Medieval Life and Leisure in Devonshire: Hunting Tapestries - Tapa dura

The four magnificent Devonshire Tapestries housed at the Victoria and Albert Museum are the only great 15th-century tapestries to survive the ravages of time. This book is a celebration of them and offers a unique insight into the world of the late Middle Ages in rich and fascinating detail. Hunting was a favourite pursuit of princes and noblemen in medieval and renaissance Europe. The elaborate rituals of the hunt were an integral part of court life, but not just as a sport - the meat and game provided were vital ingredients of household fare. The tapestries provide a vivid picture of the hunt in all its forms - falconry, hunting for otter, bear, deer, robbing a swans nest for eggs - and are packed with detail. In addition the tapestries are a vital source of information about Medieval dress and fashion. We can learn what textiles and patterns were in favour, what styles and shapes of head-dresses, collars, belts and gowns were fashionable and how clothes were worn and by whom. These beautiful works of art are an unrivalled repository of costume and textile history. Illustrated in full colour with pull out plates showing the complete tapestries in all their glory, this book is a celebration of these unique works of textile art.

Linda Woolley is a Curator in the V&A's Department of Furniture, Textiles and Dress. She has researched and lectured extensively in the field of fashionable dress. She is co-author of Shoes, published by V&A Publications in 1999.