Re: Reaction of silk woven rug while testing with solvents

["Ballard, Mary" <BallardM@xxxxxx>]

Konstantinos: I think Kathleen meant "rayon" as an example--that you
might have inadvertently dissolved the dirt that you meant to remove!
Because the silk carpet is tightly woven and absorbant, the dissolved
material may have gone into the silk, stiffening it. So my first
question is: what kind of dirt do you have? Why do you want to clean
this piece? My second question is: why are you using a metal (dairy and
brewery) disinfecting cleaner for your soap? Mary

Mary W. Ballard
Senior Textiles Conservator,
Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution
4210 Silver Hill Road, Suitland MD 20746 U.S.A.
tel: 301-238-1210 fax: 301-238-3709 
email ballardm@xxxxxx

-----Original Message-----
From: Textile Conservators [mailto:TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of K Hatziantoniou
Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:36 PM
To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Reaction of silk woven rug while testing with solvents

Thank you for the point raised. I cannot think of it being rayon as it a
16th c. famous rug published and researched thoroughly. There are some
recently re-warped areas but I did not wet those.

Konstantinos Chatziantoniou
Textile and Paper Conservator
Museum of Islamic Art
Al Corniche
Doha
P.O.Box 2777
Qatar
email: khatziantoniou@xxxxxxxxxx
Tel: +974 6980254

----------------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:21:48 -0400
> From: KKiefer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Reaction of silk woven rug while testing with solvents
> To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 
> Are you sure the areas you tested are 100% silk.  Rayon sometimes
> responds this way when wetted.  Just a thought...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>><<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> Kathleen Kiefer
> Senior Conservator of Textiles
>  
> Indianapolis Museum of Art
> Virginia B. Fairbanks Art & Nature Park
> Oldfields-Lilly House & Gardens
> 4000 Michigan Road
> Indianapolis, IN  46208-3326
> kkiefer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> 317-923-1331 x155 - phone
> 317-926-8931 - fax
>  
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Textile Conservators [mailto:TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf
> Of K Hatziantoniou
> Sent: Tuesday, July 29, 2008 7:49 AM
> To: TEXCONS@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: Reaction of silk woven rug while testing with solvents
> 
> Dear all,
> 
> I just came across something I have not seen previously and I need
your
> opinion:
> Before treating I tested a silk Islamic rug (16th c, very
light-weight,
> extremely tight woven) for a possible solvent cleaning with IMS,
acetone
> and also a 0,3% of Dehyphon in deionised water. The very soft rug
became
> extremely rigid in these tested areas. In two days these areas became
> softer but never returned to their previous state. Unfortunately the
rug
> has been purchased in auction and this part of its previous
restoration
> treatment remains unknown (no documentation record exists). It must
have
> been treated in USA considering its previous owner, in the 60s or 70s.
> After brief consultation the question of fire protection spraying of
the
> rug was raised. 
> 
> Does anyone knows why a 100%silk rug may react on all the above
solvents
> and washing detergent in such an extreme way?
> 
> Many thank you for your time and help
> 
> Konstantinos Chatziantoniou
> Textile and Paper Conservator
> Museum of Islamic Art
> Al Corniche
> Doha
> P.O.Box 2777
> Qatar
> email: khatziantoniou@xxxxxxxxxx
> Tel: +974 6980254
> _________________________________________________________________
> 100's of Nikon cameras to be won with Live Search
> http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/101719808/direct/01/
> 
> smtp.imamuseum.org made the following annotations
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended
recipient(s) 
>  and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any
unauthorized 
>  review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not
the 
>  intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and
destroy all 
>  copies of the original message. 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------

_________________________________________________________________
Find the best and worst places on the planet
http://clk.atdmt.com/UKM/go/101719807/direct/01/