Wroughte in gold and silk: preserving the art of historic tapestries

Abstract

• Wroughte in gold and silk features exceptionally important tapestries from major European collections; and shows the world-class research – scientific, artistic and historical – applied to their preservation. Presenting the interdisciplinary European Community-funded project 'Monitoring of Damage in Historical Tapestries' (MODHT), the research is described in an understandable and practical way, from project conception through to a conservation test case at Hampton Court Palace. The prestigious tapestries selected for the study from the UK’s Royal Collection, the Spanish Royal Collections and several Belgian collections are shown in full colour and described in tandem with new knowledge about their art history and manufacture.