TheBradford Carpet is acanvas workembroidery made in the early 17th century (ca. 1600–1615) that originally belonged to theEarl of Bradford atCastle Bromwich.[1]
The carpet measures 16 by 6 feet (4.9 m × 1.8 m). In theVictoria and Albert Museum it covers an entire wall. However, it was made neither for wall nor floor, but as a table covering. Its 17-inch-wide (430 mm) border was designed to hang down over the edges of a table, and it would have been removed or covered with a linen cloth when the table was used.[2]
The carpet is worked withsilkembroidery thread intent stitch on alinen ground.[1][3] The stitching is very fine (400 stitches/inch, 62 stitches/cm[2]) and was worked in at least 23 different colours.[1] The tension of the tent stitches over time has distorted the shape of the carpet. It is characteristic of professional canvas work popular for furnishings in theElizabethan era.[2] The field design is agrape vine trellis. The border, thought to represent human progression from a wild state to civilisation,[4] depicts a variety of country pursuits set against apastorallandscape, described as "perhaps the finest range ofgenre scenes to come down to us from Elizabethan times".[1] Amanor house,shepherd, travelling vendor with his packhorse, lords and ladies,hunting scenes,milkmaids,millers,water mills andwindmills are all shown.[1][2]
