important to the original owners who commissioned them.