Fragment of a wall hanging

Object Type
This panel forms part of a set of cloths painted to simulate wood panelling. The survival of the panels is most unusual. It is due to the fact that they were covered up by wooden panelling soon after their installation. They were found when the panelling was temporarily removed in 1951.

Materials & Making
The cloth is woven in coarse white yarn and has a white powder on the back. It was painted in tempera, a type of paint in which the dry pigments are mixed with egg yolk. Tempera dries quickly and is difficult to blend. It is also rather brittle.

Here, to provide a smooth, rigid support for the canvas, a layer of plaster was applied to the wall. The canvas was then nailed to the plaster at top and bottom.

Time
Hertfordshire inventories of the 16th and 17th centuries indicated that painted cloths were widely used to decorate walls of the more important rooms, such as the hall or bedchambers.