Amate

Ernst Becker <info [at] preservotec__de>, on behalf of
Manuela Reikow-Rauchle, writes

>    Does anyone have experiences with the material "Amate" and how to
>    humidify it, wash it, mend tears and fill in losses? What kind
>    of glue is the best to use for mending tears or filling in
>    losses and with which material (e.g. Japanese Paper) should
>    these works be done?

Sometimes pre-Columbian paper is described by the term "amate" from
the word "amatl".  If you are referring to objects of this kind
(there is considerable confusion in identification of Mesoamerican
paper most of which was made on paper from the Agave plant called
"Maguey" from the Native word, "metl"), I summarize the literature
on this subject and provide analytical materials from a number of
authorities in an article I published in Anthropos:

    Niccolo Caldararo, "New information on the Harkness 1531
    Huejotzingo Codex and the Codex Fernandez Leal", Anthropos, v.
    91, 1996:190-199.

I would not venture to advise you on treatment without more detailed
information, but one source you might refer to is

    Rodgers, Albro Sylvia and T.C. Albro II, " The examination and
    conservation of the Library of Congress Harkness 1531
    huejotzingo Codex", JAIC, 29, 1990:97-115.

Niccolo Caldararo
Director and Chief Conservator
Conservation Art Service
San Francisco, Ca.


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:2
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 29, 2000
                        Message Id: cdl-14-2-010
                                  ***