Silk

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    author.

Cihat Uzun <objectconservation [at] yahoo__com> writes

>The following is posted on behalf of Nezih Ertug
>
>    I am a conservator in Dolmabahce Palace-Museum located in
>    Istanbul, Turkey. I want to learn alternative methods from ours
>    to improve the strength of silk fabric degraded by light.

There is not a particular treatment that could make a silk fiber
recover its lost  physico-chemical properties due to exposure to
light.  Especially when the treatment has to  be in compliance with
the fundamental rules of conservation-restoration of cultural
properties: respect to the artifact integrity and reversibility of
the applied treatment. Most conceivable treatments remain
essentially consolidative, by placing  stitches or backing  the
damaged textile, using silk threads. These  interventions tend to
improve the cohesion of the fabric, but their main role is to
displace any effort to which could be submitted the original and
damaged  fabric, to the newly implemented threads or to the backing
fabric.

I don't know the particular environment of Dolmabahce textile
collections, neither the extent of investigations carried on their
fibers to recommend a specific attitude. One should have in mind,
that  in museum environment, any loss of the initial  cohesion of a
material is due to a decay process. Certainly illumination has a
part to do within in the degradation, when photosensitive materials
like silk are concerned. But inappropriate R.H.%, and high
pollutants concentration are worth taking in consideration.  These
degradations factors are relevant of the artifact  environment, and
before attempting any consolidation treatment of the fabric, the
suitable environment for silk has to be implemented.

It should mentioned in this context that  since the 80's, parylene,
a synthetic resin  is used in the vapor state to deposit a stable
coating that give strengthen to fragile materials. Various textile
fibers are among the wide range of materials in desperate state. The
Canadian Conservation Institute is among the leading investigators
for the use of this resin in the conservation of cultural heritage.

    <URL:http://www.preservation.gc.ca/
        facts-renversant/parylene-eng.asp>

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Slim Khosrof
INP. Tunisia


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 23:5
                  Distributed: Thursday, June 11, 2009
                        Message Id: cdl-23-5-005
                                  ***