10mc02-MT-2012_Turin, Royal Palace, J. De Vos, Mars or Allegory of War (tape), inv. 5024

Facilitated description: 

 

Mars or Allegory of War is a tapestry made by Jocodus De Vos in 1709-1712. Tapestry is a large handmade fabric to the loom (sewing tool) that hangs to decorate the walls. The tapestry represents at the center the god of war between drawings of plants and flowers.
The tapestry is kept at the Royal Palace of Turin.
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the tapestry in 2012.
The restorers have dismantled the lining (canvas that you put behind the tapestry to reinforce it) to clean behind the tapestry. They cleaned the tapestry from dust with special vacuum cleaners and sponges.
They sewed the loose threads.
They put a new lining behind the tapestry.
In the end they sewed an adhesive band at the top to hang the tapestry.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The restoration of the tapestry of the Royal Palace of Turin Mars or Allegory of War, inv. 5024 was held on the occasion of the exhibition The King's paintings. The collections of Prince Eugene, leader and intellectual. Collectionism between Vienna, Paris and Turin in the early eighteenth century (Reggia di Venaria, Sala delle Artio, 5 April - 9 September 2012). 

Restoration

The intervention began with the dismantling of the tapestry from the lining to allow cleaning operations from dust and dirt deposits with micro and macro suction. The tests carried out showed that 8 steps are necessary to obtain a complete cleaning of the surface. The most tenacious layer of powder, on the other hand, has been eliminated by mechanical action with vulcanized latex sponges. Along the upper horizontal selvedge, where there were some holes with lack of wefts and breakage of the warps, an additional restoration intervention was carried out with weaving ex novo with an enlarged weft of the original dark brown wefts, they use suitable specially dyed wool yarns. A general revision of the seams was then carried out and fastening points were applied at the weakened seams. The tapestry was fitted with a new linen lining, which was stopped in a system of checkerboard threads in the direction of the wefts and along the edge of the cloth. Finally, on the upper side a band of Velcro tape was sewn for the exhibition of the work. 

 

Bibliography

S. Ghisotti, Sheet 2.3, in The King's paintings. The collections of Prince Eugene, leader and intellectual. Collectionism between Vienna, Paris and Turin in the early eighteenth century (catalogue), edited by C. E. Spantigati, Milan, Silvana Editore, 2012, pp. 182-183.