Clare Ward
Conservator of Organic Artefacts
Conservation of organic
artefacts
Department: Conservation and Scientific
Research
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8089
Email: conservation @ thebritishmuseum.ac.uk
Clare Ward is Wood Studio Manager and
responsible for the supervision of staff and interns.
She is conservator of all types of organic
material and specialises in archaeological organics and modern
plastics, acting as a source of advice on the conservation and care
of these artefacts throughout the Museum. This involves examining
objects for exhibition, loans, publication and storage, advising on
conservation and also storage and display conditions, as well as
carrying out practical conservation work and research into new
treatments.
Clare trained in Archaeological Conservation
and Material Science at the Institute of Archaeology, University of
London, graduating in 1981. After completing several short term
contracts in Britain and Denmark she joined the British Museum in
1982.
Current British Museum projects
Leader of team assessing and conserving
organic objects for new Early Medieval Gallery due to open 2008
Examination and conservation assessment of the
Lewis Chessmen in a collaborative project with the Museum Research
Lab
Advise the Natural History Museum
in Zagreb, Croatia on the conservation requirements for
Neanderthal bones from Krapina
Conservation of organic material from the
Ringlemere excavation (including the conservation of a wooden stave
bucket with bronze bands) - collaborative project, working
together with other conservators and scientists in Research Lab
Research into conservation treatment of
deteriorated polyurethane roses on a Bulgarian Headdress in
collaboration with Conservation research
Research into conservation and long term
storage of a collection of plastic shadow puppets in collaboration
with Conservation research
Previous British Museum projects
Conservation liaison for exhibition and loan
of La Bouche de Roi, contemporary art installation by Romuald
Hazoumé
Conservation assessments of Human Remains
within the British Museum such as Lindow Man and the Wendorf
Collection
Surveys and conservation of Plastics and
Rubber Objects in the British Museum Collection, e.g. PVC rickshaw
paintings, plastic fruit
Conservation of waterlogged wood from British
excavations including a group of rare waterlogged neolithic
bark bowls
Research into adhesives and consolidants for
the conservation of amber
Survey and conservation of a wide range of
wood, bone, antler and ivory artefacts from a variety of cultures
for example, ivories from Nimrud, wood from Jericho and
Palaeolithic Art material from Montastruc, including investigative
conservation of antler mammoth spear thrower
Conservator on various British Museum
excavations, e.g. Sutton Hoo, Suffolk, Runnymede Bridge,
Surrey, Springfield, Essex and Etton, Cambridgeshire
External fellowships/ honorary positions/ membership of professional bodies
Accredited member of the Institue of
Conservation (ICON)
Member of the ICON Archaeology
Section
Member of Modern Materials and Contemporary
Art Group of the International Committee of Museums -
Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC)
Member of the International Network for
the Conservation of Contemporary Art (INCCA)
Publications
C.Ward, ‘Out of the Archaeological Twilight Zone: Conservation
of objects from the Anglo-Saxon Cemetery at Buckland, Dover’ with
S. Watkins, F. Shearman, D. Ling and C. Haithe, British Museum
Society Newsletter, (2001) pp.28-32
C. Ward, ‘Interventive Conservation Treatments
for Plastic and Rubber Artefacts in The British Museum,’ with Y.
Shashoua, ICOM– CC Preprints of the 12th Triennial
Meeting, Lyon, (London: James and James, 1999) ,
pp.888-893
C. Ward, ‘The Conservation of a Group of
Waterlogged Neolithic Bowls,’ with D. Giles, D. Sully, and
D.J. Lee, Studies in Conservation 41, (1996),
pp.241-249
C.Ward, ‘The Conservation of Amber’, with D.
Thickett and P. Cruickshank, Studies in Conservation 40,
(1995), pp.217-226
C.Ward, ‘Plastics: Modern Resins with Aging
Problems’ with Y. Shashoua, Resins:ancient and
modern:pre-prints of the SSCR’s 2nd resins conference
held in Aberdeen, 13-14 September 1995, ed.
M. Wright and J. Townsend (Edinburgh: Scottish Society for
Conservation and Restoration, 1995) pp.33-37