Tapestry: Warp & Woof for the Ages

No craftsmen on earth work with a greater sense of pride and tradition than the 39 French weavers who today make up the Manufacture des Gobelins. In an old blackened building on the outskirts of Paris whose tradition dates back to the 15th century, they keep 17 high-warp looms busy, moving their shuttles by hand much as their forefathers did in the Middle Ages. Production is slow, averaging only 20 sq. ft. per weaver annually, but the tapissiers know that what they turn out is recognized throughout the world as the finest in tapestry.

Patron State. Their main patron, through...

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