ISSN 096702273 V&A Conservation by Published Conservation Journal Spring 2006 Number 52 £2.50 @ point of sale V&A Conservation Journal No.52 Head of Conservation PA & Dept Secretary Conservation Department Contents Fiona Campbell Sandra Smith Staff Chart Spring 2006 Editorial Board 1 Editorial Science Furniture, Textiles Paper, Books & Sculpture, Metals, Administration Sandra Smith Sandra Smith, Head of Conservation & Frames (FTF) Paintings (PBP) Ceramics & Glass & Information Head of Department (SMCG) Systems 2 The Restoration Programme of the Chinese Palace, Nigel Bamforth Oranienbaum, St Petersburg Graham Martin Marion Kite Alan Derbyshire Victoria Oakley Senior Furniture Conservator Zoë Allen, Frames and Furniture Conservator Boris Pretzel Furniture Paper Sculpture Michelle Murray Brenda Keneghan Shayne Rivers Merryl Huxtable Charlotte Hubbard Lucia Burgio 6 Conserving the copies of the Ajanta cave paintings at Valerie Blyth Tim Miller Victoria Button Sofia Marques Object Analysis Scientist the V&A Lucia Burgio Nigel Bamforth Michael Wheeler Victor Borges Catherine Simes Susan Catcher Brendan Catney (c) Fi Jordan Divia Patel, Curator, Asian Department Nicola Costaras, Head Paintings Conservator Gilded Furniture and Lisa Nash (RIBA) Johanna Puisto (c) Senior Ceramics Conservator Frames Christine Powell Preservation Metals Graham Martin 9 The ethics of conservation practice: A look from within Zoë Allen Conservators Diana Heath Head of Science Titika Malkogeorgou, Visiting Researcher Clair Battisson Joanna Whalley Textiles Simon Fleury Sophy Wills Michelle Murray 12 Treasures of Fairford Lynda Hillyer Chris Gingell Donna Stevens Conservation Administrator Paul Williamson, Director of Collections and Keeper of Albertina Cogram Thordis Baldersdottir (c) Katia Viegas Wesolowska Gates Turner (c) Sculpture, Metalwork, Ceramics & Glass Frances Hartog Mike Wheeler Susana Fajardo-Hunter Books Kathrin Rahfoth, Stained Glass Conservator Senior Paper Conservator Elizabeth-Anne Haldane Jane Rutherston Ceramics & Glass Lara Flecker Anne Bancroft Fi Jordan Designed by V&A Design 16 The development of English black japanning Miriam Duffield (c) Anne Greig (c) Juanita Navarro 1620-1820 Natalia Zagorska- Eoin Kelly (c) Amanda Barnes (c) Photographs are credited individually Thomas(c) Laura Pretsell (c) Katja Tovar Azuero, Furniture Conservator Paintings Nicola Costaras Stained Glass All enquiries to:- 19 Transforming the Conservation Library Sherrie Eatman Conservation Department Laura Jiggins & Michelle Murray, Conservation Administrators Victoria and Albert Museum London SW7 2RL, UK 21 Apollo Flaying Marsyas: Bringing marble to life Telephone +44 (0)20 7942 2133 Sofia Marques, Sculpture Conservator Internships Visiting Researchers Fax: +44 (0)20 7942 2092 Titika Malkogeorgou e-mail [email protected] Paintings 24 New staff Laura Zukauskaite The V&A Conservation Journal is an Textiles informal publication and references in 25 New students and interns Florence Whaap Students Metalwork (with other Conservation of Bronze materials) Sculpture articles are discouraged. Readers may Furniture Surface Studies Staff Chart Louise Parris, MA Lucy McLean, p/t in-post MA contact authors for further information Thomas Geissler Marie Vest, PhD via the e-mail address above Modern Jewellery History, Ethics & Management Musical Instruments and Cordelia Rogerson, PhD Helen Evans, MPhil Ethnographic Objects The V&A Conservation Journal is now Enabling Museum Professionals Sandra Joly, MA Materials and Techniques of (with the Horniman Museum) available online at: Tudor Portrait Miniatures with New Collections http://www.vam.ac.uk/res_cons/conservation Timea Tallian, MPhil Management Tools Metals and Surface Finishes of /journal/index.html Emma Richardson, University Social History Objects Textiles of Southampton/V&A Sia Marshall, MA RCA/V&A Conservation Alice Cole, MA Collaborative PhD (with the Museum of London) William Lindsay (RCA) Hazel Arnott, MA Analytical Chemistry Characterisation of Alison Richmond (V&A) (with Historic Royal Palaces) Carolyn McSharry, Imperial Photographs in The National Vincent Daniels (RCA) Conservation Science College/V&A Collaborative PhD Archives Collection Joanna Baden (RCA) Naomi Luxford, MA Simon Bloxham, MPhil Harriet Standeven (V&A) (with English Heritage) Investigating the Problem of Consolidating East Asian (in association with The Tsing-Young Dora Tang, Msci National Archives) (with Imperial College) Lacquer (provisional title) Nanke Schellman The Drawing Media & Working Furniture V&A/Hochschule für Bildende Technique of David Smith (1940- Key Barbara Schertel, MA Front Cover image: Küste collaborative PhD 1965) & its Significance to his Japanning coating in imitation of Senior Management tortoiseshell from a cabinet, around 1690 (W.20-1959) Natural History Conservation Aesthetic Philosophy Photography by Miho Kitagawa Team Lirica Lynch, MA (with the Richard Mulholland, MPhil Natural History Museum) (c) Contract Staff V&A Journal No.52 Conservation V&A Journal No.52 Conservation Editorial The Restoration Programme of the Chinese Sandra Smith Palace, Oranienbaum, St Petersburg Head of Conservation Zoë Allen At the recent Museums Association Conference I Reflecting on the Olympic goals it is easy to see how Frames and Furniture Conservator listened to a very inspiring speech by Jude Kelly from such a beautiful, global and tangible collection as the London Organising Committee for the Olympic the V&A can rise to this challenge, and in reading The freezing cold winters, hot summers and wet Games (LOCOG), who talked of the original concepts through the contributions in this edition of the springs and autumns cause great fluctuations in of the founder of the ‘modern’ Olympics, Pierre de Journal I was struck by how Conservation temperature and humidity. These extreme weather Coubertin. Through this event he encompassed his continuously, but perhaps unconsciously, already conditions and time have taken their toll on the beliefs and values; believing that education and contributes to these concepts. Allen, Tovar, and Patel fabric and interior of the building. The main striving for perfection would ultimately create a & Costaras highlight links between cultures and how problems are a leaking roof, rising damp and poor better society. For him, the Olympic Games would be the collection preserves identity which leads to a drainage. far from a simple sports competition; they were to be sense of belonging, of pride, of reference. Marques In response to the damage the World Monuments egalitarian and chivalrous; evoking compassion and shows how cultures draw on each other for 1 understanding across humanity. inspiration. Fund (WMF) in Britain launched an appeal to assist in rescuing the palace. Funds have been raised and In line with these ideals LOCOG wants the London For many museums the Olympic success is a mixed the Chinese Palace Restoration Programme is now Olympics to make a real and lasting difference to the blessing; whilst we all look forward to additional underway. Emergency repairs have been carried out lives of the people of Britain by leaving behind a visitor numbers and the associated revenue, we are on the roof, drainage has been improved and an ‘cultural legacy’. downhearted by the realisation that most funding environmental monitoring system has been will be directed to sport-related activities over the The global London culture, with over 300 different installed to take readings from both inside and next seven years. But maybe we should rise to the languages spoken in the Greater London area, outside the building. Work has now begun with a challenge that the London 2012 Committee has set contributed to the success of the bid, but the view to replacing the roof and repairing and us, and look at this as an opportunity to make a real expectations of such a cosmopolitan population for reinforcing the foundations of the building and difference to the multicultural society in which we the cultural legacy will be correspondingly diverse. In surrounding terraces. now live and realise that this is something in which a multicultural society there is the need for different we can all actively become involved. Another further stage in the Chinese Palace ethnic groups to have a sense of belonging without Restoration Programme is to address the damage loosing site of their own individualism. Kelly and the by N.(Photography Karmazin) Figure 1. The Exterior of the Chinese Palace occurring to the interior decoration. I was Deputy Mayor of London, Nicky Gavron, eloquently approached by the WMF in Britain to join a team of highlighted the significant role that museums can conservators to assist with this part of the make to realising the vision of an on-going cultural programme. legacy and made a plea that we actively engage in The Chinese Palace is situated in Oranienbaum, a this process. Museums can provide a tangible link to historical complex of parks and palaces on the I travelled to St Petersburg in May 2005 for a two- and between different cultures, challenge current southern coast of the Finnish gulf forty kilometres week visit together with Will Black (Russian Projects perceptions and show how cross-cultural interchange from St Petersburg near Peterhof (Figure 1). Director, WMF), Jürgen Huber (Senior Furniture Conservator, Wallace Collection) and Karl Stacey inspires and creates. Through museums (and other The Palace is truly unique in that much of the (Independent Restorer). Our main remit was to help cultural