Last month, there was still some uncertainty surrounding the state of the work, which features images of glass and porcelain objects from Bellefroid, Verboeket, Copier, and other manufacturers. The first cautious attempts to remove the wallpaper on the right-hand side met with a few stubborn patches: some of the paintwork would peel off with the wallpaper, or the layer under the surface turned out to be very fragile. The team feared the worst... until they discovered that the left-hand side – depicting the glassware – was in better condition. Speeding up the process and through blood, sweat, and tears, the team freed the whole painting from its wallpaper tomb and gave it a thorough clean. Having removed wallpaper glue and decades of dirt, the team also painstakingly refilled and recoloured any damaged patches.

The result is amazing. The colours and objects on the 8 x 3-metre illustration jump off the wall and lend a real flair to the vast hall, which will once again have an AH to go from 14 December. Thanks to the NS's commitment to free up more time and funds to restore period features during renovation projects, the public can now enjoy some unique examples of culture and ceramics history in Maastricht – not to mention the product of exemplary craftsmanship.