Interior decoration in sixteenth-century England

Painted cloths were a common form of decoration in the 16th century; along with other types of textile hangings, they served both as a form of decoration and insulation. Unlike tapestries, which were only found in the houses of the wealthy, painted cloths were common even in lower status dwellings. They were painted in bright colours and included large-scale figurative, narrative and ornamental decoration.
The Bayleaf painted cloth project was initiated and managed by the museum’s social historian, Dr Danae Tankard, who commissioned it from Hastings-based artist Melissa White. The scheme is of bold alternate stripes - one featuring a pomegranate motif and one featuring rosettes in a trellis. The top of the design features a border of large open pomegranates with brown acanthus leaves with black veins.