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Treatment; 16 Feb 1998; Repair textile tears, remove dust, repair and clean feathers, check generally.; Organics

Reason: Temporary Exhibition
Description: Cleaned using low powered vacuum suction. Feathers cleaned using cotton wool swabs soaked in Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol,methanol), brushed over the feathers on an absorbent cloth to remove dirt. One feather shaft was broken and was repaired using a tiny strip of Japanese paper, coloured to appropriate shade, adhered across the broken shaft using Mowilith 50 (polyvinyl acetate)in acetone. The small tears in the textile were repaired by securing small patches of new cotton lawn fabric, dyed to appropriate colour using Ciba Geigy Lanaset protein dyes, behind the tears and stitching across the tear in fine silk filament thread. Where a single layer of textile was split, but there were original further layers of textile behind, the tear was strengthened by stitching the top layer of textile to the bottom stronger layers, without the need to introduce a new patch fabric.
Details: Treatment