V&A Conservation Journal, no 67 by V&A Publishing

Autumn 2020 Number 67

Conservation Journal

Contents

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

1 Editorial

Editorial Board Nigel Bamforth Senior Furniture Conservator

Sherrie Eatman, Senior Stained Glass Conservator and Editor

Nicola Costaras Principal Paintings Conservator

2 Under the dome: conserving an elaborate Victorian glass centrepiece

Sherrie Eatman Senior Stained Glass Conservator/ Editor Elizabeth-Anne Haldane Principal Textiles Conservator Bhavesh Shah Scientist (Environment)

Photographs are credited individually All enquiries to: Conservation Department Victoria & Albert Museum London SW7 2RL, UK Telephone +44 (0)20 7942 2231 Email: conweb@vam.ac.uk The V&A Conservation Journal is an informal publication and references in articles are discouraged. Readers may contact authors for further information via the email address above.

Margot Murray, Ceramics Conservator

5 A spoon full of care: conservation and packing for delicate sherbet spoons Boudewien Westra, Furniture Conservator

8 Conservation of a four-panel screen at the

Jeongjae Conservation Studio, Seoul Susan Catcher, Senior Paper Conservator

10 Restoration of the Master’s Chair of the

Joiners & Ceilers Company

Clunie Fretton, Ornamental and Historic Woodcarver

12 Urushi conservation at the V&A

Dana Melchar, Senior Furniture Conservator

14 The paintings reserve collection is moving Carolina Jimenez Gray, Paintings Conservator

Editorial

Sherrie Eatman, Senior Stained Glass Conservator and Editor

This issue, shorter than usual, highlights some of the conservation challenges and opportunities we encountered before being separated from the objects in our care, and words such as ‘social-distancing’, ‘self-isolation’, ‘lockdown’ and ‘furlough’ started to feature regularly in our conversations. The twelvemonth period covered (October 2019 – September 2020) has been unusual, to say the least. On 17 March, the Museum temporarily closed to the public, then three days later closed to staff. Fast-forward to late April and most staff were furloughed, along with millions of other workers across the UK. Following the Museum’s reopening (albeit with reduced days and hours) on 6 August, furloughed staff (which included most of the Conservation department) slowly started returning to work in the weeks and months that followed, trying to pick up from where we were so abruptly forced to leave off.

learn about traditional materials and techniques used in other countries. We bring you two more stories about the range of conservation treatments being undertaken for the Blythe House Collections Move project, as well as a rather challenging treatment carried out for a fragile glass centrepiece. In addition, an external conservator details the restoration of an ornately-carved mahogany chair currently on long-term loan to the Museum. Finally, I have some good news to share: we will be welcoming a new Head of Conservation in October. Dr Pedro Gaspar is joining us from the Munch Museum in Oslo, where he was the Head of Conservation before becoming the Head of Research. He is returning to the V&A after a gap of 17 years, having been based in Sculpture Conservation while carrying out research for his PhD with the RCA/V&A Conservation programme, which was run jointly by the V&A and the Royal College of Art, in association with Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Although quite a few years have passed, there are still some familiar faces in the department so hopefully he will feel at home in no time.

Given that many of us have spent the last six months working, learning and socialising virtually and in relative isolation, it is refreshing to read about valuable development opportunities which allowed two conservators to increase their practical skills and

The V&A Conservation Journal is available online at: https://www.vam. ac.uk/blog/caring-for-our-collections/ conservation-journal

Front cover image: Susan Catcher and Hosung Won applying dark blue linen textile to the hinges with Professor Park Chisun in the background at the Jeongjae Studio (Photograph courtesy of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation)

Contents

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

1 Editorial

Editorial Board Nigel Bamforth Senior Furniture Conservator

Sherrie Eatman, Senior Stained Glass Conservator and Editor

Nicola Costaras Principal Paintings Conservator

2 Under the dome: conserving an elaborate Victorian glass centrepiece

Sherrie Eatman Senior Stained Glass Conservator/ Editor Elizabeth-Anne Haldane Principal Textiles Conservator Bhavesh Shah Scientist (Environment)

Margot Murray, Ceramics Conservator

5 A spoon full of care: conservation and packing for delicate sherbet spoons Boudewien Westra, Furniture Conservator

8 Conservation of a four-panel screen at the

Jeongjae Conservation Studio, Seoul Susan Catcher, Senior Paper Conservator

10 Restoration of the Master’s Chair of the

Joiners & Ceilers Company

Clunie Fretton, Ornamental and Historic Woodcarver

12 Urushi conservation at the V&A

Dana Melchar, Senior Furniture Conservator

14 The paintings reserve collection is moving Carolina Jimenez Gray, Paintings Conservator

Editorial

Sherrie Eatman, Senior Stained Glass Conservator and Editor

The V&A Conservation Journal is available online at: https://www.vam. ac.uk/blog/caring-for-our-collections/ conservation-journal

Under a glass dome sits an elaborate glass centrepiece featuring a busy scene of colourful birds sitting on delicately worked fountains with trees, flowers and even a fine ship, all emerging from a turbulent sea of glass flakes (C.772-1936). With so much to take in, it is easy to overlook the careful craftsmanship in the trailing patterns of the airy fountains or the impossibly thin rigging on the masts of the ship. When the centrepiece was damaged and required reconstruction, the fragility of the object created a unique conservation challenge.

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Margot Murray, Ceramics Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Under the dome: conserving an elaborate Victorian centrepiece across all parts, leaving 31 fragments loose inside the dome. The first challenge was removing the dome without the pieces collapsing further. A tube of Melinex (polyester film) was fitted around the lower two thirds of the dome and attached to the glass base with adhesive tape. The dome could then be lifted off, leaving the tube to support the fragments (Fig. 3). After the fragments had been removed, it appeared that many of the delicate components had escaped major structural damage. However, a large amount of adhesive that had been used to adhere the lampworked parts to the base obscured the full extent of the structural damage. Several different adhesives had been applied to the object in the past. In most areas the adhesive was pale yellow or brown and soluble in water, suggesting an animal protein glue. A thick, yellowed adhesive present at joins in the ship, the small fountains and where the small birds had been reattached to the front small fountain, was not soluble in water, acetone or industrial methylated spirits (IMS), suggesting it may be an aged epoxy or polyester resin.

Not much is known about the Victorian glassworkers who created such elaborate, decorative novelty objects in lamp-worked glass. Similar fountains and arrangements of lamp-worked birds with spun glass tails are found in other collections in the UK, particularly in Liverpool and St Helens, Merseyside, and the West Midlands, which were centres for glass making throughout the nineteenth century. Given the delicate nature of these objects, it is likely that many have not survived. The centrepiece, donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1936, is composed of seven lamp-worked glass parts. Lamp-work (also known as flame-work) uses a flame to soften prefabricated glass tubes and rods to create delicate objects. A range of colours and techniques were employed to create the fountains, the birds with spun glass tails, the delicate ship and the ‘sea’ of glass fibres and flakes. The lamp-worked parts were adhered to a crudely cut, square plate glass base, which is surprising when compared to the craftsmanship of the lamp-worked parts. The dome has a thin velvet strip around its base and is held in place by four plate glass corners, the corners and velvet appear to have been added after the object was acquired (Fig. 1). The base and corners are noticeably different in colour. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis was used to compare the elemental compositions of the different types of glass, and the data can also be used to compare with other plate glass from the period.1

Fig. 1 Glass centrepiece, C.772-1936, at time of acquisition © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Fig. 2 Glass centrepiece before treatment (Photography by F. Jordan © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

During the removal of the thick adhesive at the base of each lamp-worked component, it quickly became clear that the bases were extensively cracked and broken, only remaining together due to the excessive amount of adhesive covering the original glass surface. The adhesive was slowly removed with a scalpel, softening areas with water where possible. Working in one small area at a time meant that the tiny glass fragments could be bonded back into position immediately with Paraloid B-72 (approximately 40% w/v solution in acetone). Paraloid B-72 (ethyl methacrylate methyl acrylate copolymer) was chosen for its long-term chemical stability and reversibility. Some previous repairs were stable and not visually obtrusive, such as at the wings of several birds, so were left joined and noticeable areas of excess adhesive were removed. In other areas, fragments had been bonded in the wrong position. Where the previous joins were unstable or incorrectly positioned, the joins were dismantled, cleaned and bonded using Paraloid B-72.

The object suffered damage in transit in 2003 (Fig. 2). The fountain had collapsed inside the dome, the birds and small water spout had broken off the large fountain, and all the lamp-worked parts were no longer standing on their bases. Breaks had occurred

Finding correct joins in the colourless lampworked glass was particularly challenging. The small fragments had several tiny points of contact and

Fig. 3 During conservation, removing the dome and separating fragments (Photography by M. Murray © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Margot Murray, Ceramics Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Fig. 1 Glass centrepiece, C.772-1936, at time of acquisition © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Fig. 2 Glass centrepiece before treatment (Photography by F. Jordan © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Finding correct joins in the colourless lampworked glass was particularly challenging. The small fragments had several tiny points of contact and

Fig. 3 During conservation, removing the dome and separating fragments (Photography by M. Murray © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

A spoon full of care: conservation and packing for delicate sherbet spoons Boudewien Westra, Furniture Conservator

break edges were difficult to see in the colourless glass latticework, even with magnification. When the correct placement was found, it was just as difficult to hold the fragment in position for bonding. Bonding continued gradually until the delicate lamp-worked parts were ready to be reattached to the base (Fig. 4). In areas where the Paraloid joins failed to hold or where extra strength was required, Hxtal NYL-1 (epoxy resin) was applied to the join. Once all the parts were securely attached to the base, the sea of glass fibres and flakes was reintroduced. Finally, the centrepiece was covered by the newly cleaned dome and the corners secured to the base with Paraloid B-72. Fig. 4 During conservation, bonding the completed lamp-worked parts to the base (Photography by F. Jordan © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

The treatment of the centrepiece was a practical challenge, requiring patience and a steady hand to relocate the fragments, but the more time that was spent working on the object the more enchanting it became. Now that the centrepiece is together once again it is ready for display in the Glass Galleries, where it can be enjoyed by all (Fig. 5). Acknowledgements

This conservation work has been made possible with funds raised in memory of Jonathan Nevitt. I am grateful to my conservation colleagues, Fi Jordan and Victoria Oakley, for their advice, and to my curatorial colleagues, Reino Liefkes, Judith Crouch and Florence Tyler, for their expertise and assistance with this project.

References

1. Manca, R, Burgio, L, Analysis Report 19-86-RM-LB Glass centre-piece – C.772-1936, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2019.

Fig. 5 Glass centrepiece after conservation © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Figs. 1 and 2 Transparent tray with Sherbet spoons (L) and Sherbet spoon 1289-1874 (R), before conservation treatment (Photography by P. Kevin and B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Much of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s collection is currently stored at Blythe House in West London but will be moving to Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London, where the Museum will open two interconnected sites in 2023: a Collection and Research Centre (CRC) at Here East and a new museum at Stratford Waterfront. Consequently, this will create an extraordinary opportunity for the public to see more of the V&A’s collections.

out to achieve a satisfying and safe result for the object. This article will focus on a group of fragile and awkwardly-shaped sherbet spoons as a good example to illustrate a combination of interventive treatment and simple but effective specialist packing as the best solution for their safe transportation and future storage. Sherbet spoons are used in the West Asian, Indian subcontinental and Indonesian tradition surrounding sherbet. Sherbet is a sweet cordial drink prepared from fruits or flower petals and is usually served chilled in a ceramic basin. The spoons were placed on the side of the bowls, with their handles balanced, floating on top of the sherbet. Guests would drink from the spoon then place the spoon back in the basin for others to use. The V&A’s collection of sherbet spoons is extensive and highly decorative, and it is thought to have been used by the well-to-do. Sherbet spoons are generally made of pear- and boxwood and consist of two parts: a long handle joined to the bowl-section by a socket. A large carved rosette is usually placed on top of the socket. Occasionally spoons were decorated with paint and finished with a clear varnish. However, the majority of these spoons remain unfinished. Most of the spoons in the Museum’s collection originate from Abadah in Iran and were made between 1800 – 1900.¹

Over the past two years, the Blythe House Decant Collections Project Team have been preparing the collections for this move. Part of this team is a group of conservators who treat and prepare objects to stabilise them before they are packed and transported to CRC. Two furniture conservators have been working steadily on over seven hundred objects assessed as requiring treatment, including pieces of furniture and other wooden objects such as picture frames, carvings, architectural elements, gilded objects and puppets. Most of the treatments involve stabilisation of the objects to minimise potential risk of damage during transport. Every object is unique and therefore the conservation work can vary from structural treatments to consolidating decorative surfaces and less interventive approaches such as providing bespoke packaging or handling boards. Sometimes a combination of these is carried

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

A spoon full of care: conservation and packing for delicate sherbet spoons Boudewien Westra, Furniture Conservator

References

1. Manca, R, Burgio, L, Analysis Report 19-86-RM-LB Glass centre-piece – C.772-1936, Victoria and Albert Museum, 2019.

Fig. 5 Glass centrepiece after conservation © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Figs. 1 and 2 Transparent tray with Sherbet spoons (L) and Sherbet spoon 1289-1874 (R), before conservation treatment (Photography by P. Kevin and B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Fig. 4 1282-1874 with Japanese paper after conservation (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

The spoons are very fragile as they are carved from very thin sections of wood and have delicate pierced work, so it is important to store them correctly to avoid damage. Storage conditions were not ideal as the transparent trays containing the spoons were crowded and the spoons lacked sufficient support; therefore, to ensure safe transport to CRC, it was necessary to perform conservation treatments and provide bespoke packaging for the twelve spoons.

Due to the thin and fragile nature of the bowl-section of the spoons, it was decided to apply Japanese paper facing adhered with wheatstarch to support the breaks. In some cases, the facing was applied to bridge the losses and achieve more unity of the bowl-section. A few layers of Japanese paper provided enough strength to hold the bowl-section together and the water-based starch can be removed easily in the future without damaging the object (Fig. 4).

Some of the highly decorative pierced carvings in the very thin bowl-section of the spoons were fractured (Figs. 1 and 2). Some spoons had residues of old glue and supportive facings from previous repairs. Old paper tabs had been used during previous repairs to bridge gaps and strengthen joins on some of the bowl-sections. These had to be removed because they were too small and the adhesive had failed, resulting in a loss of their supportive function (Fig. 3).

After conservation was completed, a bespoke tray was made for each of the spoons using Plastazote foam. Parts of the foam were ‘scooped-out’ to form a rebate, enabling the bowl of the spoon to rest into the foam. The spoons were then secured with cotton tape to avoid any undesirable movement within their Plastazote tray (Figs. 5 and 6). This combined approach of treatment and bespoke supportive packaging will provide a safe and secure way to transport them and ideal storage conditions for the future.

Several elements of the decorative carving were broken and had been re-adhered in the past during previous treatments. However, most of these glue joints failed or fragments were out of alignment. Therefore, it was necessary to remove the adhesive residues and to reposition the loose fragments.

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Fig.3 Detail of broken bowl-section and old facings on spoon 1282-1874 before conservation (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

References

1. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109573/sherbet-spoonunknown/ [Accessed 7 January 2020]

Fig.5 and 6 Range of Sherbet spoons after conservation treatment and positioned in a Plastazote tray (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Fig. 4 1282-1874 with Japanese paper after conservation (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Fig.3 Detail of broken bowl-section and old facings on spoon 1282-1874 before conservation (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

References

1. http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O109573/sherbet-spoonunknown/ [Accessed 7 January 2020]

Fig.5 and 6 Range of Sherbet spoons after conservation treatment and positioned in a Plastazote tray (Photography by B.C. Westra © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Susan Catcher, Senior Paper Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Conservation of a four-panel screen at the Jeongjae Conservation Studio, Seoul order of the V&A panels as the first, second, seventh and eighth panels possible.2 During an assessment of these mounted panels with Dr. Rosalie Kim, curator of Korean Art, it was decided they could not be displayed in their current format. Culturally, the panels should be understood as part of a folding screen, albeit only having four of the eight original panels. Professor Park Chisun, a conservator of Korean art based in Seoul, was approached for expert advice on the remounting of these panels and suggested that it become an educational venture. Through various grants and the generosity of Professor Park, the author was invited to the Jeongjae Conservation Studio to join her team to recreate the four-panel screen.

Fig. 1 Embroidered silk panels showing the colour of both front and back and the original Korean green damask © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Traditional materials and techniques have recently seen a resurgence in Korean conservation. In the past there had been a blurring of the lines between Chinese, Japanese and Korean materials. The similarities in style are partly due to the close geographical proximity and partly to historical ties. The Korean mounting technique had virtually disappeared for various reasons including colonial legacy and resulting wars. The evolution of paper making and silk weaving within each country gave rise to specific cultural norms. Research and publications have documented these distinctions and made them more accessible, which has led to improved communication and a willingness to understand the nuances of screen mounting. In the past these were not necessarily understood, especially by Western conservators, who through lack of access to specific materials and techniques had to rely on what was readily available – normally Japanese paper and mounting style. In recent years this has changed and part of the experience at the studio was to learn about the use of hanji paper, Korean hand-woven silk, and indigenous natural dyes to inform work on other Korean screens within the V&A collection.

In 1991, the Victoria and Albert Museum acquired four mounted scrolls (FE.29 to 32-1991) as a share of a donation made by Katherine Talati, a British painter of Indian (Parsee) heritage. Believed to date from the twentieth century, they once formed part of a folding screen (Jasu hwachogilsangmun byeongpung), which originally consisted of eight panels. The panels have a textile background, a cream, satin-weave silk, which is embroidered with recognizable flowers displayed in antique vases or pots. These flower arrangements alternate with auspicious Chinese characters. Each panel was mounted top and bottom with a Korean green silk damask and then framed with a floralpatterned silk brocade of Chinese origin. The backing paper was a burnished Chinese xuan zhi adhered to the first lining of Korean paper known as hanji.¹ This backing was probably added later alongside the Chinese brocade when the panels were remounted as scrolls. On further checking it was discovered that the hanji lining of panel two (FE.32-1991) had Chinese calligraphy, written in black ink, that became apparent in transmitted light. The original rich yellow colour of the background silk was also revealed when the old linings were removed during conservation. Interestingly, the organic-dyed twisted silk threads of the embroidery were not badly faded (Fig. 1). These elegant floral designs would have been executed to a specific design using a paper template. Templates were drawn and numbered in relation to the screen panel sequence, which made identification of the

The wooden core of the four-panel screen was constructed by a local carpenter using paulownia wood, a strong, even-grained, pale wood commonly used in Asia. The new latticed wooden panels were then covered with several layers of hanji, each paper layer having a slightly different purpose: alternating single sheets with a pocket layer rather

Fig. 2 The author and Hosung Won applying the dark blue linen textile to the hinges with Professor Park Chisun in the background at the Jeongjae Studio (Photograph courtesy of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation)

Fig. 4 The completed four-panel screen (Photograph courtesy of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation)

Fig. 3 Hand-made bands using natural dyed silk and paper strips to either side. These frame the panels at the final mounting stage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

by younger weavers. This problem is not unusual as Korean hanji production also has this succession issue.3 The finished screen was displayed in the exhibition Restoring the Legacy of Korean Paintings at the National Palace Museum of Korea in Seoul in September and October 2019. This exhibition highlighted the conservation of overseas Korean collections by Jeongjae studio with the support of the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation (OKCHF). It was accompanied by the first International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage, during which Professor Park and curators of Korean art from overseas museums, recipients of the OKCHF conservation grant, presented papers. The embroidery panels will be displayed for the first time, in their original form of a folding screen, in the Korean Gallery of the V&A from February 2020 onwards (Fig. 4).

like a duvet creates a stable and cushioned surface for mounting the textile panels. The hinge attachment is complicated, and a small prototype was made in order to understand the alignment, measurements and application of the hinges (Fig. 2). After adhering with wheat starch paste, these were left to dry with weights to keep the structure perfectly square. Part of the unique mounting style of a Korean screen is the textile front and back cover, which is also used to cover the hinges. The coarse dark blue linen cloth is attached and left to dry (Fig. 3). Hand-made bands of silk and paper are used to frame the embroidered panels. Both are dyed using indigenous plant material, in this case, madder, alder cones and purple gromwell. The silk, which is hand woven in narrow strips, is washed and then dyed. This silk is scarce because the weavers are usually older women and are not being replaced

Acknowledgments

I am grateful to Professor Park Chisun and her team for sharing their expertise; to the Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation for supporting the conservation of these panels; and to The Plowden Trust for the grant that enabled me to travel to Seoul.

References

1. Lee A., Hanji Unfurled: One Journey into Korean Papermaking, The Legacy Press 2012. 2. Kim, Rosalie, ‘Hwachogilsangmun embroidery panels in the Victoria and Albert Museum,’ in the 1st International Symposium of Conservation and Restoration of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage. Restoring the Legacy of Korea Paintings, eds. Cha Miae et. al. (Seoul: Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation, 2019), 128-139. 3. Interview with Jang Seong Woo: https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=x7mPGaa_NMA

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Susan Catcher, Senior Paper Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Fig. 1 Embroidered silk panels showing the colour of both front and back and the original Korean green damask © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Fig. 4 The completed four-panel screen (Photograph courtesy of Overseas Korean Cultural Heritage Foundation)

Fig. 3 Hand-made bands using natural dyed silk and paper strips to either side. These frame the panels at the final mounting stage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Acknowledgments

References

from its mirror on the opposite side of the chair, barring a missing leaf tip at the top. The replacement of the heraldic elements posed a greater challenge as there was the greatest lack of reference material. The content of the missing heraldry is defined very clearly in the blazon (a written description of the coat of arms that leaves no uncertainty as to the devices that are featured) but the execution of the missing elements was more problematic. However, research yielded a copy of Edward Hatton’s “New View of London”, published in 1708, which included descriptions of the Halls and Arms of every Livery Company and, most fortuitously, engravings of many of their coats of arms. Though published just under fifty years before the chair was made, this was the closest reference image that could be obtained of the coat of arms at that time, and the most contemporary blazon:

Fig. 1 The chair after restoration (Photography by author)

The restoration of the Master’s Chair of the Joiners & Ceilers Company posed an exciting challenge (Fig. 1). The chair, on long-term loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, was made in 1754 by Edward Newman, a Past Master and talented cabinetmaker and carver, and gifted to the Company. It possesses carving and design of a distinctive flair and aptitude, and marries very elegantly the two concerns of the Joiners & Ceilers, who as a livery are responsible for both joinery and carving, the latter at times conflated with panellers under the archaic word “ceiler”. The chair, constructed from mahogany, has survived in remarkably good condition with very few significant losses from the ornately carved and pierced back despite its use. However, the apex of the chair back had more substantial losses, most notably the loss of a whole finial on the righthand side of the chair and a number of heraldic elements from the coat of arms figured in full relief in the middle.

“Crest is a Demy-Savage proper holding a Spear Or. Supporters 2 Cupids of the last, the dexter holding a Woman crowned with a Castle, the sinister a Square.” This thankfully cleared the muddied record of what the dexter supporter was holding, which had in some references been more akin to a figure of Christ, and clarified her as wearing a mural coronet. The crest, a “Savage”, was shown in the reference image holding a tilting spear.

It was particularly important to reduce the ambiguity of any replacements; a feat more easily achieved in the restoration of the missing leaf tips owing both to the predictability of acanthus as an ornamentation and also to the surplus of reference material in the carved chair back itself. The task was made easier by the hints left in the manner the carving had been undercut, as the decisions of the original carver left clues as to how the missing carving would have continued up from the breaks, so one could follow the curves to their conclusions. The missing finial could be copied directly

Fig. 2 Savage crest with left arm, spear and head restored (Photography by author)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Clunie Fretton, Ornamental and Historic Woodcarver

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Restoration of the Master’s Chair of the Joiners & Ceilers Company

There were in total eleven missing pieces, comprising the arms from the supporters, an arm and head from the crest, the finial, and numerous leaf tips. Work began by modelling in a hard modelling wax, in order to create a removable reference for the new pieces being made and to fine-tune how best the new pieces ought to sit in relation to the old losses. Small blanks were then cut from Honduran mahogany, with the grain of the wood running in the same direction as on the original. Carving began on elements attached to a piece of board with a hide-glue paper joint. This allowed the carving to be held in place and the majority of the waste material removed, while referencing the wax models prior to them being detached from the back board. With some excess material left, the carvings were then offered up to their positions, and the lengthy process of carving away their points of contact to match the often jagged and uneven breaks began. It was particularly important at this stage to have excess material left to allow the matching of contact points to be made exact before the rest of the carving was completed, so that on pieces such as the sinister supporter’s arm, the square would sit vertically and at the correct angle. At this stage the small size and awkward shape of the carving meant that it could no longer be fixed or clamped but held in one hand and carved with the other.

Fig. 3 Restoration in progress. Spring clamp and Kemco platform in use on the sinister supporter (Photography by author)

Fig. 4 Comparison of finials: original on the left, restoration on the right (Photography by author)

The carving of the head (Fig. 2) proved the greatest challenge due to the paucity of contemporary references. Inspiration was taken from the two supporters, which though carved with great facility also retained something of the uncanny in the proportions and shape of their faces. The broad foreheads and closely clustered features are typical of infants, but some of their unusual look was transposed into the head of the savage to create continuity with the existing carving style. The replacements were glued in place with hide glue bulked with coconut shell powder and microballoons. The clamping of the small and irregularly-sized pieces was tricky, and the best solution proved to be using Kemco Impression Compound pressed onto the new carvings in order to create a platform for the spring clamps (Fig. 3).

the adhesion of the glue. The carvings were then colour-matched to the original using garnet shellac, a close colour match, adjusted with a minute quantity of lamp black pigment. The carved additions were then rubbed back to be consistent with the wear on the original, and a small quantity of hard black wax was applied to smooth the joins where extensive wear of the breaks had rounded their edges (Fig. 4). Renaissance Wax was then applied to dull the sheen in areas inaccessible to sanding. Acknowledgments

I am grateful to the Worshipful Company of Joiners & Ceilers, curators Leela Meinertas and Nick Humphrey, and all the members of Furniture Conservation for their support during this project.

The chair had been French polished over the old breaks so the polish was removed as it would interfere with

Fig. 1 The chair after restoration (Photography by author)

Fig. 2 Savage crest with left arm, spear and head restored (Photography by author)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Clunie Fretton, Ornamental and Historic Woodcarver

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Restoration of the Master’s Chair of the Joiners & Ceilers Company

Fig. 3 Restoration in progress. Spring clamp and Kemco platform in use on the sinister supporter (Photography by author)

Fig. 4 Comparison of finials: original on the left, restoration on the right (Photography by author)

I am grateful to the Worshipful Company of Joiners & Ceilers, curators Leela Meinertas and Nick Humphrey, and all the members of Furniture Conservation for their support during this project.

The chair had been French polished over the old breaks so the polish was removed as it would interfere with

often causes the most damage to urushi and can lead to significant loss of sheen and to the maki-e decoration due to a breakdown of the urushi matrix on a microscopic level. In the past and continuing to the present day, Western and Eastern approaches to the care of urushi objects has been very different. This may partially be due to the fact urushi has not been widely available in the West and therefore Western artisans have had little experience working with it. Historically, when urushi objects needed repair, often Western resins were used. Today, conservators and restorers continue to use familiar materials although they may, theoretically, have more possibility for reversibility. In Japan, the traditional materials used in making the object would have been used for treating damage along with other artistic materials available in Asia like cashew lacquer. With the development of the Art Conservation profession, which focuses on using reversible materials on objects, urushi (an irreversible material) was initially seen as an inappropriate material for conservation. In 2004 the V&A’s Mazarin Chest Project (funded by the Toshiba International Foundation, the Getty, and the V&A) brought a Japanese and Western conservator together to tackle the complex challenges of conserving a seventeenth-century urushi chest using a combination of both traditional Japanese materials and Western conservation materials. The 2004 project began to change Western perceptions and created new approaches in urushi

Fig. 1 Raw, filtered urushi (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

The Victoria and Albert Museum has a spectacular collection of Japanese lacquer, ranging from a samurai armour to tea caddies. Japanese lacquer, more accurately referred to as urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree, toxidendron vernicifluum, native only to East Asia. The sap is unlike any artist material used outside of Asia; rather than hardening and drying through the familiar process of solvent evaporation, urushi polymerises in a damp environment. Another interesting, and not-to-be-forgotten fact: urushi is an allergen and can cause significant irritation if it comes into direct contact with skin prior to curing. Urushi is naturally dark brown (Fig. 1). Unlike the yellowish, transparent, Western tree resins that can be dyed or pigmented a variety of colours, urushi historically had a limited range of possibilities; typically, either dark brown, black or red. Japanese urushi is often decorated using a technique known as maki-e, literally meaning ‘sprinkled picture’. Metal powders, of varying sizes and shapes, are sprinkled onto a wet urushi surface to create the design which can be flat or have a raised profile. Other materials can be used to decorate urushi, too, including: metal foils, seashell, eggshell, turtle shell and coral. When freshly cured, urushi is a strong material, impervious to damage by most substances. Exposure to light

Fig. 2 Discussing practical projects (from left to right): Ms. Melchar, Ms. Sasaoka (interpreter), Mr. Omori (TIFO President), Mr. Tomoya Murose, Mr. Kazumi Murose (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Dana Melchar, Senior Furniture Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Urushi conservation at the V&A

conservation (please see related V&A Conservation Journal publications about the Mazarin Chest project). Likewise, conservation principles have developed in Japan so that the focus of both traditions is now looking towards optimal preservation. Fig. 4 Ms. Melchar applying a fresh layer of urushi to a sample panel (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Since becoming the lead on conserving Japanese urushi at the V&A a few years ago, the author has received significant support to gain expertise in treating urushi from the V&A and the Toshiba International Foundation (TIFO). To further her understanding of urushi and Japanese approaches to conservation, an invitation was extended by Kazumi Murose, a Living National Treasure in Japan for maki-e, and Tomoya Murose, president of the Mejiro Institute for Urushi Conservation, to learn more in their Tokyo studio. Together with the President of TIFO, Mr. Keisuke Omori, they devised a two-part training programme over the course of two years for the author, directly relating to the types of treatments required to preserve the V&A’s urushi collection with the objective of enhancing the knowledge of Japanese urushi and practical conservation skills at the V&A (Fig. 2).

techniques. The training consisted of practical conservation treatments, learning maki-e techniques through making, as well as studying and discussing culturally significant urushi objects. Most days in the studio were divided into practical conservation work and practising maki-e techniques. Treatment focussed on cleaning approaches, consolidating lifting lacquer with urushi, and learning more about the maki-e process by making two sample boards utilizing different maki-e decorative techniques (Figs. 3 and 4). In addition to the stated objectives, an opportunity was provided to study objects designated nationally as ‘Important Cultural Properties’ with the team and carry out a joint assessment. This was an insightful exercise of gauging preservation issues important to a Japanese audience and how they overlap with Western conservation ideals.

A team of ten conservators and artisans at the Mejiro Institute for Urushi provided instruction on various aspects of urushi conservation and maki-e decoration. The project aimed to increase the author’s practical conservation skills of urushi, especially focussing on cleaning and consolidation of foundation layers, and to further develop her understanding of maki-e

An interpreter, Keiko Sato, enabled meaningful conversations to take place with the Japanese team. Besides the professional exchanges, the author enjoyed learning more about Japanese culture from everyone in the studio. Exchanging perspectives on urushi, conservation, as well as philosophies, both professional and personal, illuminated motivations and values creating a sense of connectedness between everyone involved in the project. As a result of this TIFO funded project, and the relationships at the Mejiro Institute of Urushi Conservation as well as TIFO, valuable experience and insight was gained during the project. Using urushi in conservation treatments and practising with using the material under the supervision of skilled practitioners has increased the author’s urushi skills and understanding, as well as of Japanese art and culture. It has directly informed and influenced practical treatment of objects within the V&A’s collection and future plans for urushi conservation at the V&A.

Fig. 3 Ms. Melchar using an urushi clay paste to repair damaged foundation layer (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

Fig. 1 Raw, filtered urushi (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Dana Melchar, Senior Furniture Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Urushi conservation at the V&A

Fig. 3 Ms. Melchar using an urushi clay paste to repair damaged foundation layer (Photography by Dana Melchar © Victoria and Albert Museum, London)

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Carolina Jimenez Gray, Paintings Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

The paintings reserve collection is moving

A condition survey of the paintings was carried out and it was determined that over 200 paintings needed intervention before the move. The issues that were identified included:

• Tenting or flaking that could lead to ground and paint being lost • Recent paint losses • Splits in wooden panels • Canvas deformations (these could be a sign of tacking edges failing, debris behind the stretcher or insufficient tension) • Tears or holes in canvases • Paintings without protection on the reverse (backings protect paintings from accidental damage, dirt and humidity) • Paintings poorly fitted in their frames

Fig. 1 Exterior of Blythe House © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Since 1984, Blythe House in Olympia, West London has been home to reserve collections, archives, laboratories, conservation studios and offices for three national museums: the British Museum, the Science Museum, and the Victoria and Albert Museum (Fig. 1). The archives, stores and, since 2013, the Clothworkers Centre for the Study and Conservation of Textiles and Fashion can all be visited by appointment. In 2015, the Government announced that it would help to fund new storage facilities for the museums in order to vacate Blythe House. Since then, the V&A has embarked on a major project to ensure that over 250,000 objects, 1,000 archival collections and 350,000 library books will be ready to move to the new Collection and Research Centre in Stratford, East London.

The work to be carried out could be divided into three main categories: 1. Improvement of the framing 2. Treatment of painting supports 3. Treatment of ground and paint layers

The V&A’s objects stored in this Edwardian building are extremely diverse, belonging to its collections of fashion, textiles, furniture, theatre and performance, metalwork, ceramics, glass, sculpture, architecture, paintings, and prints and drawings. A team of conservators in all the relevant disciplines has been recruited to ensure that all objects and archives are ready for the move. This article will focus on the paintings. The paintings in the Blythe House stores number around 1600. The collection is extremely varied and spans 2000 years, from fragments of Roman fresco to contemporary Asian paintings. The majority, however, are sixteenth- to nineteenth-century European easel paintings depicting religious themes, landscapes, still lives, portraits or petit genre, and illustrations of literary works (Fig. 2).

Fig. 3 Technical Services team unrolling a large canvas for condition assessment and photography (S.845-1997) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Problems such as weak tacking edges and large losses of the canvas support usually require long and complex treatments. In some cases, we have employed less time-consuming remedies inspired by paper conservation techniques such as applying Japanese Kozo paper strips to failing tacking edges using wheat starch paste as an adhesive. This secures the canvases so that they can be moved safely.

Fig. 2 Pull-out racks in one of the Paintings stores at Blythe House © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

A key goal for the collection move is to ensure that every object has an image. Old English Merrymaking by J. M. Boekbinder (S.845-1997) was rescued from the proscenium arch of the Metropolitan Music Hall, Edgware Road before the building was demolished. With help from the technicians, we unrolled the painting for photography which gave us an opportunity to check its condition (Fig. 3).

while spacers ensure that the painting cannot slip sideways. Such simple measures are very effective in preventing damage. Treatments being carried out on canvas supports include:

Frames provide important protection to paintings, particularly when they are glazed and have a backboard. Where there is no backboard, this is frequently because the painting is deeper than the frame. Unfortunately, we do not have the resources within the current project to provide rigid backings as many frames would need additional joinery before a backboard could be fitted. Instead, ALU-PV fabric is stapled to the reverse of the frame and then sealed with gummed tape. We made one or two exceptions to this rule where a painting was particularly vulnerable and the frame also required remedial work.

• mending tears • inserting fabric into holes in canvases • reinforcing tacking edges • reattaching canvases or lining canvases

Lee Emment, a Museum Technician practised in conservation framing, is carrying out this work, refitting paintings in their frames after treatment or if the framing is too loose or too tight. Panels change shape in response to changes in the moisture content of the air; if they are tightly framed, the resulting tension can cause the wood to split. Fixings are placed and adjusted with an eye to the possible warp so that a change in the panel dimensions can be accommodated while ensuring the panel is secure. Felt tape in the frame rebate protects the paint surface

We have found that unlined paintings without backings are generally the ones in the most fragile condition. The canvas is more brittle and has more planar deformations. Exposure to dirt on the reverse has helped to weaken the canvas which in turn has led to problems of adhesion for the ground and paint layers. Particles of surface dirt attract minute water droplets that can become acidic as carbon dioxide dissolves in them; this is one way in which dirt on the reverse of canvases speeds the degradation of the canvas fibres.

Stretcher bar linings are being applied to canvases without back protection; they are the most vulnerable, particularly if they do not have a frame. Stretcher bar lining is a technique devised at Tate that consists of a polyester sailcloth backing being fed beneath cross bars and attached to the reverse of the stretcher to provide protection. It creates an air cushion which substantially reduces vibration as well as keeping the reverse clean (Fig. 4). Backings were attached to the majority of paintings in the V&A collection on acquisition; a policy which has been very beneficial.

to stretchers or strainers

• strip lining • improving tension • removing planar deformations • removing debris pushing canvases out of plane • removing dirt from the reverse • constructing padded backings for unlined canvases and those on strainers that cannot be expanded

Framed paintings with fragile unlined canvases, and no cross-members to their stretchers, are being fitted with padded inserts. Polyester wadding fills the gaps between the reverse of the canvas and the backboard, to which it is attached. It provides support by slight contact with the reverse of the canvas and helps prevent movement. Stretchers and strainers are being checked: splits in the wood are being repaired and wedges replaced and secured when they are missing or loose. Over

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Carolina Jimenez Gray, Paintings Conservator

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

The paintings reserve collection is moving

A condition survey of the paintings was carried out and it was determined that over 200 paintings needed intervention before the move. The issues that were identified included:

The work to be carried out could be divided into three main categories: 1. Improvement of the framing 2. Treatment of painting supports 3. Treatment of ground and paint layers

Fig. 3 Technical Services team unrolling a large canvas for condition assessment and photography (S.845-1997) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

while spacers ensure that the painting cannot slip sideways. Such simple measures are very effective in preventing damage. Treatments being carried out on canvas supports include:

• mending tears • inserting fabric into holes in canvases • reinforcing tacking edges • reattaching canvases or lining canvases

to stretchers or strainers

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Conservation Department

Head of Conservation (Vacant)

Fig. 4 Stretcher-bar lining attached to the painting by W.H. Fisk, Lorenzo Ghiberti: a design for a mosaic in the Victoria and Albert Museum (1181-1875), the 'Kensington Valhalla' © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Fig. 5 Consolidating vulnerable paint layers with a nebuliser. Thotsachat painting by an unknown Thai artist (IS:43-2005) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

the years many wedges have come loose from their stretchers, some being lost or falling behind stretcher bars, where they cause bulges in the canvas and eventually paint loss.

Paintings with ornate frames will travel in carryframes while multiple similar-sized frames can be more densely packed in a slotted case. The few unframed paintings will go into slim carry-frames and remain in them on their new pull-out racks.

Work on panel supports involved consolidating areas on a few panels that were fragile due to earlier insect damage, repairing some splits; and filling losses that made the support vulnerable. As well as the familiar supports of canvas and wooden panel, we are also treating paintings on paper, copper and glass.

In a project of this scale, the planning of all the different stages and coordination of the different teams involved is crucial for success. At the time of writing this article, October 2019, we have completed conservation work on about 150 paintings, and these are now ready for packing. My colleague Cerys Fry is continuing the work and we are on track to complete the work in summer 2020 in good time for the move. We know that these small treatments and preventive measures are important for the long-term preservation of the paintings and are grateful that the Blythe House Collections Move project has given us the opportunity to focus on the reserve collection.

A key objective of the conservation work is to secure any loose ground and paint. Different adhesives are used for different problems. Flaking of ground and paint layers is often caused by movement in the support, whether this is mechanical, a knock or puncture, or environmental, through damp or cycles of damp and dryness (Fig. 5). Sometimes both combine, for example where a canvas has been over-tensioned and diagonal cracks have formed across the corner. As the canvas loses strength, the paint curls and becomes almost corrugated. It demonstrates how careful we must be with tension since being too taut or too slack can be equally damaging.

Objects Conservation

Textiles & Fashion

Paper, Books & Paintings (PBP)

Science

Victoria Oakley

Joanne Hackett

Alan Derbyshire

Boris Pretzel

Ceramics & Glass Sophie Croft (c) Fi Jordan Hanneke Ramakers

Conservation Susana Fajardo Elizabeth-Anne Haldane Isobel Harcourt (c) Frances Hartog Maria Kinti (c) Nora Meller Roisin Morris Katy Smith Hannah Sutherland

Paper Clair Battisson Victoria Button Susan Catcher Simon Fleury Chris Gingell Victoria Haddock (c) Stephanie Jamieson (c) Eoin Kelly Kay Saunders (c)

Climate Bhavesh Shah

Mounting Lara Flecker Rachael Lee Gill MacGregor (c) Keira Miller Lilia Prier Tisdall Gesa Werner

Books Anne Bancroft Jane Rutherston

Furniture Zoë Allen Tristram Bainbridge Nigel Bamforth Yukiko Yoshii Barrow Philip Kevin (c) Dana Melchar Metals Diana Heath Katrina Redman Jessica Routleff-Jones (c) Joanna Whalley Sculpture Victor Borges Sarah Healey-Dilkes Adriana Francescutto Miró Johanna Puisto Mariam Sonntag Stained Glass Sherrie Eatman

Another finding of interest concerns the application of a facing on paintings’ surfaces to hold vulnerable paint in place. Some of the works in store were treated as long as thirty years ago using a paper facing with sturgeon glue. It is recognised that the collagen in sturgeon glue (or any animal glue) becomes more brittle and less soluble with age. Removing these pieces of facing has proved very difficult in some cases and we have learnt from this that it is not a good idea for facing to be left on a paint surface for years. Undoubtedly, it was expected to be a temporary remedial measure when it was applied (Fig. 6).

Key Senior Management Team (c)

Fig. 6 Facing applied over 30 years ago to the Portrait of Henry VII by an unknown artist (F.45) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Staff Chart August 2020

Contract

Paintings Nicola Costaras Condition Reporting Liaison Louise Egan RIBA Charlotte Anstis Lisa Nash

Objects Lucia Burgio Preventative Val Blyth

V&A Conservation Journal No.67

Conservation Department

Head of Conservation (Vacant)

Fig. 5 Consolidating vulnerable paint layers with a nebuliser. Thotsachat painting by an unknown Thai artist (IS:43-2005) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

the years many wedges have come loose from their stretchers, some being lost or falling behind stretcher bars, where they cause bulges in the canvas and eventually paint loss.

Objects Conservation

Textiles & Fashion

Paper, Books & Paintings (PBP)

Science

Victoria Oakley

Joanne Hackett

Alan Derbyshire

Boris Pretzel

Ceramics & Glass Sophie Croft (c) Fi Jordan Hanneke Ramakers

Conservation Susana Fajardo Elizabeth-Anne Haldane Isobel Harcourt (c) Frances Hartog Maria Kinti (c) Nora Meller Roisin Morris Katy Smith Hannah Sutherland

Paper Clair Battisson Victoria Button Susan Catcher Simon Fleury Chris Gingell Victoria Haddock (c) Stephanie Jamieson (c) Eoin Kelly Kay Saunders (c)

Climate Bhavesh Shah

Mounting Lara Flecker Rachael Lee Gill MacGregor (c) Keira Miller Lilia Prier Tisdall Gesa Werner

Books Anne Bancroft Jane Rutherston

Key Senior Management Team (c)

Fig. 6 Facing applied over 30 years ago to the Portrait of Henry VII by an unknown artist (F.45) © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Staff Chart August 2020

Contract

Paintings Nicola Costaras Condition Reporting Liaison Louise Egan RIBA Charlotte Anstis Lisa Nash

Objects Lucia Burgio Preventative Val Blyth

Autumn 2020 Number 67

Conservation Journal

V&A Conservation Journal, no 67

Articles inside

Under the dome: conserving an elaborate Victorian glass centrepiece

Conservation of a four-panel screen at the Jeongjae Conservation Studio, Seoul

A spoon full of care: conservation and packing for delicate sherbet spoons