- Chinese Carpet reinstated 80 years after its departure from the palace

- Historic item has been donated to English Heritage and undergone extensive conservation work

- Visitors can see the carpet at Eltham Palace from 9 May

An antique Chinese carpet is to go on display in its original home at Eltham Palace and Gardens. Following the donation of the historic item from the estate of Mrs M R Bernard - the niece of Stephen Courtauld - the carpet has undergone extensive conservation work by experts at the heritage charity and will be displayed in Virgina Courtauld’s boudoir. This marks the first time it has been in its original home in over 80 years and will enhance the story of interior design which the site tells.

In 1936, eccentric millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld built a magnificent art deco mansion right next to the medieval Great Hall of Eltham Palace in Eltham - creating a masterpiece of modern interiors. In May 1944 they moved out and passed the lease to the Army Educational Corps. During that time and in subsequent years many original items were dispersed, with some ending up in museum collections. Since taking on the care of the site in 1995 English Heritage have worked to restore and present the interior in a way that is authentic to the Courtaulds’ time at Eltham. The carpet joins a series of original items which have returned to the palace in recent history including a gold telephone and a pair of Cartier brooches.

Dyed the dynastic blue of the Qing dynasty with a pattern rich in symbolism, the carpet represents the taste for Chinese decorative arts during the 1920s and 30s, particularly among upper-class collectors. During the Victorian era, there was an acceleration in manufacture of objects that evoked an imagined Chinese tradition at the same time as catering to modern Western tastes. By the early twentieth century, Chinese carpets, once rare in European interiors, had become desirable markers of refinement and global awareness.

The Courtaulds’ acquisition of a Chinese carpet for Eltham Palace reflects this moment when modern design, elite collecting practices, and imperial trade networks converged, shaping how Chinese art was produced, circulated, and displayed in Britain. Now re-homed in the palace, the carpet will paint a fuller picture to visitors as to how the modern movement of Chinese items manufactured for the West inspired and complemented the Art Deco movement.

Experts at the heritage charity have been carefully working to clean and restore the delicate item and bring it to its former glory. Visitors will be able to enjoy the spectacular carpet’s symbols such as dragons, Buddhist emblems and masks, as well as the item’s vivid colours. Poignantly the artefact returns as English Heritage marks 100 years of Seely and Paget – the architect partnership who designed Eltham Palace. An informative trail around the site will dissect the palace’s unique architecture.

Sabrina Villiani, Curator of Collections and Interiors said:

“This is a truly spectacular item to have return to the palace. Its sheer size and bold colours will have an immediate impact on Virginia Courtauld’s iconic boudoir. The carpet also helps paint a clearer picture of the interior design of the Palace, and how it was influenced by the rapidly changing modern world in which the Courtaulds lived.”

The carpet will be on display in Virgina Courtauld’s Boudoir at Eltham Palace from Saturday 9 May.