Definition
Tapestry designates a textile technique of pictorial weaving in which weft threads of wool, silk, or other yarns are interlaced into a warp construction so that they completely cover the warp and produce a pictorial or ornamental pattern. Unlike conventional weaving, the weft is not carried continuously across the full width of the fabric; instead, it is inserted in partial, individual color areas, which allows complex pictorial motifs to be rendered. Production is carried out manually on a high-warp or low-warp loom (haute-lisse and basse-lisse techniques, respectively) and is recognized as an independent art form at the intersection of textile technology and the fine arts.
Use in the textile industry
In the textile industry and in craft production, tapestries are manufactured primarily as wall hangings for representative interiors such as museums, churches, public buildings, and high-end residential architecture. Because of the high material and labor intensity involved, industrially produced imitations — for example as Jacquard woven fabrics — are widespread; these achieve visually similar effects but do not meet the standard of handcrafted tapestry. Traditional workshops continue to produce tapestries today, both from historical designs and as contemporary commissioned works for the art market.
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