Leslie Fox – Birrus Britannicus
Tapestry weaving gives me most reward when the subject references human industry. The subject here comes from a period when the production of quality woollen goods defined who we were.
A Birrus Britannicus was a cloak favoured by the British at the time of the Roman occupation. Using lanolin-rich wool from native sheep, it was warm and waterproof, and was adopted and traded throughout the Empire. In 301 AD, the Emperor Diocletian set maximum prices for all goods; the only item listed from Britain was the Birrus.
I think of Roman legionaries, shivering on Hadrian’s Wall…