Wax flower arrangement

I am currently doing conservation treatments on a Victorian floral
arrangement.  The flowers are made of tinted hard wax attached to
metal wires to form a bouquet placed in a ceramic vase.  Some of the
petals have fallen from the flowers and the points of several leaves
are broken.  Some petals have been kept aside to be reattached. Some
flowers are deformed by their own weight.

I am looking for any information on suitable methods to clean the
dirt from the surface of the wax without marring it, as well as
methods to adhere the fragments back to the flowers--either using
heat or proper adhesives.  I might also have to replicate some
petals to balance the arrangement, and if anyone has done it in the
past and have information on proper wax or additives it would be
greatly appreciated.

Myriam Lavoie
Student Object Conservation
Queen's University


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 18:56
                  Distributed: Saturday, June 4, 2005
                       Message Id: cdl-18-56-032
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