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)
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