Bestiary

If only textiles could talk! Dive into the symbolism used in historical fabrics and follow us as we write a glossary of medieval animal symbols used in textiles – our own Medieval bestiary!

Dive into the mysteries of Medieval symbolism with us.

Historical fabrics are habit-forming. Once you’ve had a chance to get a good look or, better still, get your hands on them, you’ll never see historical textiles the same way again. It’s an unrepeatable aesthetic experience that is hard to describe. Intricate patterns laid out in harmonic interplay, lively colors, fascinating textures; it all comes together to make art. Real art. And there you are; after that first sigh, you’ll find that historical textiles have pulled you in. They are more than just technological miracles of their time, more than simply unbelievably beautiful; they are also laden in symbolism.

The patterns chosen for these fabrics may have been influenced by fashions of the time, but they also carried with them a rich semantic tradition. Fabric was more than just a fancy material for a beautiful garment or accessory, it was bound up with a wealth of meaning. Creatures both real and imagined such as the phoenix or the dragon and items such as pearl roundels and pomegranates were all used in Medieval fabrics with purpose and meaning. It is worth knowing these symbols. We offer a few entries into our own Medieval bestiary!

The hare as Medieval textile symbol

24.04.2023 Bestiary

Depictions of hares on textiles of this period are not entirely common, which makes it all the more surprising how rich in symbolism these creatures were.

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