An Elizabethan Inheritance: The Hardwick Hall Textiles

Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire houses a world-famous collection of 16th and 17th century textile furnishings. The collection ranges from carpets and tapestries to bed sets and cushion covers, many of them decorated with superb embroidery. In this lavishly illustrated and authoritative introduction to the collection, Santina M. Levey places the textiles in their day-to-day context. During the 16th and 17th centuries textiles were of prime importance. They were the major means of providing color, pattern, warmth, and comfort within a house, and their high cost made them the vehicle for an often ostentatious display of wealth.