Aubusson’s newest Tolkien tapestry
7 July 2021 | Beyond Bree, July 2021, 7
After a long gap for obvious reasons, I’m back from Aubusson, France, home of the Aubusson tapestry makers, where the first Númenórean carpet was released from its loom on Friday [June 4, 2021].…
It’s a remarkable piece. One of two which Tolkien drew in 1960 (TAI #74). It is 4.6m x 3.3m and weighs about 100kg. It was woven in wool in the simple knot Savonnerie method by the Atelier Four which, among others, made the Guernica tapestry which hung for many years at the United Nations. It required 1600 hours of weaving. In total, 9 people worked on it from conception to completion. Seeing it at close range is amazing.…
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