The Norwegian Baldishol Tapestry, woven approximately 1180.
By Robbie LaFleur
When Sally Reckert, a British tapestry weaver, first wrote with her concept of a new tapestry based on the Baldishol Tapestry, she found several inspirational links for a modern piece. She would use wool for the warp and weft from Scandinavian breeds of sheep, including güte, hefted Swaledale, and Norwegian spelsau, and dye it with natural dyes in colors from the Medieval tapestry. Motifs from the old tapestry appear in the new—a horse, birds, and a standing character–perfect for the upcoming exhibit: The Baldishol: A Medieval Norwegian Tapestry Inspires Contemporary Textiles.
One of Sally Reckert’s early sketches for her Baldishol tapestry
Tapestry is a slow technique, giving time for contemplation and change, and in this case, for the world to change. When she began the tapestry, thinking of future generations, Sally pictured her grandchildren marching with the horse for action on climate change. She revised, planned, and wove through the Northern England winter. But then, as our whole world turned to pandemic and isolation, the figures in the tapestry who step out of the frame now represent something larger. Sally wrote,
“I have personalised motifs from the Baldishol tapestry by depicting my grandchildren and their generation marching towards a future that is unknown to all of us.”
Artists in the Baldishol exhibit have been sending in-process photos. Sally said this one photo represented the “dog’s dinner” stage.
Sally’s “Children March into an Unknown Future” will also be part of an exhibit by the British Tapestry Group, Fabric of the North. The Catalogue for the exhibit is available online already, and in it Sally describes her piece. She lives in Richmond in Yorkshire, England, and notes interesting Nordic connections to her region.
My weaving is inspired by the Norwegian 12th century Baldishol tapestry. The Norsemen were a force for good here in the Northern Dales; bringing their sheep with them in their longboats the men came to find land to farm. The small fragment showing two spring months is all that’s left of the Baldishol tapestry, whereas the influence of the Norsemen in upland farming still remains in place-names, ways of sheep management, land tenancy arrangements and inheritance. Non-conformism developed out of their resilience and support for everyone in the community.
“Children March into an Unknown Future,” (H” x W”): 75cm x 100cm; 29.5″ x 39″
Ties between children and tapestry run deep for Sally; she came to tapestry weaving through volunteering and devising projects for Young Carers, children aged 5-10 who are responsible for the care of parents and siblings with illnesses and addictions. The latest project was a tapestry, “Living Local,” woven by Young Carers alongside Syrian and Iraqi children and members of the Darlington Weaving Rooms, under the guidance of Weaver Jane Riley. See a clip of cutting it off the loom here.
As the Vikings crossed seas to reach England, Sally’s tapestry will cross the ocean to Minnesota in time for the exhibit opening at Norway House on June 26, 2020.
How wonderful to take an antique weaving of such significance and re-imagine it to our modern world.
In many ways they both really compliment each other in their story telling and colour ways. Both splendid examples of what weaving can achieve and how powerful they can be.
Many thanks for this.
Hilary