The Bayeux Tapestry, a world-famous 11th-century artwork, has arrived back in Britain after an absence of almost 1,000 years. The tapestry, which is actually an embroidery of dyed wool stitched onto a bleached linen background, depicts the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066.
Historic Artifact
The tapestry was created 960 years ago and is believed to have been commissioned by William the Conqueror’s half-brother, Bishop Odo, to adorn his new cathedral in Bayeux in 1077. The most famous scene on the embroidery shows Harold being killed by an arrow to the eye at the Battle of Hastings.
The journey that the tapestry took to arrive at the British Museum in London, where it will be on display between September and July 2027, was executed with military precision after intense planning on both sides of the English Channel. A top-secret operation moved the historic artifact from its permanent home in the northwestern French town of Bayeux to Folkestone on the coast of Kent, southeast England.
Display and Preservation
Over the next few weeks, the tapestry will undergo a range of condition checks before it is installed in a custom showcase ahead of what is certain to be a blockbuster exhibition, opening in September. The museum recorded the single biggest day of ticket sales in its history, generating more than £2.4 million ($3.2 million) in sales in the first 24 hours.
Original reporting: KEYT (Ventura/Santa Barbara) — read the source article.
