Stargazer 1750 - 1800

This 'Stargazer' panel was likely made in France, and is a silk tapestry woven on a low-warp loom. It's a reminder of the global silk trade, which flourished in Europe from the 17th century onwards. What’s great about silk is its natural sheen. The light catches on the thread, giving it a lustrous appearance and the ability to hold rich colors, as you can see here. But silk doesn't just look good. It's also incredibly strong, making it ideal for tapestries like this one, designed to last for generations. But what about the process of making this panel? Weaving is a slow and painstaking process, involving interlacing warp and weft threads to create a design. On a low-warp loom, the weaver sits at the loom, working from a cartoon or design placed beneath the warp threads. The weaver would have used a shuttle to pass the weft threads through the warp, carefully building up the image. Remember, tapestries like these were luxury items. They reflected the wealth and status of their owners, and the skills of the artisans who made them. The 'Stargazer' panel invites us to think about the labor, materials, and global connections involved in its making, and how these factors shape our appreciation of the work today.