MIROW PALACE
Mirow Palace is located on an island in Lake Mirow in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The palace and its accompanying ensemble of buildings were constructed in several stages between 1749 and 1770. Most of the interiors that have survived to this day date back to the 1750s, when the Duchess Elisabeth Albertine of Saxe-Hildburghausen (1713–1761), the widow of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, lived in the palace with her children. All of the children, including the youngest daughter, Princess Sophie Charlotte (1744 - 1818) were born in Mirow Palace. Princess Sophie Charlotte became the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland after marrying George III in 1761. The palace's interior design and its diverse wall coverings are considered excellent examples of 18th-century continental European representative interiors. For Mirow Palace, my team reconstructed two wallpapers – a flock wallpaper from the 1760s and a neoclassical block-printed wallpaper from the early 19th century. Our client's primary requirement was that we would use printing methods and materials characteristic of the respective periods. Therefore, we crafted both wallpapers almost thoroughly by hand – starting with casting the paper sheets and ending with printing the patterns. |
Client: Betrieb für Bau und Liegenschaften Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Schwerin, Germany Collaborators: Rag paper production (Maris Paberistuudio OÜ), wallpaper printing (Tartu Restauraator OÜ), wool dyeing (Pilvelambad OÜ) Team: Kadri Kallaste (project management, pattern reconstruction, printing and installation), Kadri Toom (pattern reconstruction, printing and installation) Greg Clark (pattern reconstruction), Maris Allik (rag paper production), Kristiina Ribelus (project management at Tartu Restauraator OÜ, printing and installation), Erle Kaur (printing), Pille Vilgota (printing and installation), Bertil Tüvi (transport). See more: Homepage of Mirow Palace Päevaleht: Tükike ajalugu seinal väärib märkamist (article in Estonian) |
RECONSTRUCTION OF A GREY NEOCLASSICIST WALLPAPER
A neoclassicist striped wallpaper from the early 19th century covered the walls of a room previously used as an ancestral portrait gallery. Only two historical photographs and three small fragments of the block-printed wallpaper had survived. These provided enough information to determine the wallpaper's base material, majority of the pattern repeat, color tones, and printing method.
For the wallpaper reconstruction, we produced a substantial amount of rag paper, which we joined into panels and primed by hand. We printed two of the three colors of the pattern—black and green—using printing blocks. The white details were applied to the wallpaper by hand. When adhering the wallpaper panels to the wall, we relied on the historical photographs to achieve a result as close to the original as possible.
For the wallpaper reconstruction, we produced a substantial amount of rag paper, which we joined into panels and primed by hand. We printed two of the three colors of the pattern—black and green—using printing blocks. The white details were applied to the wallpaper by hand. When adhering the wallpaper panels to the wall, we relied on the historical photographs to achieve a result as close to the original as possible.
RECONSTRUCTION OF A FLOCKED ROCOCO WALLPAPER
Only tiny fragments of the red flocked wallpaper that covered the walls of Duchess Elisabeth Albertine von Sachsen-Hildburghausen’s (1713–1761) bedroom had survived. From these, we could determine the type of wallpaper paper, printing technique, and the background and pattern colors. The wallpaper's pattern was printed in madder red flock on a light red background. Since the fragments were too small to reconstruct the pattern, we chose a design from the Seidenmanukatur Eschke collection - specifically the Schloss Köthen Brocatelle from the 1760s.
For the wallpaper reconstruction, we produced a substantial amount of rag paper, which we joined into panels, primed by hand, and polished with talc to achieve a sheen. To print the pattern, we sourced sheep’s wool, dyed it madder red, and crushed it into fibers 1–2 mm in length. This fine wool powder was used to flock the wallpaper pattern.
For the wallpaper reconstruction, we produced a substantial amount of rag paper, which we joined into panels, primed by hand, and polished with talc to achieve a sheen. To print the pattern, we sourced sheep’s wool, dyed it madder red, and crushed it into fibers 1–2 mm in length. This fine wool powder was used to flock the wallpaper pattern.