Missing tapestry returns after 100 years

In the spring of 2025 a National Trust research curator and collector spotted a rare 16th Century tapestry for sale at a fine art fair and recognised it as one of several that once adorned the walls of The Kings Room at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk.

It was thought to have been acquired by the Bedingfeld family of Oxburgh Estate around the middle of the 16th Century. The tapestry depicts the story of King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther and is one of a set of seven that would once have all hung together.

Over the centuries, they are referenced a handful of times in Bedingfeld family wills and literature and in 1903, even made an appearance in Country Life magazine before being sold at auction in 1924 and vanishing from the property records for over a hundred years.

Fast forward to 2025 and a National Trust team was assembled at speed to authenticate the tapestry and match it to Oxburgh’s records. Detective work from the team traced it back to auction notes from dealer Jacques Seligmann & Co. in 1924 before it boarded the SS Paris and travelled to New York in 1925 along with the other six tapestries. In 1992 it was then sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, only to disappear for a further 33 years. The trail for the other six tapestries goes cold in the mid twentieth century and their current location is still unknown.

While it has benefited from minimal previous conservation and past reweaving, nothing can take away the splendour of this tapestry. The intricate detail of Esther's cloak and canopy, together with the remarkably realistic tassels, speaks to the extraordinary craftsmanship and artistry of the piece.

It’s impossible to pinpoint the exact workshop that made the tapestry, as tapestries of this period rarely carry maker’s marks. However, the weaving and design strongly align with early 16th century Brussels production, the leading centre for high-quality tapestry at the time. Brussels workshops were renowned for their lifelike rendering of contemporary textiles such as velvets, silks, woollens and for their distinctive use of light and shadow to create depth in clothing and courtly scenes, a hallmark of their finest work.

The Queen Esther tapestry will be on public display at its original home of Oxburgh Estate from Saturday 20 June until December 2026.

For visiting times and more details:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/norfolk/oxburgh-estate

Photograph: National Trust