Cultural History
This is part of a silk pelmet dating from the early to mid-19th century. The pelmet had been dismantled and the pieces stored in a trunk found in the attack of a manor house in Confolens, Charente, France. The trunk had not been opened since the 1950’s.
The applique is embroidered on by hand, showing a lot of time and care went into this piece to uplift the aesthetic of the room it was displayed in. The floral applique depicts a range of common garden flowers; clematis, chrysanthemums, roses, morning glory, and poppies.
Condition Before Treatment
Due to use and the poor storage conditions, the condition of the silk pelmet had deteriorated.
The main issue with this piece was the mould, obscuring the aesthetic of the design. Being kept in the attic of an abandoned manor house exposed the textile to unstable environmental conditions which lead to the formation of a significant amount of mould growth.
While in use, the weight of the applique on the silk had caused the silk fabric to stretch, resulting in its uneven appearance. Light exposure with age has caused the silk fibres to become stiff and brittle resulting in the silk shattering in some areas, exasperated by the already stretched fibres.
Treatment
1. Cleaning
The mould was removed from the textile using a museum vacuum fitted with a HEPA filter. A small fluffy brush was used to direct the mould into the vacuum to prevent the spores from spreading and netting tied between the vacuum tubes to catch any loose threads.
Evolon, a microfilament cloth, was used to lift surface dirt from the textile. Draft Clean powder, pulverised conservation rubber, was also used. This was rubbed in with a gloved finger before being removed using a vacuum.
These cleaning processes removed the mould and surface dirt that was obscuring the textiles appearance and greatly improved its overall aesthetic.
2. Humidification
Due to the poor storage conditions, the textile had become severely creased and warped. Some areas had become stiff in these creased conditions due to the degradation of the textile’s fibres. Humidification was necessary to flatten the textile for display.
Before beginning humidification, each of the embroidery threads used were tested to determine if the dyes would run. Three of the colours were fugitive so care would be needed during humidification.
After testing different methods of humidification, using an ultrasonic humidifier was decided upon as it would allow for a more controlled process. This is a machine that releases water vapor through a nozzle. Humidity was introduced to small areas at a time and weights placed on top. In the areas with particularly stiff fabric, humidification had to be done very slowly over a long time to gradually ease the fabric flat without damaging it.
It was not possible to completely flatten the silk as it had stretched between the embroidery.
3. Supports
While in use, the weight of the embroidery applique weakened the silk, resulting in it splitting around the edges. Stitched supports were not appropriate as the silk was too fragile in areas, so an adhesive support was used to stabilise the textile for display. A blend of Lascaux adhesive was cast onto silk crepeline and applied to the textile using a heated spatula.
4. Mounting
For display in the exhibition, a padded board was created. Correx board was cut to size and covered with cotton fabric. This was secured with adhesive on the back as tight as possible so it would support the textile. The pelmet was placed on top of the cotton and tacked onto the board.
Reflection By The Conservator
Conserving this object taught me a lot of patience as the cleaning process and humidification were both very time-consuming tasks that could not be rushed. This was also the first time I cast an adhesive support which was a technique I had observed elsewhere and had not been done at the University before.
This object was treated by Rhianne, click on her profile to learn more about her.