Missing Tudor tapestry sold a century ago returns to historic home after chance discovery
The artwork depicts Queen Esther, who features in the Old Testament Book Of Esther, and once adorned the walls of The King’s Room at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk (Andreas Von Einsiedel/ National Trust)
A Tudor tapestry depicting Queen Esther has been returned to its historic home at Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, nearly a century after its sale.
The artwork was one of seven tapestries sold in 1924 by the Bedingfeld family to an art dealer to help fund the estate’s upkeep and pay death duties.
Its location was unknown until a National Trust curator spotted it for sale at an art fair in Maastricht, Netherlands, last year.
The tapestry was purchased and returned to Oxburgh Hall thanks to grant funding from multiple bodies and a private donation.
In exceptional condition, the tapestry will be on public display at Oxburgh Hall from June 20 until December this year, while the whereabouts of the other six remain unknown.
