The producers of the programme initially contacted the Embroiderers’ Guild about the making of a special artwork in stitch form, as a backdrop to the official launch of the fifth series. The image was selected by HBO in December 2015 and features one of the most intense battle scenes in TV history. It was completed and presented to HBO Home Entertainment on the 18th March 2016.
The series is set in the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos and interweaves several plot lines. Many of the characters, plots and settings in the books and their filmed adaptations are derived from various events in European history, including the English War of the Roses. The embroidery depicts the massacre that takes place in the fifth season. Two of the heroes of the series, Jon Snow and Tormund Giantsbane, together with other members of the Night’s Watch, arrive at the Wildling town of Hardhome, to try and convince the inhabitants to fight against the White Walkers and the wights. The town's people do not trust Jon Snow and refuse to help him and eventually nearly everyone from the town is killed by the White Walkers and their army. The Night King, who is associated with the White Walkers, raises the Wildling dead in the form of even more wights to carry on the fighting.
The main figure in the embroidery is the Night King, with the battle and the people of Hardhome and the wights depicted in the background. The finished embroidery is 6 x 4 m in size. It was made by the Embroiderer’s Guild, the Royal School of Needlework, Fine Cell Work and Hand & Lock. It consists of a wide variety of hand and machine decorative needlework techniques, including appliqué , beading, digital printing, machine embroidery, metal thread work, quilting, as well as surface stitching. It took over fifty people more than 30,000 hours to complete.
Embroiderers’ Guild artistic director Anthea Godfrey, who oversaw the project, said: "This has been an amazing project that truly has brought the embroidery community together across the whole of the UK."
The embroidery was on display at the Crossing Gallery (Granary Building, 1 Granary Square, London) for one weekend only (18-19 March 2016).
See also Game of Thrones tapestry (Belfast).
Digital sources:
- http://www.handembroidery.com/battle-of-hardhome/?dm_i=3OIY,S07,CG492,1S5N,1 (retrieved 12 June 2016).
- https://embroiderersguild.com/index.php?page_no=869 (retrieved 19 March 2016).
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 14 August 2020).
GVE