16-MT-2010_Milano, Villa Necchi Campiglio (FAI), Episode Bellico (tape)

Facilitated description: 

 

War Episode is a tapestry (a large canvas work that hangs to decorate the walls). 
The tapestry represents a battle scene. 
The tapestry was made in 1600. 
The tapestry is kept at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milan. 
Villa Necchi Campiglio is an asset of the Italian Environment Fund. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the tapestry in 2010. 
The restorers have dismantled the lining (canvas behind the tapestry). 
They cleaned the tapestry of dust with a small vacuum cleaner. 
They ran tests to see if the tissue was losing color in the water. 
They removed all the sewn parts during the old restorations. 
They stopped the detached parts of the fabric.
They washed the tapestry in a large tub. 
They dried the tapestry. 
They sewed the missing fabric parts using different methods.
In the end they put behind the tapestry a new lining and at the top an adhesive band to hang the tapestry.

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention: 

 

Restoration

The restoration of the two tapestries from the dining room of Villa Necchi in Milan (The War Episode; Deer hunting) has been set up with a uniform methodology aimed, firstly, at cleaning cloths and, secondly, at treating differentiated gaps. The restoration began with the disassembly of the lining to facilitate the cleaning operations conducted by means of macro-suction. Subsequently, tests were carried out to verify the resistance of the colors to washing, from which it emerged the good solidity of the original colors and the loss of color by the fibers attributable to subsequent reweaving interventions. The non-original textures and selvages were then removed and the stops of the unstitched areas were performed. The tapestry was then washed in aqueous bath and dried. For the consolidation measures, the integrative and conservative methods were used according to the type of gap. Finally, the work was lined with linen and equipped with a Velcro band for the exhibition.