Historic Chinese carpet returns to Eltham Palace after wartime disappearance

An important antique removed from Eltham Palace more than 80 years ago has been returned and is set to go back on display following conservation work.

The object is a rare Chinese-style carpet, which was probably commissioned by the millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld for the modern extension they built next to Eltham Palace in the 1930s. However, 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 from the house were dispersed. Some ended up in museums, while others were either sold off or given away.

The Chinese carpet came into the ownership of Stephen Courtauld’s niece, and after her death, it was recently offered to English Heritage. The carpet joins a series of original items which have returned to the palace in recent years since English Heritage took on the site in 1995.

Dyed in the dynastic blue of the Qing dynasty and patterned with symbolism, the carpet reflects 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 the manufacture of objects that evoked an imagined Chinese tradition while 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’ decision to install a Chinese carpet at Eltham Palace reflects a period when modern design, elite collecting and global trade networks combined to influence how Chinese art was produced, sold and displayed in Britain.

Now, at long last back at the palace it was designed for, the carpet will paint a fuller picture for visitors of how the modern movement of Chinese items manufactured for the West inspired and complemented the Art Deco movement.

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 9th May.

Details about visiting Eltham Palace are here.