These 1532 carved spandrels over the doorway leading to the Great Hall at Hampton Court were severely deteriorating. Carved from soft Reigate stone, they were powdering, blistering and delaminated and in danger of further loss of material. I undertook a stabilisation project for these decorative pieces; consolidating the stone and putting in repairs where neccessary to hold and protect the vulnerable edges – to both secure the delicate carvings and to make them more visually coherent to the viewer. This project was part of a larger programme which addressed structural problems with the associated doorway.
The Great Hall houses the famous Story of Abraham series of c16th tapestries, believed to have been commissioned by Henry VIII specifically for the decoration of this hall. The tapestries were recently the subject of a ground-breaking project, which sought, via light projection – following extensive analysis of the unfaded back of one of the tapestries, to return its colours to their original appearance. More information about this virtual restoration project can be found here: http://www.hrp.org.uk/conservation/conservation-projects/conservation-at-hampton-court-palace/henry-viiis-tapestries-revealed/#gs.QEJHJd0
