84 Chapter 4
the adhesive, which was allowed to dry, and the crepeline then laid over the
ensign and the acrylate reactivated with a heated spatula to effect bonding.
The ensign was finally remounted on a rigid, chemically-stable board covered
with conservation-quality materials: polyester felt, downproof cotton and a
layer of cotton lawn dyed to match the colours of the flag.
While it was not possible to remove or neutralise the intrinsic effectors of
ageing, nonetheless recommendations could be made concerning the lighting
during display and the relative humidity of the storage environment which
would now ensure that the ageing rate was minimised.
5 CASE STUDY 3: WOOL FIBRES AND THE TREE OF
JESSE TAPESTRY
The Tree of Jesse(Figure 22) is a 15th century Rhenish ecclesiastical tapestry,
comprising two parts, an altar frontal and a smaller superfrontal; it currently
belongs to the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.
The frontal itself depicts the biblical Tree of Jesse, a popular mediaeval sub-
ject illustrating the ancestors and prophets of Christ; branches spring from the
seated figure of Jesse, forming scrolls which frame the 12 Kings of Israel, allwear-
ing 15th century aristocratic dress, above whom in the central position are the
Virgin and Child. The piece is woven with linen warps, and wefts, principally
of wool, along with silk, metal threads and linen; inscriptions are worked in
ink, as well as laid and couched embroidery, and facial details are painted on
to the silk wefts. The precision and delicacy of the weaving suggest that it
was the work of a major workshop. The tapestry is rectangular and measures
2068 mm in width and 649 mm in height.
The accompanying superfrontal is a narrower piece (1995 mm wide and
163 mm high) with the legend ‘PUER NATUS EST NOBIS ET FILIUS
Figure 22The Tree of Jesse Tapestry
(Photo: Mike Halliwell)