Preserving royal tapestries
Since Hampton Court Palace is no longer in use by the Royal Family, visitors are allowed inside and can view the tapestries that are on permanent display. Therefore, the preservation of the textiles in these tapestries and the significance of their future care are important concerns. As such, an interdisciplinary group of conservation scientists and curators have provided indicators of physiochemical change as well as damage assessment for characterising tapestries. Models of tapestries were designed according to traditional methods and were then artificially aged. This has enabled a further understanding of degradation as well as the changes in fibre strength and colour. Following this, a report was produced which gathered information regarding the display history of tapestry in the UK Royal Collection at Hampton Court Palace which details the curatorial history of the entire collection. It also covers the tapestry's historical acquisition and its use up to present day. Because of its international significance, this tapestry is represented in detail in archival sources. The condition of fibre and fabric is crucial for the preservation of tapestries and will help to determine their treatment in the future.
