Research Projects and Symposia
A comprehensive approach for the preservation and conservation of textiles is the Department’s core mission. Our object-centered methodology emphasizes the study of materials and techniques, acknowledging the importance of both historical and scientific information.
Annual Textile Conservation Colloquium, Day 1—Revisiting Art for the Community: The Met’s Circulating Textile Exhibitions, 1933–42
Join the team behind the exhibition for a conversation about The Met’s groundbreaking traveling exhibitions around New York between 1933 and 1942. A variety of Met specialists discuss their roles and the collaborative process behind the exhibition.
Annual Textile Conservation Colloquium, Day 2—Reinstalling Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection: Three Perspectives
Join a conversation that explores Dream Catcher by interdisciplinary artist Marie Watt (Seneca Nation), a featured work in the exhibition Art of Native America: The Charles and Valerie Diker Collection.
Textile Conservation Colloquium: Recent Research
Gain an inside perspective on the fascinating work of The Met’s Department of Textile Conservation from the past year.
Textile Conservation Winter Colloquium 2018: Presentations and Research
On Friday, January 5, 2018, the Department of Textile Conservation hosted its Winter 2018 Colloquium, "Recent Presentations and Research."
Rescuing the Goddess: Conservation of an Appliquéd Silk Tibetan Thangka
Conservators custom-dye fabric for conservation of the appliquéd thangka of the Goddess Kurukulla. A fine example of the skilled work of Tibetan artists who create these highly regarded pieces.
The Sacred and the Modern: The History, Conservation and Science of the Madina Sitara
Conservation of a rare and lavishly embroidered nineteenth-century Sitara that once hung on the Door of Repentance inside the holy Ka'ba in Mecca.
Identifying Natural Dyes to Understand a Tapestry's Origin
The dye used in a Latin American Colonial textile from the sixteenth to seventeenth century is examined in order to determine the textile's origin.
Sunday at The Met—Behind the Scenes: Antonio Ratti Textile Center and the Department of Textile Conservation
Conservators and curators from across Met department offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the work of the Antonio Ratti Textile Center and the department of Textile Conservation.
Grand Design: Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Renaissance Tapestry—Installing the Gluttony Tapestry
A stop-action movie documenting the installation of the Museum's Gluttony tapestry in the exhibition galleries for Grand Design: Pieter Coecke van Aelst and Renaissance Tapestry.
Details | Connections
Textiles conservator Cristina Carr observes the minute details that fill works of art with a whole new life.
The Materials and Techniques of English Embroidery of the Late Tudor and Stuart Eras
Advances in digital technology have revolutionized both photography and communication, making it possible to capture images of embroidery techniques under magnification with great precision and to share these images globally with ease. Read more on the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
The Materials and Techniques of American Quilts and Coverlets
Early American colonists and artisans, originally from Europe, brought to the New World their own craft traditions centered primarily around the use of linen and wool. Read more on the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
Keep Exploring
Conservation at The Met
The Metropolitan Museum houses a world-renowned complex of scientific research and conservation facilities, each of which serves as a training ground for conservators across a variety of specializations from around the world. This project list provides a small sample of conservation research activities across the Museum.