Tapestry Conservation: Principles and Practice

Tapestry Conservation: Principles and Practice......Page 4
Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 10
Editors’ preface......Page 12
Acknowledgements......Page 14
Picture credits......Page 16
List of contributors......Page 18
Tapestry timeline......Page 24
Part One: Context......Page 28
Tapestry weaving......Page 30
Condition......Page 32
Reweaving......Page 34
Conservation stitching......Page 35
Cost of conservation......Page 36
Display......Page 38
References......Page 39
Documentation......Page 40
Condition......Page 41
Specialist craftsmen: the king’s arras-maker and his team......Page 42
Repairs and alterations......Page 43
Conclusion......Page 44
Endnotes......Page 45
References......Page 46
The origin of the Abraham tapestries......Page 47
The Stuart reigns and the Commonwealth......Page 48
The Hanoverian reigns......Page 49
The Victorian era......Page 51
The present day and the future......Page 52
Conclusion......Page 53
References......Page 54
Description and display......Page 55
Treatment history......Page 56
Restoration and conservation begin......Page 57
Conclusion......Page 61
Bibliography......Page 62
Part Two: Documentation and analysis of materials......Page 64
5. The truth will out: the value of tapestry documentation......Page 66
References......Page 73
The tapestry panels......Page 75
A brief history of metal threads......Page 76
The results......Page 77
Conclusion......Page 82
References......Page 83
Part Three: Cleaning......Page 84
Materials......Page 86
Size......Page 87
Reference......Page 88
The troughs......Page 89
The drum......Page 90
The wash floor......Page 91
Specialist installation in Belgium......Page 92
References......Page 94
The first cleaning laboratory......Page 95
A step forward......Page 96
The present......Page 97
Advantages and improvements......Page 99
References......Page 100
Characteristics of the tapestry cleaning system using aerosol suction......Page 101
Control of unstable dyes......Page 103
Reduction of mechanical action......Page 104
Cleaning very or extremely dirty tapestries......Page 105
Cleaning the back of exceptionally dirty tapestries......Page 106
References......Page 107
Solvent cleaning......Page 108
Spot cleaning......Page 109
Immersion......Page 111
Solvent cleaning equipment......Page 112
Conclusion......Page 113
References......Page 114
(a) Support systems......Page 116
Weave technique......Page 118
Stitching technique......Page 120
Example of conservation treatment......Page 121
Conclusion......Page 122
References......Page 123
Case history: The Lamentation......Page 124
Removal of past repairs......Page 125
Development of grid support......Page 126
Conclusion......Page 127
Reference......Page 128
Attaching the consolidation fabrics......Page 129
Removal of old repairs......Page 130
Lining......Page 131
The characteristics and advantages of the methods of intervention......Page 132
References......Page 133
The method......Page 135
Evaluation......Page 137
Long-term assessment......Page 138
Reference......Page 139
Degradation of tapestry top covers......Page 140
Method of attachment of tapestry top cover to seat furniture frame......Page 142
Temporary removal of top covers for treatment......Page 143
Support stitching of top covers......Page 144
Stitching trials......Page 145
Combining all aspects......Page 146
Reapplication of top covers......Page 147
References......Page 148
Description and condition......Page 150
The treatment......Page 151
Evaluating the technique......Page 153
References......Page 154
(b) Image reintegration......Page 156
Factors influencing the choice of treatments for missing areas......Page 158
Case history 1......Page 159
Case history 2......Page 160
Conclusion......Page 163
References......Page 164
Visual infilling using couching stitching......Page 165
Dyed fabric infills......Page 167
Acknowledgements......Page 170
References......Page 171
Support methods and conservation techniques......Page 172
A combination of restoration and conservation techniques......Page 173
Reweaving of areas of loss......Page 174
The use of printing pigments and the technique of serigraphy......Page 175
Endnotes......Page 178
References......Page 179
(c) Different approaches......Page 180
21. Tapestry conservation at the Metropolitan Museum of Art......Page 182
Case study: Courtiers in a Rose Garden......Page 183
Case studies: fragile tapestry fragments and small hangings......Page 187
References......Page 189
22. Tapestries on long-term view at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: a synthesis of treatment options......Page 190
Early treatment campaigns......Page 191
Conservation treatment preferences, goals and rationale......Page 192
Preparation for full support treatment: research and equipment......Page 193
Attachment of the full support: techniques and materials......Page 194
Some differences between methods......Page 195
Conclusion and future planning......Page 196
References......Page 197
Wawel Collections......Page 198
Wartime evacuation of the textile collection......Page 199
New conservation problems......Page 200
Future prospects......Page 201
Bibliography......Page 203
24. The conservation of tapestries in Bavaria......Page 204
Cleaning......Page 205
Conservation techniques......Page 206
Display......Page 208
Conclusion......Page 210
References......Page 211
Context for the case studies......Page 212
Conservation treatment......Page 213
Case study 2: the tapestry Reception with Nuptial Banquet......Page 214
Condition assessment......Page 215
Conclusion......Page 216
Bibliography......Page 217
Part Five: Maintenance and display......Page 218
26. Made to fit: reinstating a set of tapestries and painted panels into the Audley End Tapestry Room......Page 220
Support......Page 221
Installation......Page 223
Conclusion......Page 225
Reference......Page 226
Managing visitor access......Page 227
Condition monitoring......Page 228
Historical precedents......Page 229
First aid treatments......Page 230
Hanging mechanisms......Page 231
Stitch in time......Page 232
References......Page 233
28. Removing large tapestry hangings from display......Page 234
The tapestry Alexander Visiting Diogenes at Dyrham Park......Page 235
Conclusion......Page 238
References......Page 239
Determination of lightfastness......Page 240
Interpretation......Page 242
Climatic environment......Page 245
Conclusion......Page 247
References......Page 248
Part Six: Current research projects......Page 250
30. Monitoring of damage to historic tapestries (MODHT): a European research project......Page 252
Bibliography......Page 253
Isotropic and anisotropic materials......Page 254
Stress–strain behaviour......Page 255
Long-term strain behaviour......Page 258
Sensors for strain monitoring......Page 259
References......Page 261
Conservation treatment......Page 262
Cleaning......Page 264
Unpublished reports......Page 265
S......Page 268
W......Page 269
C......Page 270
L......Page 271
T......Page 272
W......Page 274