On 27th September 2019, St Mary’s Guildhall was packed full of the country’s leading medieval historians, buildings archaeologists and textile conservationists. St Mary’s Tapestry was at the heart of their discussion, as they were attempting to answer a number of mysteries surrounding the tapestry. Where was it woven? Who are the key figures in the tapestry? When was it made? What was the purpose behind this lavish tapestry? Guest speakers included: David Starkey, Mark Webb, Joanna Laynesmith, Kate Giles, Maria Hayward, Jonathan Foyle, Frederick Hepburn and Mikae Takami. In this short blog I will touch upon three key presentations…
David Starkey: The Coventry Tapestry
The opening speaker of the event, Professor David Starkey, needs little introduction. Starkey is a distinguished historian and broadcaster, who has written extensively on the Tudors for the last few decades. Around 150 people gathered in the hall to hear him speak, so he has lost none of his fiery charm and charisma over the years! Starkey’s opening speech was certainly curious and intriguing, as he explored the reasons why it has been so difficult to find out anything about the tapestry.
First, he talked about the lack of documentary evidence and the difficulty this presents in trying to ‘read’ the tapestry. Coventry’s tapestry does not feature in any well-known records or local medieval documents, so it is unlikely that the mysteries surrounding the tapestry might never be uncovered. Starkey had conducted an exhaustive search and had found nothing. He speculated that the tapestry might have been commissioned for Henry VII, who may have visited Coventry in 1501. I tried not to be too disheartened by this news, as you occasionally hear of outstanding documents being miraculous found within old chests or behind wooden panels! Fingers crossed.
Mark Webb: Coventry, Regional Capital of the Midlands 1480-1520
Mark Webb, an archaeologist and key member of ‘Historic Coventry’, helped to set up this conference. He deserves every bit of praise for organising this conference, as it was extremely encouraging to see so many different individuals so enthused by Coventry’s medieval heritage. Students, local heritage volunteers and professional academics had all flocked to the event.
Webb argued that the tapestry might have been commissioned between 1480 and 1520, as this was when the local merchants were extremely prosperous and powerful. Near the end of the fifteenth century, Coventry was one of the most important industrial cities in England. Cloth produced in Coventry left from the west coast ports of Chester and Bristol bound for Ireland and Spain. This prosperity stimulated considerable building activity, as a number of half-timbered houses were built along Bayley Lane during this period. It therefore seems logical that the tapestry was commissioned around the mid fifteenth century, since it appears to have been the ‘golden period’ for the City. If only we could travel back in time!
Mika Takami: Conservation of St Mary’s Hall Tapestry
Takami’s presentation was perhaps the most interesting… and to some extent concerning to me. Takami revealed that she had recently appraised the tapestry and found that it was in relatively good condition. It had been predominantly well protected from sunlight damage and modern lighting, as a thick curtain had shielded the tapestry for a number of years. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard that she found no obvious signs of pest damage to the tapestry, as there is perhaps nothing worse than finding bugs munching away on the historic material and leaving little unwanted droppings!
However, she admitted that her appraisal had been conducted by looking through the glass as the case is firmly sealed shut. It seems strange that the case had been designed this way, because it places the tapestry at such high risk. For instance, the fabric could be damaged if the case was forcibly opened and it would be extremely difficult to remove from the hall if there was a fire. Takami suggested that it would be wise to contact the manufacturer of the cases in order to find out how to open it safely and I couldn’t agree more! Having been woven around the late fifteenth century, the tapestry is one of the oldest tapestries to be still hanging in its original place in Britain. Its survival is of the utmost importance, so this needs to be a priority!
Concluding Remarks
Kate Giles, Mark Webb, Jonathan Foyle and Frederick Hepburn took to the stage for a final time as the conference came to a close. They were asked to summarise their main arguments and to briefly answer why the tapestry was commissioned. It would have perhaps been unrealistic to think that these scholars could unravel all the mysteries surrounding the tapestry in one day, however, their contributions helped to shed further light on the international significance of the tapestry. I hope to see their findings published very soon!
