Preserving image and structure: tapestry conservation in Europe and the United States

Tapestry weaving has been used for millennia to create a fabrics in which the design is integral to the structure, but the term 'tapestry' is synonymous with woven pictorial hangings, the subject of this paper. Since the first tapestries were made, tapestries have been cleaned and repaired...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Lennard, F. (Author)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: 2007-01.
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Summary:Tapestry weaving has been used for millennia to create a fabrics in which the design is integral to the structure, but the term 'tapestry' is synonymous with woven pictorial hangings, the subject of this paper. Since the first tapestries were made, tapestries have been cleaned and repaired. As the loss of warp and weft yarns affects both the image and the structure simultaneously, tapestry restoration and conservation techniques have sought to clarify the image as well as support the structure. This paper analyses the evolution of tapestry conservation techniques in Western Europe and the United States, from the universal use of reweaving to the range of treatments currently employed.