This spring, the Swiss city of Bern hosts an exhibition to delight anyone interested in tapestries and textiles.
From April 25 to August 24, the Historisches Museum of Bern, Switzerland’s capital city, plays host to the most fantastic collection of pieces on loan from all over Europe. Celebrating the life of Charles the Bold, one of the wealthiest and most power-hungry men in Europe during the 15th Century, over 250 tapestries, panels and objets d’art tell the story of Charles and his times and how his ambition eventually cost him his life.
This exhibition will show off Charles’s fabulous Millefleurs Tapestry, the Museum’s treasure. Tapestries were vitally important to the wealthy in the Middle Ages, when central heating was non-existent. If you lived in a castle, your version of central heating was thick, wool wall-hangings or tapestries to keep out cold and drafts that whistled in through gaps in the stones.
Tapestry then consisted of hand-woven patterns using wool, linen thread, silk or sometimes gold or silver thread, on a vertical loom; generally in the form of wall-hangings, but smaller pieces such as table runners were made, too. Many of these were woven with gold or silver threads making them extremely valuable, and sadly, this meant few survived.
During the French Revolution and other troubled times in history they were often burnt to extract the precious metal and, as so few survive, the exhibition in Bern gives us a chance to see one of the most important ever woven.
The name ‘tapestry’ has now come to be given to wall-hangings, even if, like the Bayeux Tapestry, they are actually appliqué work; although the Bayeux is true to the tapestry tradition of telling a story; generally biblical, historical or allegorical. The method of weaving tapestry meant that often the weft threads did not go all the way across from selvage to selvage, but only as far as a particular colour was needed for the design, with different stitches, such as dovetailing, interlocking and creating slits used to give a seamless join. The weaver copied from a drawing, or cartoon; the most famous of these are the Raphael Cartoons now on display in the V & A Museum, London.
Your commissioned tapestry would have cost you the mediaeval equivalent of an arm and a leg, so you wanted to make full use of it. Once commissioned, you installed railings in each of your castles, from which you hung your tapestries. Move castle, and it was a simple matter to take the tapestries down, roll them up and transport them. Even in battle, you might take your tapestries with you – both to over-awe your opponents with your wealth and to keep out draughts in your tent.
Incidentally, one reason for moving so frequently was hygiene. As you and your court lived your life, rubbish and other nasties piled up around the castle. Cooks would throw out bad food, chamber pots were emptied out of windows and a fine layer of smelly muck built up around your dwelling. Eventually when the smell became too overpowering it was time to move on and hope the next castle’s rubbish had biodegraded enough to be sweet smelling.
Charles the Bold and his court were no exception and this exhibition shows the tapestries and other objects he would take from castle to castle. Incredibly ambitious, he spared no expense to let everyone know how important (and rich) he was and this exhibition reflects this power-hungry ethos.
Born in 1433, he became probably the richest man in Europe. His third wife was Margaret of York, sister of Edward IV and Richard III.
It is ironic that the exhibition is being held in Switzerland, as Charles suffered two massive defeats when he went to war against the Swiss Confederation in 1476. He eventually lost his life in the battle of Nancy in 1477, fighting against the French king, Louis XI. As a result of the battle, Louis gained the Flemish town of Arras, famous for its tapestry weaving and, to escape his cruelty, many weavers fled to England starting our tapestry industry.
His life was highly dramatic and he never did anything by halves – including commissioning tapestries. Today, those that are left often have to be stored away from the light, but the museum has developed state-of-the-art lighting, which means we can see them in their glory; probably more clearly than when they were first hung in candle-lit chambers.
The exhibition shows the fabulous Millefleurs (thousand flowers) Tapestry, one of Europe’s treasures. Typical of tapestries of that time, it was woven in Brussels in 1466 and is patterned with thousands of small flowers and plants. It is fascinating to pore over it and discover how many you can recognise. This tapestry was part of the Burgundian booty, captured by the Swiss when Charles lost the battle against them.
Also on display will be a silk brocade cape, made in Italy around 1450, its colours still glowing, and today one of the treasures of the Historisches Museum of Bern.
Bern is not a typical capital city, but does show off the Swiss character of solid worth without show. As you wander around, the streets are full of lovely old houses spilling out flowers, with the river Aare running around the city and museums for everyone. Children can see the most famous St. Bernard dog, Barry, who ended his days here after saving many lost travellers, with his body stuffed and on display.
Bears are Bern’s symbol and you can see them in the bear pit – although next year they move to a more ecologically approved specially built bear-wood.
Complementing the exhibition, there is a medieval adventure park where kids can live out their fantasies and let off steam. If you are looking for something more stimulating, intellectuals can visit the Einstein Museum. Albert Einstein was living in Bern when he discovered his famous Relativity Theory in 1905 and the Historisches Museum has a permanent display honouring him.
The Hotel Bellevue stands proudly overlooking the Aare, next to the Federal Parliament, with fantastic views from the terrace where you dine. Swiss MPs are low-key in comparison to our politicians and you are quite likely to find a couple sitting at the next-door table in whatever restaurant you choose in the centre. Perched on top of the western city gate nearby is the famous Zeitflockenturm (Clock Tower), with its fascinating astronomical clock put up in 1530.
Bern is easy to reach; by train it is around eight hours from London via Paris and if you go by European Rail they have special deals on hotels. By plane, go to Zurich or Geneva and then onward by the incredibly efficient Swiss trains (most train tickets also give free rides on the trams).
Charles may have failed to conquer Switzerland – but today the Swiss have a welcome for anyone interested in tapestries and textiles.
Historisches Museum Bern
Exhibition 25 April – 24th August, 2008
Opening hours: Tue to Sun 10 am to 5 pm
Closed Monday
Entrance (inc. Einsteen Museum) 24 SFrs/12 SFr
Early Bird: Entrance Tues to Fri 8.15 am to 9 am (inc. coffee) 18 SFr
www.karlderkuehne.org
Other useful addresses:
www.berninfo.com
www.europeanrail.com
From March 27 to July 21, 2009 the exhibition transfers to Brugge, in Belgium. It was here that Charles celebrated his marriage to Margaret of York, so the city will be bringing out the flags – and tapestries! Here you can stay in the Duke’s Palace, now part of the Kempinski hotel empire, built by Charles’s father, Philip the Good, to celebrate his marriage, and where he founded the famous order of the Golden Fleece. When Charles married Margaret of York it was the setting for celebrations and later on Cardinal Wolsey stayed here, as did Erasmus, William Caxton and Thomas More.
www.kempinski-bruges.com
www.visitbelgium.com
Pics: Copyright Bern Tourism