Workshop on ivory

Workshop

Issues in Ivory: Identification and Collections Concerns
Monday, April 6-7, 2015
10 am - 5 pm
The Walters Art Museum
Baltimore, Maryland

A two-day workshop

    <URL:http://www.conservation-us.org/ivory>

Organized by Terry Drayman-Weisser
Taught by Terry Drayman-Weisser and Bobby Mann

$220 AIC members; $400 non-members

Registration is first-come, first-served.  Early registration is
highly recommended, as the program is limited to 12 participants.

Overview: This is a two day, hands-on workshop on identification of
ivory and related materials, including elephant, mammoth, hippo,
walrus, sperm whale, narwhal, bone, antler, and plastic substitutes,
among others.  It will also provide a review and discussion of the
changing legal regulations affecting collections and exhibitions
that may contain ivory.

Specimens of ivory and related materials from Bobby Mann's
comprehensive collection will provide participants with the
background for making visual identification using simple methods and
tools.  Objects from the Walters extraordinary collection spanning
ancient times through the early 20th century will be available for
close examination and identification.

This workshop is timely as there have been a growing number of
confiscations of works containing ivory due to stricter CITES rules.
Although a museum may be able to substantiate the provenance and
date of a work containing ivory, often identification of the species
of origin is required.  This can be problematic, especially for
older ivory, small specimens, and materials that are processed or
decorated.  Destructive testing is not usually an option.

This workshop will cover non-destructive identification techniques,
a discussion of the changing regulations, and suggestions for
managing materials loaned or borrowed during exhibitions.

Instructors:

    William R. (Bobby) Mann, GG, PG, is a collector of unusual
    ivories, tusks, teeth, and skulls as well as natural and
    manufactured look-alikes.  He has the largest collection of
    natural ivories and natural and manufactured look-alikes
    available for hands-on teaching.  He is co-founder of the
    International Ivory Society (1996).  Since 1996 he has been
    teaching ivory identification through his talks, seminars, and
    hands-on workshops.  He is also the manufacturer of Ivory I.D.
    comparison kits.  He is a (GG) Graduate Gemologist (GIA) (1982),
    a (PG) Professional Gemologist Columbia School of Gemology
    (1983) and ivory identification specialist.  Formally retired as
    Captain of the Washington DC Fire Department after 28 years
    service, he is also past president of the National Capital Area
    Chapter of the International Society of Appraisers and president
    of the Washington, DC Chapter of the Gemological Institute of
    America Alumni.

    Terry Drayman-Weisser has been associated with The Walters Art
    Museum since 1969 and has been Director of Conservation and
    Technical Research since 1977.  She did her undergraduate work
    in Art History at Swarthmore College, where she also focused on
    the sciences and studio art.  She studied physical metallurgy in
    the graduate program at The Johns Hopkins University and
    received her diploma with distinction in archaeological
    conservation from the Institute of Archaeology, University of
    London.  Drayman-Weisser has trained many conservators who are
    now in leadership positions in other museums.  She has lectured
    and published widely and is known for her work with metals,
    enamels and ivory.  She also served as President and Fellow of
    the American Institute for Conservation.  She was awarded the
    AIC Sheldon and Caroline Keck Award for mentoring conservators
    entering the field.  She is also a Fellow of the International
    Institute for Conservation and has served on their Council.
    Drayman-Weisser has been involved with training conservators
    from Iraq, especially on the treatment of ancient, flood-damaged
    Nimrud ivories, and is currently working on a project to
    establish a conservation training program.  She recently
    received the ICOM-US Service Award for her work in Iraq.

Questions?  Contact:

    Abigail Choudhury
    FAIC Development and Education Coordinator
    1556 15th Street, NW, Suite 320
    Washington DC 20005
    202-661-8070
    courses<-at->conservation-us<.>org


                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:34
                 Distributed: Tuesday, February 3, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-34-014
                                  ***