Conservation Treatment of the College’s Grant of Arms
Earlier this year Dr Hima, one of the Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, very generously sponsored the restoration of the College's Grant of Arms. Dating from 1667 this is the oldest item in the College's archive, and records the granting of the College's Arms and Motto by the Ulster King of Arms, Sir Richard St. George. The conservation work was carried out at The Paper Conservation Studio in Dublin. This post written by Rebecca de Bút, one of the conservators at the studio, details how the item was treated.
Condition of item pre-treatment
The object was in poor condition and had suffered due to the poor mounting technique, surface dirt and poor handling during its lifetime. The image was attached to a poor quality wooden backing and held by small nails pined through the edge of the image attaching it to a wooden backing. This band of nails had been covered with strips of silk to hide them but these have been lost. The image was surrounded by a covering of red silk to hide the appearance of the wood and there was considerable moisture staining at the edge of the red silk. It was undulated and tension had built up where the nails had been applied. There had been a degree of pigment loss from the surface of the work and elements of cracking in some areas where the pigment was thickest and more fragile. Surface dirt was noted in various parts of the support and around the nails.
Conservation Goals
The aim of the treatment was the cleaning, repairing and humidification of the parchment. Following this a mount and frame would be created to support the parchment for display and storage.
Parchment
The Grant of Arms is a parchment item, which requires specialist treatment during conservation work. Parchment is the skin of an animal which has not been put through a tanning process and made into what we call leather. Parchment was made from the fine sheep or goatskin, which is also used in the making of a bodhrán (traditional Irish drum). Vellum was also used to create illuminative texts such as the book of Kells and is made from the finer skins of calves. During the production phase the hair and other follicle matter was removed by liming and the skins stretched out and dried. The surface was rubbed with chalk and pumice and the surfaced shaved with special tools. This gave the parchment its flat surface for writing and the application of pigment.
The problem with parchment stem from the reactions it has to fluctuations in moisture and temperature. If too dry the parchment may crack and if too moist it may distort by shrinking or expanding. This can lead to tensions in the parchment which in turn affects the surface where the media has been placed. The pigment can crack if it was applied heavily and flake off the surface over time. Some inks such as Iron Gall ink can burn through the surface and lead to losses in print and parchment. These distortions can also be exacerbated by poor housing as the tensions can lead to tearing if the parchment is not supported correctly to allow for expansion and contraction over time. This is a common problem with parchment and has affected the charter where it has been held in place using nails.
Conservation Treatment
After assessing the objects condition the following treatment were carried out;
1. The surface was dry cleaned (non-aqueous method) using chemical sponge. The areas around the nails were cleaned using a poultice to help soften engrained surface dirt.
2. The object was then humidified to relax and soften the parchment for manipulation under tension.
3. The object was then pressed under weight to allow the parchment to dry as flat as possible.
4. Tabs of Japanese paper were applied to the four edges of the work with the centre of the object being held in place. These will be used to adhere it to a backing of conservation board which will support the parchment support.
5. The holes left behind by the removal of the nails were covered using the strips of Japanese paper.
6. A custom built window mount was made to allow the text to be viewed and help support the wax seal.
7. A new frame was made and commissioned to receive the object and the frame was sealed to protect it from dirt and environmental changes in the future.
Outcome
The degradation and weakening edges due to the nails have been filled and are now supported by Japanese paper. The object is now stable and in a controlled and supportive mount and frame. This will enable the object to be viewed within its frame and housed under tension if removed from the frame.
Rebecca de Bút, Conservator, The Paper Conservation Studio