Project update: Conserving the 'Circumcision of Isaac' tapestry
An exciting milestone and plans for DNA research
Date: 23 April 2026
Author:
Alice Young
The Abraham tapestries first adorned the walls of the Great Hall at Hampton Court Palace in Tudor times. Probably commissioned by Henry VIII and now a precious part of the Royal Collection, the intricate detail of these artworks is as impressive as their size - almost 40 square metres each. Conserving such huge tapestries is a monumental task.
Here, Textile Conservator Alice Young reports on progress conserving the ‘Circumcision of Isaac. The expulsion of Hagar’ tapestry - the second of the ten Abraham tapestries to be tackled. Plus, an intriguing update on new research aiming to improve our understanding of how the tapestries were made.
It has been just over a year since my last blog post and what a year it has been in the tapestry conservation workroom! Throughout these last twelve months the conservation of the ‘Circumcision of Isaac. The expulsion of Hagar’ tapestry has been progressing well.
Tapestry construction recap
In my previous post I explained how important it is to understand how tapestries were originally woven. They are weft faced textiles with two types of thread - the warp and the weft. The warp of a tapestry runs horizontally, providing the tapestry’s structure when it is hanging and the weft is woven through the warp to create the image.
I described how the Abraham tapestries were woven sideways and that we also conserve them sideways on our specially designed looms. The tapestry is gradually rolled onto metal rollers which is then carefully adjusted with wheels.
Image: Circumcision of Isaac on the loom in the tapestry workroom at Hampton Court Palace. © Historic Royal Palaces / Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
Halfway point reached
It is a meticulous process as we work through each section, so I’m delighted to say we’ve hit the halfway point of the tapestry! Reaching the halfway stage means that the centre of the tapestry is visible with the very powerful scene of Abraham performing the circumcision on his son Isaac.
The large size of this tapestry (nearly five by eight metres) means that the roller that the conserved side of the tapestry is on can become very thick, meaning that reaching around it to carry out my conservation stitching can be a bit of a challenge!
This is why we conserve tapestries in two halves - we get to the central point of the tapestry and then roll it back to begin work on the other side. This means that I spend half of the project sitting on one side of the loom and the other half sitting on the other side. Always working towards the central scene, it means that the tapestry is gradually rolled towards the centre as the conservation progresses.
Image: Close up of the central scene showing the circumcision of Isaac. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
Image: Alice measuring the halfway point. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
Image: Alice carrying out conservation stitching on the halfway point of the tapestry. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
Ready for new research
Reaching the halfway point also heralds an exciting new stage in enhancing our material understanding of this incredibly significant object. It’s time for some new research! Over the past two years we have deepened our knowledge about the Abraham tapestries as a set and now we want to focus on an aspect of the tapestry that has not been examined before.
The warps of a tapestry make up its structure and as such are an integral element. Because of this we would really like to know more about them. We know that the original warps on the Circumcision and indeed all the Abraham tapestries are made of wool.
DNA analysis of the wool
This wool unlike the wool wefts in the tapestry is undyed. Dating from when the tapestry was woven in the 1540s this undyed wool potentially holds invaluable information that we can unlock with 21st century scientific techniques. By carrying out DNA analysis of the original warps of the Circumcision, this research will enrich our knowledge of tapestry production in the sixteenth century and inform our conservation choices.
These wool warps may hold a treasure trove of genetic information about an aspect of the tapestry that we know little about.
Obtaining samples
Getting to the halfway point means that the original warps that we would sample can be safely obtained from the exposed warp ends on the left raw edge of the tapestry.
During close discussions with our colleagues in the heritage science team here at Historic Royal Palaces, we have determined that each sample needs to be between 2-3 cm in length and ideally six separate samples need to be taken. Following established scientific guidelines, the samples will then be processed to extract a DNA profile from the wool.
We can compare the historic wool samples with modern day samples of wool taken from historic sheep breeds. Ultimately this will significantly enhance our understanding about the raw materials that were selected to weave this incredible tapestry nearly 500 years ago.
So, join me in my next post where I will update you on my journey of discovery and update you on this exciting research.
Alice Young
Textile Conservator
Image: The original wool warp ends on the left side edge of the tapestry. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2026 | Royal Collection Trust
More from our blog
Bringing the Circumcision of Isaac tapestry back to life
17 January 2025
It's been nearly five months since conservation work started on Henry VIII's 'Abraham' tapestries, starting with the Circumcision of Isaac. And what a few months it's been!
Conserving Henry VIII's Abraham Tapestries
18 October 2024
Textile Treatment Conservator Alice Young introduces a new major project at Historic Royal Palaces, to keep the Abraham tapestries looking their best for future generations.
The History of the Abraham Tapestries at Hampton Court
15 November 2024
Tudor tapestries were the epitome of cultural sophistication and a symbol of the lucky owner’s accomplishments and values: highly coloured, glittering expositions of magnificence and success.