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4h ago

Petition Tops 40,000 Opposing Bayeux Tapestry Loan to British Museum

Opponents say transporting the fragile medieval textile risks damage.

A close-up view of the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, thought to date to the 11th century, at the Bayeux Museum, France, September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
Image
A close-up view of the Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidered cloth which depicts the events leading up to the Norman conquest of England concerning William, Duke of Normandy, and Harold, Earl of Wessex, thought to date to the 11th century, at the Bayeux Museum, France, September 13, 2019. REUTERS/Charles Platiau/File Photo
The Bayeux Tapestry is displayed in this undated handout photo taken at the Bayeux Museum in Bayeux, Normandy, France.The British Museum/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

Overview

  • Art historian Didier Rykner launched the Change.org petition, which has drawn more than 40,000 signatures.
  • President Emmanuel Macron proposed the loan during a July visit to London as part of a cultural exchange.
  • The British Museum said its conservation and collections teams are experienced and are collaborating with French counterparts on display plans.
  • The Bayeux Museum will close for a two-year renovation later this year, and the French Ministry of Culture will oversee the tapestry’s temporary rehousing.
  • The 70‑metre embroidery has rarely been moved, a history Rykner cites by noting past transfers under Napoleon and during the Nazi occupation.