arts
Published 28th May 2021
Restoration of 16th-century English tapestries nears completion after 20 years
Written by Maev Kennedy
This article was originally published by The Art Newspaper, an editorial partner of CNN Style.
Conservation work that began 20 years ago on a giant set of 16th-century tapestries is almost complete: 12 down as the most recently cleaned and repaired panel goes back on the wall at England s Hardwick Hall, where they have hung since 1592 and one to go, now on its way to the workshop.
The job has been the lengthiest textile project ever carried out by the British heritage charity, the National Trust. Each panel is around six meters (20 feet) tall, and the 13 add up to more than 70 meters (230 feet) in length, the largest surviving set in England.
Published : 27 May 2021
The National Trust’s longest running conservation project takes an important step forward with a carefully conserved tapestry from a 440-year-old set being brought back to Hardwick Hall in Derbyshire.
It is the 12th tapestry of the set of 13 to be conserved and returned to Hardwick Hall, after several years in the care of specialist textile conservators.
The work on the tapestries is the Trust’s largest textile conservation project, having started in 2001, and will not be completed until 2023.
As the penultimate one returns to Hardwick from its conservation treatment, the final tapestry has begun its journey to the Trust’s specialist Textile Conservation Studio in Norfolk, for a process expected to take 24 months.
A stitch in time: Giant 16th century tapestry gets restored in project that started way back in 2001
The artwork is the 12th of 13 pieces to be restored in a project that began in 2001
Tapestries are among oldest surviving in Britain and have hung at Hardwick Hall
Placed side by side tapestries will be nearly as long as four double decker buses