One of the oldest examples of British chinoiserie — a rare type of eastern-inspired tapestry — will return to public view this weekend after its latest brush with disaster.
The pieces by John Vanderbank Snr, the leading weaver of the early 18th century, have been painstakingly restored and will go on show at the Vyne country house in Hampshire eight years after they were saved from a leaking roof.
The scrape was the latest in a series for the tapestries, which were once chopped apart by their owner. Wiggett Chute, who owned the Vyne in the 19th century, wanted a place to hide from his 11 children and resolved to make himself a billiard room using the tapestries for walls. You can see the results of his handiwork today. For example, half a bird is missing and a pagoda has been cloven in two.
A fundraising drive raised £382,000 for the latest renovation.
Rachel Langley, the National Trust’s senior textile conservator, said the work required more than 3,000 hours of stitching. “But they are so quirky and charming there was always something to enjoy.”
