The Inventory of King Henry VIII

This is the first of three volumes of commentary to be published, which will consist of twenty-four essays written by the leading experts on Tudor art and artefacts and which will discuss the principal categories recorded in the Inventory in their historical and archaeological context. Among the subjects covered in Volume II are the tapestry collection of Henry VIII, accounts of the tents and revels, which provided the settings and costumes for court entertainments, and the Great Wardrobe, which served as a warehouse for the King’s large and valuable stores of textiles, and a study of the vestments and textiles associated with royal worship. Altogether, the essays in this volume combine the histories of material culture, religion, politics and ceremony in a unique way that would not have been possible before the establishment of the Inventory Project twenty years ago. The essays are richly illustrated, with many of the plates in colour and where possible, images of surviving pieces have been included. Volume II will be followed by two further volumes, entitled Arms, Armour and Ordnance and Decorative Arts and Everyday Objects.