Bayeux Tapestry will never be hung vertically again, says curator

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 16 Oct, 11:08 · Archive

The Bayeux Tapestry will never be displayed hanging again due to conservation requirements, a British Museum curator has said.

The Bayeux Tapestry, the medieval embroidery depicting the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, will never be displayed hanging again, according to Lloyd de Beer, a curator overseeing its temporary exhibition at the British Museum. The 230-foot artwork is currently on loan from France and displayed lying flat in a climate-controlled case until July next year.

At its usual location in Normandy, the tapestry has hung vertically since 1983. However, experts have been pushing for a decade to display it flat instead, which they regard as the best way to preserve it. De Beer told an audience at the Cheltenham Literary Festival that anyone who saw the tapestry hanging in Normandy previously had witnessed the last time it would ever be displayed that way in their lifetime.

"It will only ever be shown flat or at an angle, depending on the conservation requirements of the object," de Beer said. Future displays in France will use an angular case still being developed. The British Museum's temporary display was agreed in a landmark deal with the French Government, which placed strict rules around light exposure to protect the artwork.

How it is being reported

• Bayeux Tapestry bombshell as British Museum curator admits huge issueThe tapestry will remain in the UK until next July.Daily Express · 16 Oct, 10:55
• British Museum curator admits Bayeux Tapestry 'will never be hung up again'The Bayeux Tapestry "will never be hung up again", a British Museum curator has admitted. At its usual display location in Normandy, the embroidery hangs vertically. However, during its temporary residence in London, the historic artwork, dating back to 1066, has been lying flat in a display case. Experts now say the Bayeux Tapestry may never be seen hung up again. TRENDING Stories Videos Your Say Llyod de Beer, a curator who is overseeing the London exhibition, said experts have long been aware it was not "appropriate" to display the tapestry hanging. "It will not go back to Bayeux and be…GB News · 16 Oct, 04:38

In this story: Bayeux Tapestry · British Museum · Lloyd de Beer · Normandy · France

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem