Ottoman Sofa in Regents Gallery
The Regent’s Gallery, 131 feet in length, was built in the reign of Charles II. Finished and furnished in time for a visit from the Prince Regent in 1814, it was duly renamed the Regent’s Gallery.
In the centre of this unique space sits an incredible piece of furniture, the Ottoman sofa. A late Georgian baize and needlework centre sofa upholstered with panels of needlework with fruit, flowers and the Manners crest, with six tasselled cushions.
Due to the condition and rips in the Ottoman, we consulted with specialist heritage embroiders RSN Embroidery Studio (https://rsnstudio.co.uk), based at Hampton Court Palace. Funded by American Friends of Belvoir Castle, the RSN Embroidery Studio were commissioned to repair the damaged panels. Work included:
– Lightly surface-cleaned and placed each piece onto a support fabric.
– All holes were secured with surface couching to prevent them from increasing in size.
– All original canvas was repositioned before the surface couching.
– Carefully replaced onto the furniture.
Now that the Ottoman has been repaired, it is time to finish the restoration and reinstate the Ottoman as the centre piece of the Regent’s Gallery.
CONSERVING THE REGENTS GALLERY CARPET
The general pile condition of the carpet is good throughout. The base is brittle in places where the jute has deteriorated. In some areas the joins are weak or have split. There is evidence of moth activity and damage in areas beneath the curtains, particularly at one end of the room…
WELCOMING AN AMERICAN STUDENT
Moving from Glasgow, Kentucky to England is no small feat—but for our American intern, it was a bold step toward growth and adventure. A Public Relations major with a passion for new perspectives, she chose to spend a semester abroad at Harlaxton College and accepted an exciting internship with American Friends of Belvoir Castle.
CONSERVING THE CHINESE WALLPAPER
Belvoir Castle has five beautiful rooms of Chinese paper, most dating from the very late 18th and early 19th centuries. These dazzling works of art, printed and painted by hand in remarkable detail, are now in urgent need of repair and conservation…
CAPABILITY BROWN’S PARK
Belvoir Castle’s park is considered to be Capability Brown’s final masterpiece of which the linking of the Memorial Lakes is all that remains to complete his plan drawn up over 250 years ago…