An overview of Textile Conservation Practices in Museums of Austral ia

Textiles have real and symbolic value. They have often been used by those in power, worn and displayed in quantity to indicate opulence, prosperity and awe and gifted to retain loyalty (diplomatic gesture). In many societies textiles have played important role in the social, economic and religious life. They are part of all major family life-cycle ceremonies as birth, weddings and funerals, where they are gifted exchanged, burned, buried or 'passed onto generations as dynasty fortunes. In fact the traditional societies had hardly anything decorated merely for ornamentation without meaning (1). Textiles might be worn or displayed in an emblematic way or their patterns might communicate such information. Textiles being easy to transport, became a primary medium of exchange in long distance trade. So, it goes without saying that textile designs reflect trading history(2). Clothing reflects gender differences and social mores that have changed over time. Clothing reflects behavior standards, manners, and the culture itself. Clothes provide examples of world's shifting economy and changing production techniques (3). Historical textiles need to be viewed as a product of technology, cultural symbols, work of art, and items of trade. None of the wealth of ancient Indian textiles has survived the vagaries of punishing, alternately wet and dry monsoon climate. India being home of one of the oldest civilizations of the world, is an important centre of historical research. Also the country has been long known for its rich and varied cultural heritage, where textiles techniques have always given expression to the cultural ethos, aspirations and life of people in general. It is a rich source that India itself should examine as it strives to become a supplier once again of quality cotton textiles to the world. Textiles hold unparalleled evidential and documentary value when it comes to interpretation of culture, trade, commerce and life in general in historic times. Therefore, it becomes very important to conserve and preserve these timeless pieces of textile art, in a manner which makes them accessible as tools of education for future generations. Under~tanding of the

ancient works of art and of the conditions in which they were made will affect the loyalty to the contemporary art and contemporary method of manufacture (4). Conservation of textiles is an important issue of research because of the huge variation in the characteristics of different fibres and dyes and difference in their reaction to various treatments. The problem becomes even more complicated in the later textiles because of the huge inflow of synthetic dyes and fibre after 19th century. The challenge lies in identifying an old piece correctly and providing it with a treatment which removes only the unwanted materials from it. Also the unavoidable exposures need to be standardized to safe limits. The issue holds importance not only for textiles, worn and created in previous centuries but also for the present day textiles as textiles is emerging as one of the biggest industries of the country and we are in continupus process of producing more and more wondrous pieces

of art.
The present study intends to identify and document the practices followed by various agencies in the process of textile conservation. The researcher aims to comprehend the techniques by which the factors affecting the longevity of textiles are being dealt with. Special consideration has been given to the customary factors such as Weave, Light, Heat, Humidity, Pests, Pollution, Inherent Instability, Cleaning, Handling, Storage and Display. The outcome of this study would provide an overview about the gap between expected and present management of textiles in Indian museums. Also it would provide an in-depth understanding of further scope of research in the concerned area.

For data colloction the museums and conservation laboratories visited were National Museum, New Delhi,Crafts Museum, New Delhi, Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad,National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, IanPotter centre, Melbourne, Immigration Museum, Melbourne,Melbourne Museum, MelbourneRoyal

Exhibition Building, Melbourne,Powerhouse Museum, . Sydney,Australian Museum, SydneyArt Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney; National Research Laboratory for Conservation, (NRLC) Lucknow, Regional conservation Laboratory (unit of NRLC), Mysore and conservation laboratories of National Museum, New Delhi, Salarjung Museum, Hyderabad, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne,Powerhouse Museum, Sydney,Australian Museum, SydneyArt Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. The techniques used for collecting the data are ; observation, as an important tool for gathering fIrst hand information, observation technique has been used by the researcher to study museum exhibitions, storage, museum laboratori.es and conservation laboratories. Interview, unstructured interview schedule prepared, pre tested and then administered to the curators, managers and workers of selected museums and conservation laboratories, so that day-to-day problems in the process of textile conservation can be identifIed. Questionnaire consisted of 45 questions based on the data analysis categories decided (Appendix). Certain museums out of the ()nes visited, did not have dedicated textile sections . or no permanent onsite experts for the same. Questionnaires could not be administered in these places. It is to be noted that only those questions have been answered by experts which encompass their area of specialization, thus not all questions were answered by each person.

research,engaging professional evaluators,multi-Ievel acquisition committees.

Certain museums have specified procedures for establishing the authenticity of the artifact, which also helps in deciding the payment factors in case the artifact has been purchased. These procedures might range from visual identifIcation to hiring of experts and market analysis, apart from taking clearances from the various levels of museum organization. Various factors of classifIcation are used to catalogue these artifacts by the museums. Dual classifIcationis also a possibility at certain museums. However categorization according to the culture/ region of the artifact remains the primary factor of classification at most of the places. In certain museums the physical condition of the artifact is also recorded where the artifact could be given a rating between 1 and10, as per the extent of damage. Also in certain museums artifacts are also rated as per the cost required for their restoration and other laboratory procedures.

In total, 11 museum personnel have been interviewed by now as part of the fIrst phase of the research. The responses obtained reflect huge variation in the practices followed by the museums, although parameters for standard practices remain unchanged. The fIndings are prsented under different headings as ; Selection of exhibits Donations, gifts and purchase are .the primary sources of collection of exhibits for museums, although acquisitions also help adding on to the collection, but are a rare phenomenon. Apart from the above mentioned, state gifts received by heads as protocol are also transferred to the museums, thus building up their collection. The process of adding a new exhibit to the collection is quite detailed in the Australian museums, with components like:collection of age proof,market

a. fIbre : although fibre identification remains an important part of analysis, only non-destructive procedures such as visual identifIcation, microscopic tests etc. are preferred f~r the purpose. In certain museums in Australia Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy is also used for the purpose. Thus use of chemical techniques of identifIcation is a rare phenomenon. b. Age determination of the artifact is also established taking clues from the type and technique of the factors bf construction and relating it to the literature review. Rarely scientifIc analysis is used to ascertain the exact age of the artifact. c. Weave structure-as per the data collected tilldate, more than half of the pieces in museum collection have been made in plain weave. Also loose weaves, satin weaves and weaves made in silk fIbres have been found to be difflcult to maintain as compared to other weaves. Twill weaves pose difflculty in repair, if damaged. Apart from this, weaves coming from humid and tropical climates are prone to deterioration faster than the ones coming from other regions. d. Metals in textiles- identifIcation of metallic threads is mostly done visually, although at certain places hand held x-ray fluorescence and microscopic techniques have also been used for the same. Problems of staining, enhanced fabric

damage and accelerated deterioration are some of the problems encountered in fabiics with metallic threads. At times metallic thread has been reported to be cutting through the base silk fabric. Gold threads are reported to be more stable then silver threads and fabrics with metal leafs are expected to survive better than metal threads. Also advanced cleaning techniques like electrolysis and laser cleaning are occasionally used for cleaning such fabrics. e. Finishes : Identification of finishes have been reported to be done by techniques like spot testing and FTIR-infra red techniques, although visual identification is preferred anytime. Wet cleaning is said to become difficult choice in case the finishes are temporary in nature, also storage choices for such fabrics need to be carefully considered. f. Dyes - bleeding tests, solubility tests and HPLC techniques are some of the ways of identification of dyes on fabrics. Although relating literature review to the age of the textile is important technique of analyzing the same.

time, even years together. Light exposure during display should not be more than 50 LUX/ day for lOhrs of a day and standard conditions of temperature and humidity should be maintained as mentioned for storage. Also

Various physical means like brushing, use of tweezers, rubbers, adhesive tapes and vacuuming are used for physical cleaning of the fibres. Apart from this use of deionized water and reagents like ethanol, acetone, methylated spirit, tetra chloro ethane have also been reported for chemical cleaning of the fabric. However use of enzymes for cleaning is not so much in use because of lack of procedural information, although the concept is well known.Identification of stains is mosdy visual and spot and suction cleaning is used as means to remove the same. Water and suitable surfactants are generally used as medium of stain removal. It is to be noted that stains present on historic textiles are not always to be removed. In certain cases they are expected to be retained in a manner that causes minimum deterioration in spite of being visually present on the artifact.

Flat Storage in Art G,~Uary New South Wales Sydney, of Australia

use of UV filters in lights is recommended. Apart from that use of proper support during display and glass cases is suggested. Periodical house cleaning practices like dusting and changing the pose of display are suggested to keep shifting the point of gravity on the same.

It has been reported that after every 3-6 months of display, textile artifacts should be put in for at least 5 years of dark storage, if there life is to be considerably maintained. Although the policy is being strictly followed by museums in Australia, Indian museums report of exhibits being on display for much longer periods of

99% of the museum collection is said to be kept in storage at any point of time whereas only 1% is taken out for display.Thus maintenance of storage conditions is imperative for museum personals. It is advised to maintain dark storage at temperatures between 20-22c degree C and humidity levels between 50-55% RH. certain museums are focusing on development of disaster management policies for fire, water and insect/pest damage, although the concept is not widespread.

Deaccession It is interesting to note that deaccession is a rare

8. 9.

List of physical techniques used List of chemical techniques used.

phenomenon followed by museums and the artifacts deteriorated beyond control are still preserved for the purpose of private viewing and research.

10. % usage of various techniques 11. % categorization of weaves in present collection. 12. Difficulty, if any in handling various weaves in conservation laboratory.

Textile artifacts are one of the most delicate possessions of any museum because of their organic nature. Each piece has a unique character and thus requires individual assessment and attention for conservation treatments. Development of non-destructive or minimally invasive techniques of identifying the fibre, dye, finish etc. still remains a challenge for the conservators. Also there is hardly any scientific technique available to ascertain the age of a textile artifact. Thus in absence of complete, reliable information conservators avoid treating the textile for the fear of unknown damage and much cannot be done for improving the life expectancy of the same. Nevertheless much of damage to these timeless pieces can be avoided if norms of maintenance, storage and display are followed properly. Unfortunately this is not happening in most of the museums of the country, exposing the priceless pieces to irreparable damage. Appendix

13. Considerations, if any in handling particular weaves. 14. If possible age-wise classification of various weaves. 15. If possible, climate of source-classification various weaves. 16. Life expectancy of a particular weave product. 17. % of metal threads textiles in the collection. 18. Procedures for identification of various types of metallic threads. 19. Effect of metallic thread corrosion on the base fabric. 20. 21. Reagents & procedures used for cleaning these metallic threads. Complications arising in the treatment of textiles with metallic threads. of.

22. Identification & classification of various finishes present on the textile. 23. Implications of various finishes on laboratory procedures.

Questionnaire for collecting data

1. Quantity of textile artifacts available with the museum? Details of sourcing of these artifacts, if possible finding out % for each category source. Preferred sources of acquisition. Criteria & factors of payments in cases of purchase of a textile artifact. If possible, categorization of the textiles in the museum collection, under various heads, ex. Age classification, fibre classification, stitched or drapes, culture, urbani folk/ tribal, source climate or any other criteria of categorization being followed. Is there scale/criteria of measuring the damage, at the time it has been acquired? Preferred techniques physical! chemical? of fibre identification-

24. Identification of various dyes present on the textile. 25. Effect of various dyes on the longevity of the fabric.

26. Techniques of physical cleaning of a textile. 27. 28. Reagents used for chemical cleaning of the textiles. Use of enzymes for cleaning of textiles.

29. Identification of stains present on the textile. 30. Reagents used for the removal! reduction of these stains from the textile.

31. Prescribed temperatures for storage of textiles. 32. Prescribed humidity levels for storage of textiles. 33. % of total textile collection kept in storage. 34. Is there any disaster management policy being followed by the museum?

35.

Considerations while taking out a textile artifact for display.

Carol Cains, Senior Curator-Asian Arts, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Barrina South, Collection Coordinator-Anthropology, Australian Museum, Sydney Colin Macgregor, Manager, Collections Integrity Unit, Australian Museum, Sydney Donna Hinton, Objects conservation, Sculpture, Decorative Arts & Artifacts, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney Christina Summer, Principal Curator, Design and Society, Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Suzanne Chee, Conservator- Textiles and Costumes, PowerHouse Museum, Sydney

36. Are they classified on the basis of vulnerability to factors of display (light, temperature, humidity etc.)? 37. Measures taken to minimize deterioration of textiles, during display. 38. Criteria for deciding the display time of a particular textile. 39. Standardized limits of light, temperature, humidity & dust particles for display. 40. Specifications about type of light source used for display. 41. Specifications, if any, about technology / equipment to be used for temperature, humidity and dust control. 42. Procedures for daily maintenance of textiles on display( dusting, changing folds, changing centre of gravity, change of position, any other) 43. % losses caused to textile artifacts because of display.

1. Jennifer Harris (Ed.), Textiles 5000 years, Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York, 1993. 2. History of Man-Last Two Million Years,Readers Digest, London. Gillow,j.& Sentence,B., World Textiles, 1999 Thames and Hudson Ltd, London. Coomaraswamy, Ananda K., W~ Exhibit works of Art?, Luzac and Co. 46th Great Russell street, We., London, 1943.
Konika bhatia sachdeva, Research Scholar & ex-Lecturer, Department Of Fabnc &Apparel Sciences, Latfy Irwin College, University Of Delhi 2 Mona sun, Reader, Department Of Fabric &Apparel Sciences, Latfy Irwin College, University Of Delhi Simmi bhagat Reader, Departmeflt Of Fabric & Apparel Sciences, Latfy Irwin College, University Of Delhi

3.

44. Estimated loss of strength in a textile, per display. 45. What happens to a textile, once it is no more fit to be displayed or even conserved?

4.

Wewish to express my heartiest gratitude to the museums and experts in Australia for extending support and cooperation for the research work, we especially thanks the following conservators and curators who sat through the interviews patiently and helped me compile the study efficiently. Vinod Daniel, Head-Culture Heritage Initiatives, Australian Museum, Sydney & Science

Solitaire Sani, Senior Conservator of Textiles, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Kate, Conservator of Textiles, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia Christina, Conservator of Textiles, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia