DB Lenck's Mutinous Musings: May 2025

Probably the most famous of Tolkien's paintings - Bilbo comes to the Raft Elves

Last week my friends took me to Aubusson Tolkien Tapestry Exhibition in Paris. Normally these tapestries can only be seen in Aubusson in the tapestry museum there. My friend Astrid had mentioned to me that she had seen them there, and I expressed a desire to see them to - unfortunately Aubusson was a bit too far for one of my day long visits to France, so I reconciled myself to never seeing these tapestries in real life.

Astrid must have pulled a few strings, because the museum decided to exhibit the Tolkien Tapestries as a one off in Paris for a few weeks, to coincide with one of my visits. And so I managed to see them after all!!!

These are absolutely fabulous tapestries, as tall as a room in a museum, beautifully worked by the expert weavers in Aubusson. Sadly they don't make little copies for philistines like me, who like to have such things in their own homes because they can't be bothered to go to Aubusson every weekend. So I shall have to make do with the photos my friend Astrid took, and the various pictures and youtube videos available on-line - I have put a few links below.

Aubusson started their weaving project of reproducing J R R Tolkien's paintings and drawings as large scale tapestries a eight years ago, and it takes a long time to finish even one. This is not as simple as weaving a kelim - there is also a lot of stitching and sewing involved, as you can see in some of the pictures below. The work was undertaken on an eight meter long look, which gives you an idea how large the tapestries are. They have an agreement with the Tolkien Estate to do thirteen tapestries and one carpet, and I think they are done now.

I am a great fan of tapestries, for the same reason that people in the Middle Ages were - they look nice and keep the draft out. Which is kind of important if you don't have central heating.

Anyway, enough wittering on, I hope you enjoy the photos, and do look at some of the links. If you ever hear of these tapestries coming to somewhere near you, do go - you will not be disappointed!!!

Bilbo on a barrel escaping from the wood elves in Mirkwood

The Map of Middle Earth

Bilbo and the dwarves saved by the Eagles - notice Bilbo on the left middle side of the picture.

Bilbo has a chat with Smaug

This is the back side of the Smaug tapestry; it shows all the threads hanging out, which would not be the case if this had been woven like a kelim

Rivendell - the last homely house at the edge of the wilderness

The Trolls - notice the figure of Thorin Oakenshield in the foreground (he was checking for Bilbo, who had been caught by the trolls when he was trying to pinch a purse

Another back of the cloth picture

This is one I had never seen before - it is called the Garden of the Merking's Palace (I assume Merking means Meer King, ie sea king). It comes from the book Roverandom. " A family holiday in Filey on the North Yorkshire coast was marred by the loss of Michael's toy dog on the beach. To calm the children during a particularly stormy night in their cliff-top lodgings, he told them the story of a real dog Rover, who was changed into a toy dog by a passing wizard. Rover had many subsequent adventures including a sojourn under the sea in the Merking's palace before being restored to his true form and to his loving family. The bedtime story told to his children was published posthumously in 1998, as Roverandom". from the museoteca website

The same thing closer up

This is from the Silmarillion. In the tale of Túrin Turambar, a powerful warrior, is prominently featured in the story of Nargothrond, a hidden Elven kingdom. Túrin's arrival draws the dragon Glaurung to the kingdom, and he eventually confronts and slays the dragon.

Another illustration from the Silmarillion - Mithrim, rules by Fingolfin and Fingon.

"The Halls of Mandos stood on the northern shores of Valinor, looking out across theEncircling Sea. They were said to be great cavernous delvings, growing in size as the World aged, and their walls were lined with the tapestries of Námo's spouse Vaire, depicting all the events of unfolding history.

It was to the Halls of Mandos that the spirits of Elves were gathered to await their respective afterlives, and so Mandos was given its name of the Halls of Awaiting. After brief respite in the Halls, the immortal Elves would be re-embodied, and return from the Halls to their kin in Aman. Men followed a mysterious path to the afterlife, a fate which, even among the Lords of Valinor, only Mandos and Manwe truly understood. No one, however, not even Morgoth, could escape the Halls without Mandos's permission." from the Tolkien Gateway