A precious survival
The late 17th-century Brussels tapestries in the Spangle Bedroom have recently taken a trip home to Belgium to be cleaned at the De Wit royal tapestry studios. Their colours now gleaming, the tapestries tell the story of Ovid’s Metamorphosis. The initials of their maker, Hendrik Reydams, are woven into the border.
The tapestries were acquired from Whitehall Palace in 1695 and may have come from the queen’s apartments. As the palace no longer exists, the survival of these tapestries, together other royal furnishings are Knole, is all the more precious.
Make do and mend
While the tapestries at Knole have been cared for and admired for centuries, over time some were recycled and made into cushions and seat covers. Although it’s disappointing to lose the complete tapestries, this gives us a fascinating glimpse into the make-do-and-mend approach taken by the occupants of Knole.