300-year-old banner goes on display in Dunfermline library

Rare banner from Ancient Society of Gardeners available to view in bid to raise artefact conservation funds

A 300-year-old silk banner goes on display in Dunfermline today before a £10,000 fundraising drive to conserve it.

The fragile artefact, marking the establishment of the Ancient Society of Gardeners in Dunfermline in 1716, was unrolled yesterday for the first time in almost a decade.

Interested members of the public will have just one day to view the gilded piece, which would have been carried on wooden poles in parades and processions, before it is put away again for safe keeping.

Lesley Lettice, exhibitions curator with Fife Cultural Trust, said: “This is the only chance people will have to see it until it is conserved.

“If we don’t raise the money we need to get it conserved then it will never come out again.”

Lesley was the only member of the Trust’s team to have seen the banner before and its condition was unknown until it was carefully unwrapped from masses of protective tissue paper yesterday.

Wearing purple gloves to save the material from further damage, Lesley and collections curator Nicola Wilson slowly unrolled the textile to reveal a hand-painted image of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

A section of the picture had come away from the banner and the image was somewhat faded, but Lesley said it could have been worse.

As she collected pieces of golden silk which had become separated from the image and placed them in plastic bags for safe-keeping, she said: “Silk is notorious for rotting away.

“I knew it would be bad but I thought it would be worse than this.”

It was decided to unroll the historical piece this week to coincide with Dunfermline Carnegie Library and Museum’s Blooming Marvellous gardening exhibition.

Anyone taking up the rare chance to view it will also have the opportunity to meet textile expert and weaver Fiona Watt, who will talk about the conservation process and how to care for other precious items such as wedding dresses and family linen.

Entry to the sessions from 10.30am-12.45pm and 1.30-3.15pm is free but donations towards the cost of conserving the banner are welcome.

Lesley said it is likely further funding would be sought to pay for the painstaking conservation work needed to put the piece on display.

She said: “We’re hoping people in the town will come and look at it and get the idea it’s worth saving.”

We’re hoping people in the town will come and look at it and get the idea it’s worth saving