Sun, 10 Sep 2023 09:00 hour - Count Tapestry Theme Day and Lucets at Radboud Castle

Count Tapestry Theme Day and Lucets at Radboud Castle
Medemblik - Sunday 10 September is again time for medieval crafts at Radboud Castle, during the Graventapijt Theme Day! The Graven Tapestry is a unique multi-year project where a tapestry is made in a medieval way by volunteers. In addition, you can also get to work yourself with Lucets, another form of medieval needlework.

Lucets
Lucetten can be compared to punnicking. The name comes from the two-toothed fork used in this process, a lucet. The sturdy lucet threads were used in the Middle Ages to hold coats closed and tie pouches to belts. 
Grave Carpet Theme Day
During the Tapestry Theme Day, the embroiderers can be found in the Knights' Hall, together with one or more of the tapestries. They will tell more about the project, such as which specific medieval techniques were used. They will also demonstrate how they set the embroidery stitches.

The Grave Tapestry: design and background
In the Middle Ages, it was important to show which family you belonged to. For that, there is the succession series, where you show from your earliest ancestor which important people you are descended from. This is usually done through a tapestry. The design for the Grave Tapestry was made especially for Radboud Castle by medieval expert Marius Bruijn. The tapestry shows the succession of Count Floris V, builder of Radboud Castle. 
Preserving a medieval craft for future generations
Textiles are fragile, so few Western European medieval tapestries have survived. The best known and one of the oldest is the Bayeux Tapestry. With the Tapestry of Bayeux, Radboud Castle wants to restore the craft of these tapestries to their former glory, so that the tradition and methods are preserved for future generations.