90m-long tapestry spins yarn of Game Of Thrones

Seamstresses working on the final section of a tapestry depicting the gory battles of hit television series Game of Thrones at Ulster Museum in Belfast. The tapestry, woven of fine linen, includes the show's icons, like its "blood red weddings" and "
Seamstresses working on the final section of a tapestry depicting the gory battles of hit television series Game of Thrones at Ulster Museum in Belfast. The tapestry, woven of fine linen, includes the show's icons, like its "blood red weddings" and "cold-blue White Walkers", which were pivotal in the blood-and-guts HBO drama. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

BELFAST • In a museum in Belfast, seamstresses are at work depicting gory battles and warring kings in shimmering threads of red and gold - an epic homage to the TV phenomenon Game Of Thrones.

The volunteers at Ulster Museum are putting the final touches to a 90m-long tapestry depicting all eight seasons of the fantasy saga, which reached its dramatic conclusion in May.

Game Of Thrones, which first hit screens in 2011, was produced and chiefly filmed in studios in Belfast and the Northern Irish countryside.

"A tapestry is, more than anything else, a great storytelling device," said Ms Valerie Wilson, costume and textiles curator at the National Museums Northern Ireland.

"The length of the tapestry allows the story to unfold. So, in many ways, it's the perfect medium for telling the story of the Game Of Thrones project."

Styled in the manner of the treasured Bayeux Tapestry, which depicts the 11th-century Norman conquest of England, the panels of the piece are woven by machine before the finishing touches are put on by hand.

For two years, a team of 30 has been at work stitching embellishments on the show's icons, like its "blood red weddings" and "cold-blue White Walkers", which were pivotal in the blood-and-guts HBO drama. Such is the graphic nature of the handiwork that the museum's display comes with a warning that viewing the tapestry is not suitable for anyone under the age of 18.

The team has been working on depicting the eighth and final season of the series.

Participants - like actors in the show - were forced to sign non-disclosure agreements to maintain the shroud of secrecy. After the embellishments are put on, the final panels will be added to the snaking display of seasons one to seven already on show to museum visitors.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on July 08, 2019, with the headline 90m-long tapestry spins yarn of Game Of Thrones. Subscribe