Conservation and Restoration

The art of papier mâché, like all other art forms, is an individual expression and there are no right or wrong ways to do things. With conservation and restoration however, there definitely *is* a right and a wrong way to do it! So we sought expert advice to help answer some of the questions that we have been asked.

1

It is best not to try to ‘do’ anything to the cracks, this is particularly important, because we cannot always match up materials and introducing a new material to cover or fill the cracks could ultimately cause more damage, however if the cracks are also leading to flaking, then it is time to contact a conservator.

Also, what to I use to clean it? Can I use any kind of detergent or polish?

Using a detergent or polish could potentially change the surface and damage any finishes such as varnish or lacquer, so a soft bristled brush is best for keeping it dust free.

Does it have to be placed out of sunlight and what about the humidity of the room?

It is always advisable to keep paper objects such as papier mâché out of direct sunlight, away from contact with central heating in a room where the temperature and humidity don’t fluctuate greatly on a daily basis. Constant fluctuations can result in significant damage to a work, as papier mâché objects are made up of a variety of materials this is all the more important, because each material will have its own humidity and temperature level it will expand and contract at, leading to separation of layers, cracking, flaking and ultimately structural damage. Another consideration is that it is always best to keep coloured objects out of sunlight because the colours may fade or change, the same will happen to varnishes, not always immediately but ultimately.

2

Most countries have their own national organisation for conservators, in the UK these are the Institute of Paper Conservation (IPC), the United Kingdom Institute of Conservation (UKIC) and the Scottish Society of Conservation and Restoration (SSCR), and in the USA the main body is the American Institute of Conservation (AIC). These are all recognised national bodies. In the UK, ‘Accreditation’ has recently come into being, this is a professional recognition of an individuals ability in specific areas, it means that the individual maintains a high ethical and moral standard and is always keeping their knowledge and skills up to date. Accreditation is also something that has to be maintained by a conservator or restorer and can be removed should the professional body feel they are not meeting the high standards expected of them. Lists of accredited conservators and restorers are held by the professional bodies, they are always the first place to start for information.

3

Questions like this are always difficult to answer without seeing the object. There are several adhesives (rather then glues) which can be used, but the trick part is to know how these will act with the make up of the object (the pigments, the paper layers and any finishes), here it is useful to at least speak to a conservator, and if you don’t want to pay a consultation fee, many museums have a paper conservator or access to one who are usually more then happy to take a look.

4

The short answer is no, because however clean the doll is, the cracks will have collected dirt, and all you are doing is adding an additional protective layer, but is most probable that the cracks will remain visible. If you are determined to revarnish something, and do it yourself, then it is always advisable to do a test area on as invisible an area as possible and leave it for a week or two and examine it, anything that happens in this small area is likely to happen all over the area you are revarnishing.