Shagreen

Mark Vine <100436.3447 [at] compuserve__com> writes

>This enquiry is placed on behalf of a conservator without access to
>the list. He has been given two 20 x 30 inch panels which the
>custodian tells him are covered with shagreen (my understanding is
>that this is the skin from the underside of a shark).

This message reminded me of a very good article on shagreen that
people might like to know about.  It appeared in the Jan. 1997 issue
of Apollo and is called "Shagreen in Western Europe".  It covers the
different types of materials which have been called shagreen and the
history of its use in different parts of Europe.  Author is Mathieu
Willemsen.  It also has photographs and could help in determining if
the material is shark skin or ray skin.  (As for adhesives, I'm not
sure I understand the specifics of the situation clearly enough to
make a recommendation, sorry.)

Arlen Heginbotham
Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation
J. Paul Getty Museum
310-440-7178


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 14:51
                  Distributed: Tuesday, April 3, 2001
                       Message Id: cdl-14-51-005
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