Tapestry of Creation
Romanesque needlework panel of creation myth and calendar.
The Tapestry of Creation, also known as the Girona Tapestry, is a Romanesque panel of needlework from the 11th century, housed in the Museum of the Cathedral of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. It measures 3.65 m × 4.70 m (12.0 ft × 15.4 ft) and is made of wool and linen. Contemporary scholars continue to debate its patronage and intended function in the Church, as well as the exact contents of its missing sections.
- date
- late 11th or early 12th century
- material
- wool and linen
- dimensions
- 3.65 m × 4.70 m (12.0 ft × 15.4 ft)
- location
- Museum of the Cathedral of Girona, Catalonia, Spain
- subject
- Christian creation myth and yearly calendar
- known_for
- second oldest surviving tapestry in Europe
Lore & Background
The Tapestry of Creation is organized in concentric circles surrounded by a border depicting theological scenes related to the Christian creation myth and a description of the yearly calendar. The righthand border and bottom third of the fabric are lost; it is believed the missing sections held a continuation of the months and a space describing the discovery of the True Cross. The central circle features Christ Pantocrator depicted as a beardless young man, holding one hand up in benediction and an abbreviation of 'SANCTUS DEUS' (Holy God). Surrounding Him are concentric circles with quotes from Genesis, and sectors showing the seven days of creation, including the dove symbol of God, darkness and light, the firmament, the sun and moon, birds and fish, earthly animals, and the creation of Eve from Adam's rib.
Reader's Guide
The Tapestry of Creation is significant as a rare surviving example of Romanesque needlework from 11th-century Catalonia, and as the second oldest tapestry in Europe. Its production technique—woolen couched needlework on a terracotta woolen chevron ground—categorically disqualifies it as a true tapestry, according to scholars like Manuel Castiñeiras. The work shows clear Romanesque influences in its Latin tituli and imagery, but also displays a horror vacui and geometric maximalism that some scholars, such as Hansueli Etter, attribute to cross-cultural Islamic influences from the Ottoman Empire. The tapestry's original function remains debated, with theories including use as a baldachin, altar cloth, wall hanging, carpet, or catafalque. Its preservation, despite the loss of a large section, provides valuable insight into medieval textile art and the cultural exchanges of the period.
Did You Know?
- The tapestry is actually a panel of woolen couched needlework, not a true tapestry.
- The missing bottom third is believed to have depicted the Discovery of the True Cross.
- The four winds in the corners are also found in the Beatus of Turin, a manuscript created in the Cathedral of Girona.
- The tapestry underwent restoration in 1880, 1900, 1952, and 1975.
More in Genesis creation narrative 1-24
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