SOME EXAMPLES OF CONDITION REPORTS

Text Box: TREATMENT CYLIX AS RECEIVED PRIOR TO WORK AFTER BREAK DOWN OF OLD REPAIR – DETAIL OF EDGES DURING BONDING WITH CLAMPS AND WEDGES RE-POSITIONING THE FRAGMENTS CYLIX WITH REPLACED HANDLES AND FILLINGS PRIOR TO RETOUCH COMPLETED CYLIX

PETER J DAVID.Dip Ceramic Cons. ACR

(PJD CERAMICS LTD)

Caring for ceramics since 1982

Listed on the conservation register

Below are two examples of condition / treatment reports; while these examples are quite brief, depending on the detail required, they can often to many pages and have a lot more detail included.

The advantage of having a report is that it can accurately show the condition of the object prior to any work; it also documents and records the materials and techniques used, particularly useful should any further work be required.

OBJECT

DISH

OWNER

XXXXX

MATERIAL

HIGH FIRED EARTHENWARE

ACCESSION NO.

XXXXX

DESCRIPTION

MADE BY IAN GODFREY. BLACK GLAZED, LOBED AND PERFORATED DISH WITH IMPRESSED PATTERNS OF LINES.36 X 9 CMS

CONDITION

BROKEN INTO 6 PIECES. TRAVELLING CRACK AROUND BODY OF BOWL. ONE OF FOUR FEET MISSING. BOWL SITS UNEVENLY DUE TO KILN DEBRIS BEING ADHERED TO TWO OF THE FEET

TREATMENT

WASHED & SOAKED IN BIOLOGICAL DETERGENT.

BONDED WITH PARALOID B72 IN ACETONE.

FILLED WITH HXTAL NYL-1 + TALC + FUMED SILICA + PIGMENT.

MISSING FOOT MADE UP IN POLYFILLA AND IMPREGNATED WITH 20/20 RESIN.

RETOUCHED WITH SYNTHETIC CERAMIC GLAZE & ARTISTS' DRY GROUND PIGMENTS.

DISH AS RECEIVED

COMPLETED DISH

OBJECT

CYLIX-(shallow two handled cup )

OWNER

MATERIAL

LOW-FIRED EARTHENWARE

ACCESSION NO.

DESCRIPTION

GREEK CYLIX WITH BANDS OF DECORATION INSIDE THE RIM. REDUCTION GLAZING

7.7CM X 18CM

CONDITION

WHEN RECEIVED THE CYLIX HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED. PRIOR TO THE ORIGINAL REPAIR THE CYLIX APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN BROKEN INTO 12 PIECES AND ONE HANDLE WAS MISSING. THERE WERE LARGE AMOUNTS OF EXCESS GLUE, FILLERS AND OVER-PAINT; AND A NUMBER OF AREAS OF THE ITEM HAD BEEN BADLY ABRADED, AND FRAGMENTS WERE “STEPPED”.

TREATMENT

1-OLD REPAIR BROKEN DOWN IN WARM WATER

2 –BREAK EDGES CLEANED WITH ACETONE SWABS ( AFTER TESTING ON A SMALL AREA FIRST).

DUE TO THE SOFTNESS / FRIABILITY OF THE OBJECT IT WAS NECESSARY TO PROCEED WITH EXTREME CARE TO AVOID CAUSING ANY FURTHER DAMAGE.

A “ DRY RUN” TO PIECE THE FRAGMENTS BACK TOGETHER SHOWED THAT THE EDGES HAD BEEN ABRADED IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM FIT BACK TOGETHER-THIS EXPLAINED THE AFORE MENTIONED “STEPPING”

3 –THE FRAGMENTS WERE BONDED WITH PARALOID B72 IN ACETONE

4 – MISSING AREAS WERE MADE UP USING CELLULOSE REINFORCED FILLER, AND ARTISTS’ DRY GROUND PIGMENTS.

5 – A MOULD WAS MADE OF THE EXISTING HANDLE FROM OPTOSIL SILICON IMPRESSION MATERIAL, IN ORDER THAT A REPLACEMENT MAY BE MADE FOR THE MISSING ONE.

6 – NEW HANDLE CAST IN PLASTER OF PARIS AND THE IMPREGNATED WITH PVA PRIOR TO FITTING AND FETTLING.

7 – RETOUCH CARRIED OUT WITH ACRYLIC PAINTS