The Tapestries
The tapestries at the Burrell Collection – of which there are some 200 – date from the early 14th century to the late 17th century. Gathered from across Europe, with works from England, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Flanders, the Netherlands and Switzerland, they form one of the most important collections of tapestries in the world. Burrell had a network of trusted dealers scattered over Europe whom he used as his agents, and the majority of his tapestry collection was acquired in the decade leading up to World War II.
Large though this section of the museum is, there is only room to display a quarter of the tapestries at any given time, with huge, wall-sized works hanging alongside small pieces. The tapestry has long been a vessel for religious appreciation, its intricate woven surface a chance to depict biblical scenes, and so it is with some of the finest works on show at the Burrell. The Bible Tapestry, woven in Germany around 1550, takes 36 stories from the Old and New Testaments, from Adam and Eve’s fall from grace, through Abraham’s sacrifice of Isaac, and on to the birth of Jesus, knitting them together into a large, and beautifully detailed narrative. Other tapestries look almost abstract – one depicts flowers in a way that presages far more modern design techniques. Uniformly, though, they are works that can be gazed upon for hours; rich in colour and story, and unparalleled in technique.