Literary notes about tapestry (AI summary)
In literature, “tapestry” is employed both as a vivid, tangible object and as an evocative metaphor for complexity and interconnection. On the literal level, authors describe luxurious, intricately woven wall hangings that enhance settings—from the decorative chamber of a king ([1]) to secret passageways revealed in classic adventures ([2], [3]). Meanwhile, tapestry also serves figuratively to depict the intermingling layers of society and fate, as in Wharton’s subtle portrayal of one’s place behind the “social tapestry” ([4]). This dual usage—celebrating both the physical beauty of woven art ([5], [6]) and symbolizing the intricate, multifaceted nature of life ([7], [8])—demonstrates how the term has enriched the literary landscape, weaving together themes of craft, mystery, and human experience.
- The large hall was covered with costly cloth and tapestry, and adorned with great expense.
— from Heimskringla; Or, The Chronicle of the Kings of Norway by Snorri Sturluson - A door hidden in the tapestry opened noiselessly and a man in black silently advanced and stood behind the chair on which Mazarin sat.
— from Twenty years after by Alexandre Dumas and Auguste Maquet - Yes, there was the tapestry door.
— from The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett - Lily had an odd sense of being behind the social tapestry, on the side where the threads were knotted and the loose ends hung.
— from The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton - The bed was adorned with the same rich tapestry, and surrounded with curtains dyed with purple.
— from Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott - Early one morning the queen went into the bath-room; it was built of marble, and had soft cushions, trimmed with the most beautiful tapestry.
— from Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen by H. C. Andersen - They are like black holes burned by torches in a Tyrian tapestry.
— from Salomé: A Tragedy in One Act by Oscar Wilde - The cause he knew, For which he was so closely pent; And as, where'er he went, In that magnificent abode, Both tapestry and canvas show'd
— from Fables of La Fontaine — a New Edition, with Notes by Jean de La Fontaine
