Great Hall--Painted Hangings.
Painted linen cloths were popular in late medieval York. The Barley Hall hangings were based on analysis of surviving samples. Linen canvas was first sized with rabbit-skin glue, then painted with background colors. The final decorations are based on fifteenth-century manuscripts and use hand-ground pigments.

The two painted shields show the initials of William Snawsell and the arms of Joan Thweng, his wife. The birds are parrots. The rose and crown are discussed on the next page.

Photo, left, Lynda Pidgeon; photo, right, York Archaeological Trust. Used with permission.