The Bayeux Tapestry, a world-famous 11th-century artwork, has arrived back in Britain after an absence of almost 1,000 years. The journey was executed with military precision after intense planning on both sides of the English Channel.
Historic Artifact
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. It is believed to have been created in or around the cathedral city of Canterbury, in southeast England, and was likely commissioned by William the Conqueror’s half-brother, Bishop Odo.
The tapestry was transported from its permanent home in the northwestern French town of Bayeux to Folkestone on the coast of Kent, southeast England, under police escort. It was then conveyed to the British Museum in London by a Dutch specialist art transportation firm, Hizkia.
Exhibition
The Bayeux Tapestry will be on display at the British Museum in London between September and July 2027. The museum has spent the past year working with Hizkia and the culture ministries of Britain and France to ensure the smooth transfer of the historic artifact.
Over the next few weeks, the tapestry will undergo a range of condition checks before it is installed in a custom showcase ahead of the exhibition. 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 after the online box office opened.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
