Bradford carpet - Definition and Overview

The Bradford Carpet was made in the late 17th century and was originally belonged to the Earl of Bradford at Castle Bromwich.

The carpet measures 16 x 6 feet. In the Victoria and Albert Museum it covers an entire wall. However, it was made neither for wall nor floor, but as a table covering.

The carpet is worked in fine tent-stitch, a form of canvas work. It is a typical example of Elizabethan embroidery, due to the use of silk thread, and because of the depiction of rural life in a simple, realistic way. The field desgin is a grape vine trellis and a pastoral landscape is depicted on the wide border. See also: carpet