Wikidata:WikiProject Textile arts/Tapestry
As of 8 March 2020, there are more than 1100 tapestries and 275 tapestry series in Wikidata. Probably three-quarters of these items are from bulk imports from the Palissy database of French furnishings. This page documents some best practices concerning this rich group of textiles. (Notes by PKM (talk) unless marked differently.)
Core items
editUse for values of instance of (P31):
- tapestry (Q184296): textile artwork, traditionally woven on a vertical loom using tapestry weaving techniques, sometimes embellished with embroidery or paint
- tapestry series (Q18609875): sequential series of tapestries illustrating a theme or narrative
- group of tapestries (Q18609861): set of tapestries by the same workshop with the same artistic theme, usually worked from the same cartoons
- tapestry collection (Q76905520): art collection containing tapestries
- wall hanging (Q44740228): object, often of textile material, hung on walls for warmth or decoration (French pièce murale)
- set of wall hangings (Q79141101): coordinated group of wall hangings, generally of textile material, often in various sizes to fit the dimensions of a particular room or building {French tenture, ensemble de pièces murales)
- entrefenêtre (Q83047250): tapestry, usually tall and narrow, designed to fit between two windows
- verdure (Q2010328): tapestry dominated by a pattern of dense green foliage or trees, with occasional animals or flowers
Organizations
edit- tapestry manufactory (Q63969188): organization of artists and artisans making woven tapestries by hand
- tapestry museum (Q85893376): art museum specializing in tapestries
Notes
edit- Getty AAT distinguishes between "manufactories" and "workshops". The major manufactories had multiple subsidiary workshops. I have not made this distinction in Wikidata because third-party sources seem to use "workshop" and "manufactory" interchangeably.
Occupations
editThese can be used for occupation (P106) of persons and object of statement has role (P3831) qualifier in creator (P170) statements.
- tapestry designer (Q64335473): occupation; person who designs the cartoons, modelli, or patterns from which tapestries are made
- tapestry weaver (Q21117684): artisan or artist who makes woven tapestries
- tapestry maker (Q64351975): artisan who makes tapestry from textiles, leather or other materials
- tapestry dealer (Q76888740): businessperson who buys, sells, and produces tapestries and other decorative textiles
- manufactory director (Q83436622): person who manages the operations of a craft manufactory
- workshop manager (Q83437238): position, person in charge of a craft workshop (chef d'atelier)
Notes
edit- Where there are multiple named creators (designer, designer of borders, weaver, manufactory), be generous with qualifiers object of statement has role (P3831) (with an occupation) and applies to part, aspect, or form (P518).
- In Commons: Template {{Wikidata Infobox}} will pick up both <object has role> and <applies to part>. Template {{Artwork}} will pick up <applies to part> but not <object has role>.
- The French term tapissier may mean either a tapestry weaver or a dealer who contracts out the actual weaving. There is much discussion in the literature as to who held which roles. Follow your sources.
- Getty AAT/ULAN seem to use "manufactory director" where the Gobelins and Aubusson records use entrepreneur, describing a contractor who ran a subsidiary workshop in one of the great manufactories, but I haven't done the research to confirm that this is Getty's practice. In general, I have followed the usage in my sources.
Techniques
editThese can be used for fabrication method (P2079) statements.
- tapestry weave (Q29167534): process of weaving using tapestry techniques where the weft threads travel only the width of a pattern element rather than the full width of the warp (French tapisserie sur métier)
- tapestry weave (Q29167534) <uses> high-warp tapestry loom (Q53051155) (= French haute lisse)
- tapestry weave (Q29167534) <uses> low-warp tapestry loom (Q53054783) (= French basse lisse)
- slit tapestry weaving (Q47451078): technique used in tapestry weaving that leaves an open slit between adjacent areas of color
- interlocked tapestry weaving (Q47451049): technique used in tapestry weaving in which weft threads loop around each other where two areas of color meet
- dovetailing (Q47424623): technique used in tapestry weaving where two weft colors meet
- knotted pile (Q29886501): hand weaving technique in which supplementary weft yarns are wrapped around warp ends and cut to produce tufts or pile (French tapis à point noué)
- soumak (Q10672758): weave in which coloured weft threads are wrapped over and under the warp threads (Swedish snärjväv)
- embroidery (Q18281): art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn
Materials
editThese materials are commonly used in tapestry-making and can be used for made from material (P186) statements.
- wool (Q42329): natural fibre from the soft hair of sheep or other mammals
- silk (Q37681): fine, lustrous, natural fiber produced by the larvae of various silk moths, especially the species Bombyx mori
- linen (Q1426327): textile made from spun flax fiber (often with <applies to part> warp (Q738822))
- metallic thread (Q3510770): thread wholly or partly made from metal
- metal-wrapped thread (Q1429223): smooth thread made of precious metal strips (lamella) wrapped around a core, usually of silk
- gold thread (Q29586582): thread made of or wrapped with gold
- silver thread (Q29586589): thread made of or wrapped with silver
Modeling
editExamples of tapestry items:
- The Offering to Bacchus (Q86274517) (multiple creators)
- Odysseus and Nausicaa (Q87203248) (tapestry series)
- Acts of the Apostles (Q81847815) (group of tapestries, multiple versions, many need to be added to Wikidata)
References
editThese are useful references for working on tapestries. Met publications that are out of print are available to download as PDFs, and some of the others are accessible online.