Cloth of State (UK)

Henry VIII sitting under and in front of a Cloth of State Henry VIII sitting under and in front of a Cloth of State From: The Family of Henry VIII, now at Hampton Court Palace, c. 1545. Oil on canvas. Artist unknown.

By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the Cloth of State in England was a set consisting of a canopy (called a ceeler) and a long back (tester) hung against the wall. The set hung above and behind the monarch's throne. It was often made of very rich damask, brocade or velvet cloth and embroidered with armorial (such as a coat-of-arms) designs.

The embroideries were made in the royal ateliers under the supervision of the King’s embroiderer.

The Cloth of State is also known as Canopy of State, Cloth of Estate and Canopy of Estate.

Source: WARDLE, Patricia (1995). 'The King’s Embroiderer: Edmund Harrison (1590-1667), pt. II. His work,' Textile History, 26, pp. 148-149.

GVE

Last modified on Monday, 24 April 2017 18:18
Published in Secular ceremonies and rituals
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