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The Bayeux Tapestry is a 53 cm by 69 m long embroidered cloth — not an actual tapestry. The tapestry represents the events leading up to the Norman invasion of England and culminates in the Battle of Hastings. It is annotated in Latin. The tapestry consists of a thin strip of white linen, embroidered in eight different coloured wools. It arranges the scenes in a continuous narrative, usually from left to right. In its present state, it is incomplete. Stylistic characteristics and the English spelling and lettering of the Latin captions indicate that the tapestry was made in England, probably at Canterbury. The clarity of conception and the narrative flow of the tapestry indicate that it was designed by one person; its execution must, however, have been achieved by a team, most likely one made up of female embroiderers.
It is generally assumed that the tapestry was commissioned by William the Conqueror's half brother, Bishop Odo. Its precise date is a matter of dispute; it must have been executed after 1066 and before 1097, when Odo died, but in general commentators favour a date before 1082, when the disgraced Odo was imprisoned by William the Conqueror.
It is presently exhibited in a special museum in Bayeux, Normandy, France, with a Victorian replica in Reading, Berkshire, England.
The initial scene, shown in the picture, depicts Edward the Confessor under a canopy as Duke Harold sets off for Bosham.
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