Tapestry

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Tapestry is a form of textile art in Westeros and Essos.

About

Tapestry is a heavy woven textile with intricate designs suitable for wall-hangings. Presumably, it is traditionally woven on a vertical, or floor loom, as it is in our world.

It is likely that the tapestry weavers use fabric such as linen or cotton or wool. Threads may include silk, gold, silver [1] and perhaps other alternatives. Tapestries have been in existence for a long time, some are ancient. [2] It is likely that they are very valuable, it is mentioned in ADWD that some tapestries are considered priceless. [2]

Tapestries can be very ornate, for example, depicting the story of a great battle, event or famous people etc. Westerosi noble houses have tapestries portraying their family histories that remain in their families the generations, hence some of them having a worn appearance. Many tapestries are likely considered treasured family heirlooms. They are also useful way of paying homage to and remembering prideful histories down the generations. They also serve as a subtle reminder as to who their heroes and adversaries really are.

In Essos the Norvoshi are known as masters at creating fine tapestries that are renowned the world over. The Free City of Qohor is known for its fine tapestries.

According to legend, the Grey King's Hall had been warmed by Nagga's living fire and on the walls hung tapestries made of silver seaweed.

Mobility

Unlike murals or other fixed forms of art tapestries are not tied to the architecture, a tapestry may be removed from a wall and rolled up for transport to another location, or storage. Xaro Xhoan Daxos is easily able to take an old large tapestry by ship from Qarth to Meereen, it takes four Qartheen sailors to bear it rolled on their shoulders to be delivered to Queen Daenerys Targaryen.

A tapestry may depict people, events or times that are now out of favour under the current regime. In that case the important but offending tapestry can merely be stored away if need be - instead of having to be destroyed.

For example, when King Robert's entourage traveled north to Winterfell, they stayed at Darry castle both en route and returning. The Darrys were known Targaryen loyalists. On the outbound stop, Tyrion discovered tapestries, woven portraits of all the Targaryen kings, from the first Aegon to the second Aerys which had been taken down by House Darry and hidden away in the cellars for the duration Robert's visit. This is a very good indication that despite the fall of House Targaryen and despite the loss of half their lands, most of their wealth, and almost all their power House Darry remained quietly steadfast in their loyalty to House Targaryen by the retention and display of these tapestries in the privacy of their own domain.

Known tapestries

Westeros

Essos

Recent Events

A Game of Thrones

When King Robert's entourage traveled north to offer the Handship to Eddard Stark, they stayed at Darry both en route and returning. On the outbound stop, Tyrion discovered tapestries depicting the Targaryen kings which had been taken down by House Darry and hidden away in the cellars for the duration King Robert's visit.

Viserys Targaryen was aware that the Darrys were still displaying Targaryen tapestries fifteen years after Robert's Rebellion.

A Feast for Crows

Ser Arys Oakheart recalls that there is a tapestry of Lord Edgerran Oakheart at Old Oak depicting him sitting with a hundred Dornishmen’s heads piled around his feet. [4]

Ser Arys Oakheart also recalls that there is a tapestry depicting member of the Kingsguard Ser Olyvar Oakheart all in white dying beside King Daeron I in Dorne. [5]

Ser Arys Oakheart thinks of Alester Oakheart and the Oakheart tradition of killing Dornishmen. [6] He recalls that there is a tapestry at Old Oak depicting Alester Oakheart in the Prince's Pass, blowing a warhorn. [7]

After the Battle of the Shield Islands Lucas Codd and Quellon Humble tore Lord Hewett's tapestries from his hall’s wall to serve as cloaks.

Cersei mentions that she received a letter from Petyr Baelish beseeching her to ship him some old tapestries’ of Robert’s. Later Petyr mentions to Sansa that Cersei is sending him some splendid tapestries.

A Dance with Dragons

While visiting Daenerys Targaryen in Meereen the merchant prince Xaro Xhoan Daxos gifts her with a tapestry that has been in his family vaults since before the Doom that took Valyria [1]. Xaro uses it in his attempt to persuade her to abandon Meereen and travel by sea to Westeros.

Dany stood by Xaro’s side and examined the tapestry when it was unrolled; it is old, dusty, faded... and huge. It is beautiful and covers half the floor. The seas are a blue silk sea; the lands are green, the mountains black and brown. Cites are shown as stars in gold or silver thread. Daenerys realises that the tapestry depicts the world prior to the Doom cataclysm - there is no Smoking Sea; Valyria is not yet an island. Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen are three silver stars beside the blue of Slaver's Bay.

After failing to convince Dany Xaro threatens her and she tells him to leave - but he neglects to take the tapestry with him. Dany then seats herself upon her ebon bench and gazes across the blue silk sea to Westeros, silently vowing to herself "One Day".

In Meereen, inside the heart of the Great Pyramid, on the walls of the King Hizdahr zo Loraq’s apartments, there are priceless tapestries. The tapestries are ancient and much faded and depict the glory of the Ghiscari Empire. The largest of them show the last survivors of a defeated Valyrian army passing beneath the yoke and being chained. [2] After slaying the pit fighter Khrazz in the heart of the Great Pyramid Ser Barristan Selmy finds Daenerys’s husband Hizdahr zo Loraq, Fourteenth of His Noble Name, hiding behind one of these tapestries, whimpering, begging to be spared.

Jaime observes that castle Darry’s walls are still bare. He recalls that Tyrion had pointed out the squares of darker stone where the tapestries hand once hung. Ser Rymun could remove the hangings but not the marks they’d left. Jaime reveals that Tyrion slipped a handful of stags to one of Darry’s serving men for the key to the cellar where the missing tapestries were hidden. Tyrion showed them to Jaime by light of a candle.

Quotes

He went but left his world behind. [1]

- Daenerys’s thoughts after Xaro Xhoan Daxos left her presence - he neglected to take his family’s ancient tapestry map of the world with him.

Hanged, Ami. Your father was not a tapestry.

- Mariya Darry, correcting her daughter’s bad grammar. [8]

References and Notes

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 16, Daenerys III.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 A Dance with Dragons, Chapter 67, The Kingbreaker.
  3. A Game of Thrones, Chapter 57, Sansa V.
  4. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight
  5. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight
  6. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight
  7. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 13, The Soiled Knight
  8. A Feast for Crows, Chapter 30, Jaime IV.