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Design for the Field of Cloth of Gold

June 1520

The Field of Cloth of Gold

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  • Intro

    In June 1520, Henry VIII and King Francis I of France met near Calais at the 'Field of Cloth of Gold' in an attempt to strengthen the bond between the two countries. Each king tried to outshine the other, with dazzling tents and clothes, grand feasts, music, jousting, and games. The tents and the costumes included such great quantities of 'cloth of gold' (an expensive fabric woven with silk and gold thread), that the site of the meeting was named after it. These drawings are thought to be the original designs for the tents, which were connected by a series of galleries, following the arrangements of Tudor palaces. Spaces were divided by hangings of rich cloth, enabling the creation of reception rooms, private apartments, chapels and connecting galleries.

     

    Shelfmark: Cotton Ms. Augustus III. 18

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