The story begins back in 2021. One Doug Everett contacted the Olveston team to offer the return of an embroidery originally gifted by Olveston’s Dorothy Theomin to his mother-in-law many years ago. Facing a move to assisted care, Doug reached out to see if Olveston would take the piece back before he was forced to part with it. Thankfully, with the help of Karen Close, Doug’s neighbour and a former member of the Olveston Committee, the provenance of the embroidery was confirmed, and the piece was accepted.

Believed to be one section of a larger piece from Japan depicting the four seasons, the embroidery in question represents ngahuru autumn. The Olveston team retrieved the piece from Geraldine and stored it away until the right team could be found to restore it.

The work begins

In 2023, the restoration journey began. The first challenge was to find a suitable frame and stand for the large and intricate work. Wolf Nader, one of Olveston’s guides and an accomplished craftsman known for his detailed woodwork at another Tohu Whenua, Larnach Castle, modified a rack to perfectly support the Eagle.

Finding space for such a project within the house was the next hurdle. Initial cleaning began in the wine cellar, but the piece was later moved to Miss Wilson’s apartment, where it remains on display today.

This is where Jan and Mary come in. First, they sourced a piece of silk that closely matched the original fabric and drew from their own extensive thread collections to ensure authenticity. They carefully removed the deteriorating silk and cleaned the Eagle front and back using fine specialist vacuums. The piece was t-pinned, tacked to a backing and traced onto architectural paper to guide its precise transfer to the new silk. Conservation glue was used to stabilise the fragments before relocation.

The big reveal

Some of the delicate twigs and leaves proved too fragile to move, so Jan and Mary painstakingly recreated them. During this process, they made a remarkable discovery: a 10cm section of embroidery previously hidden at the bottom of the piece. This section has now been revealed and incorporated into the completed work.

The embroidery was then transferred and stitched onto the new silk; an intricate and time-consuming process completed over many months, with Jan and Mary dedicating a day each week to the restoration. Visitors on tours often paused to admire their meticulous craftsmanship in progress.

Finishing touches

Framing was completed on-site by Chris Collins from Greys Framing. After careful discussion, a brown spacer was chosen inside the frame instead of black, adding warmth and complementing the tones of the embroidery. Chris generously constructed and installed the frame at Olveston, ensuring the piece never had to leave the premises.

This restoration is the result of impressive teamwork and talent, and could not have been possible without the generosity, talent, and collaboration of all involved. Today, the Eagle stands proudly once again a testament to craftsmanship, community and care.

See it for yourself, up close at Olveston.