The Bayeux Tapestry

The Bayeux Tapestry is long embroidered cloth (not an actual tapestry), which explains the events leading up to the 1066 Norman invasion of England as well as the events of the invasion itself. The tapestry is annotated in Latin and is 50 cm by 70m (20 in by 230 ft) long. It is exhibited in a special museum in Bayeux, Normandy, France.

French legend maintained the tapestry was commissioned and created by Queen Matilda, William the Conqueror's wife, but analysis in 20th century shows it probably was commissioned by William's half brother Bishop Odo and designed and constructed in England by Anglo-Saxon artists.

The Bayeux tapestry is embroidered in wool yarn on a tabby-woven linen (plain weave) ground using two methods of stitching: outline or stem stitch for lettering and the outlines of figures and couching or laid work for filling in figures. The main yarn colours are terracotta or russet, blue-green, dull gold, olive green and blue with small amounts of dark blue or black and sage green.