Handheld Fan
Owner: Anne-Marie Benson
University of Lincoln number: 19/061
The fan was dated to the 1870s by comparison of the designs from the period. Hand-painted silk leaf (floral design) attached to the mother of pearl imitation sticks with a copper alloy loop and fake pearl decoration.
The object’s condition was unstable. Two of the sticks were broken, silk – heavily stained and the adhesive deteriorated; therefore, the leaves were not properly bonded. The results of X-ray fluorescence showed the presence of arsenic and lead (possibly from the paint, especially green and white- Scheele’s Green, popular in the Victorian era; white lead paint was used until 1978). The treatment aim was to restore the structural stability.
The fan was dismantled by removal of the remaining adhesive (mixture of water and heat dissolved it). Paper, found between the leaves, was removed after testing (contained chemicals accelerating deterioration). Sticks were reattached with Paraloid B72 and Epoxy resin. The frontal leaf was cleaned with Agar gel and acetone. Tears on the fabric were treated with Japanese tissue applied with starch paste. In the end, the object was put back together with Beva 371.
Qur’an writing tablet
Owner: Fuller Baptist Church
University of Lincoln number: 18/073
The object is an African writing tablet (lawh) with an Arabic script on both sides (sections from Qur’an) can be dated for the 19th-20th century. In West Africa, due to a limited access to paper, wooden boards were (and still are) used in schools as notebooks. Pupils are learning how to write and read by studying and memorising verses from the Qur’an. Shapes of lawh-s vary in different tribes and regions. The anthropomorphic form with a handle (anchor-shape) as a head and a head and bottom curvature symbolising legs, is popularised in is usually associated with Hausa tribe (southern Niger or northern Nigeria – Hausaland).
The board was hand-carved in Afzelia wood. The script was hand-written with charcoal ink.
The object’s overall condition was stable. There were no immediate actions required to protect the tablet from complete deterioration; however, the treatment was needed to improve the object’s aesthetic (half of the handle was missing).
The treatment consisted of general dry cleaning of the surface (dirt, dust and pests’ residue). Cleaning was vital to preserve the fragile script. The handle part was replaced by shaping pinewood, attaching the piece with Paraloid B72 and colour matching to imitate the wood grain.
Anglo-Saxon Bronze Brooch
Owner: Lisa Brundle
University of Lincoln number: 19/001
The copper alloy ring was excavated in Scremby, Lincolnshire, during the uncovering of Anglo–Saxon cemetery dated for late fifth to mid sixth century AD. X-Ray fluorescence was used to identify the materials and the results showed the large concentration of copper and tin while the smaller; however, still a significant amount of iron is possibly the remains of the missing pin.
Condition of the object before the treatment was unstable. The surface condition visibly deteriorated after the excavation, when the object came into contact with air and pollutants, which resulted in corrosion covering the majority of the surface. The main treatment aim was to stop active corrosion.
To remove the soil and corrosion, a mixture of dry and wet cleaning was used, starting with dry methods (performed with hand tools). Next, the solvents insoluble in water (contact with water would accelerate the corrosion) were chosen (white spirit and IDA) and applied to the surface. After cleaning, the object was immersed in Benzotriazole (BTA) as a protective coating.
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