Sebastian Blue Pin
Textile Conservator, Abegg-Stiftung Foundation
Graduated from the kelvin centre in 2022
Sebastian Blue Pin conserving the Mughal floorspread, India, early 1600s. © Abegg-Stiftung, Riggisberg,
As a student I was incredibly fortunate to receive a bursary from The Clothworkers’ Company which was fundamental in my being able to take up my place on the MPhil Textile Conservation programme.
After graduating, I spent a phenomenal year at the Abegg-Stiftung Foundation, Switzerland, where I had access to the Abegg-Stiftung’s extraordinary collection of early textiles. I completed a diverse range of conservation projects working as a member of the expert team of conservators and art-historians, who were incredibly generous in sharing their knowledge. Projects included preparing early 16th-century Indian silk fragments for the 2025 special exhibition and catalogue, conserving a ‘working’ chasuble for the Discentis monastery, conservation and mounting of a 6th- century Coptic tunic fragment, and the conservation and mounting of a 13th-century Lebanese tunic for the National Museum of Beirut – exhibited at the Abegg-Stiftung special exhibition.
As my year neared its end I was delighted to gain a further two-year contract at the Abegg-Stiftung Foundation, to prepare large-scale pieces for the 2025 special exhibition of Mughal Silks. My work included conservation of an exquisite early 17th-century velvet and metal thread floorspread (see image below), a 17th-century velvet and metal thread tent-hanging panel, and an 18th-century lamé Indian ceremonial textile. I am currently working on the research and conservation of ‘The Burgunderrock’– a silk coat believed to have been seized from Charles the Bold during the Burgundian Wars in 1476. This is being mounted for inclusion in an exhibition at the Bern Historical Museum.
I am indebted to The Clothworkers’ Company and the TC Foundation who have made this possible.