Waterlogged ivory

In response to Eva Christensson's request for input regarding
treatment of a waterlogged ivory plaque, I agree with my colleague
Jessica Turner's comments with respect to controlled drying of
waterlogged ivory as being preferable to rapid drying.  However, my
experiences with controlled drying of waterlogged ivory have not all
been positive.  This may have been due to the extended duration of
desalination and/or the degraded condition of the ivory.  Other
points to keep in mind with the treatment process are the extent of
desalination required and ways to minimize warping.  Other contacts
that may be useful, in addition to those at the Wasa, would include
conservators at the Mary Rose Trust and the Western Australian
Museum.

Christine Ianna
Object Conservator, Queensland Museum
PO Box 3300
South Brisbane, Queensland 4101
Australia
Fax: +61 7 3846 1918

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 12:10
                  Distributed: Tuesday, July 14, 1998
                       Message Id: cdl-12-10-005
                                  ***