Author Description

The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most famous and intriguing artefacts of the middle ages. This illustrated volume presents the most important literature on the Tapestry written over the last two hundred years, providing a comprehensive companion to its study. The articles have been carefully chosen in order to give a strong, balanced coverage of most aspects of the Tapestry; all the major themes - the material fabric of the artefact, its origin, its relation to other early sources, its visual language, the form and function of the inscriptions, the work's general meaning and purpose, and the way it was perceived - are discussed in the authoritative studies collected here. The volume also includes substantial new essays by the editor on studying the Bayeux Tapestry, and on its origin, art, and message.