THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

The Circle of Life tapestry was designed by Dan Tarnoveanu of RARA, and executed by a weaver in Bucharest, Romania. It was designed as a single panel.

Tapestry, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, is “a woven decorative fabric, the design of which is built up in the course of weaving.” This tapestry is named relief tapestry, because the design (the tree itself) is in relief (different heights). This handwoven tapestry uses a unique technique—it combines the elements of the hand knotted rug (asymmetrical or Persian knot) with the haute lisse weaving technique. The piles and the threads are made of hand colored wool and the batting (base) is made of cotton. Only three colors were used: dark brown, dark red, and light beige (the natural color of the wool). It was designed as a type of movable monumental decoration for large architectural surfaces.