Tapestries returned to Malta after restoration

Two Flemish tapestries from the set of 24 held at the St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum have been brought back to Malta after a delicate restoration process lasting several months.

The large tapestries, showing the portrait of Grand Master Perellos and The Triumph of the Catholic Church, were restored at De Wit Laboratories in Brussels and form part of a major project for the whole set of 29 works to be restored. The project is being carried out on the initiative of the St John Co-Cathedral Foundation.

This is the world’s only complete set of such works. The tapestries had been presented to St John’s Conventual Church by Grand Master Perellos and arrived in Malta in 1701.

The set consists of 14 woven panels six metres by six metres, and 14 oblong ones which are 1.8 metes by 6.6 metres as well as the portrait of the Grand Master.

The restoration process, which is estimated to cost €1 million in all, was launched in 1997.

Another two tapestries, showing The Triumph of Faith and The institution of the Feast of Corpus Christi, have already been sent to De Wit Laboratores.