Maney Publishing

Conservation of Textiles at the West Berlin State Museums

Author(s): Detlef Lehmann
Source: Studies in Conservation, Vol. 9, No. 1 (Feb., 1964), pp. 9-22
Published by: Maney Publishing on behalf of the International Institute for Conservation of
Historic and Artistic Works
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1505116
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 DETLEF
ofTextilesat theWestBerlin
Conservation
StateMuseums
Received
26/4/63
THE objectsdealt with in the textile-restor-
ing workshopof a museumare, of course,
principallythose exhibitedin the museum
itself.At theBerlinStateMuseumstheseare
chieflyfragments of fabricsdatingfromthe
earlyChristianand medievalperiods,Gobelin
tapestries,embroidery, orientalcarpets,and
banners.
The restorermustpossesssomeknowledge
of sciencein orderthathe may understand
the processesof corrosion,erosion,chemical
decomposition, etc.,and be capableof select-
ing suitablechemicaland physicalmeansof
arrestingthem.He mustalsohavea knowledge
of the structureof textilefibres,the manner
in which they are handled in spinning,
weaving,dyeing,andfinishing, togetherwith
thevariousmethodsofsewing,embroidering,
knottingand knitting.Such knowledgeis
helpfulforascribing an originand a dateto a
material,and essentialforchoosingthe best
methodof restoration.
IDENTIFICATION OF MATERIALS
In orderto identify the raw materialsof
differenttypesof fabricit is necessary
to have
a knowledgeof microscopy. A collectionof
textilematerialshas been compiledfor pur-
posesofcomparison(Fig.I); thiscollectionis
almostcomplete,and is the resultof several
years'intensiveeffort.Also textilefibreshave
been permanently mountedon microscope
slides to provide a convenientreference
'library'ofraw materials (Fig.2). The identi-
ficationof materials
is generally accomplished
withtheaid of thepolarizingmicroscope, in
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LEHMANN
whichthefibresareobservedundera magni-
ficationof 50 to 350 [1]. However,micro-
scopic examinationdoes not alwaysprovide
satisfactoryresults;this is particularlythe
casewithvegetablefibres,
whicharesometimes
difficult
to distinguisheven in theiroriginal
state,and furthermore have generallybeen
bleachedor dyed.Otherexpedients are avail-
able forthispurpose,suchas testswithacids,
alkalis,and dyestuffs.In additionto these
teststhe strengthof the materialis deter-
mined.Thisis ofgreatimportance in deciding
the mannerin which an object is to be
mounted.In order to preventtearingand
delicatefabricsare providedwith
distortion,
a supportingliningthatmatchestheirtexture.
CLEANING
It is also important to testtheresistanceof
the dyesto washing,and to employa non-
aqueous cleaningagentif necessary, such as
ethylor propylalcohol,carbontetrachloride,
trichlorethylene, or tetrachlorethylene.This
last chemicalis particularly be-
satisfactory,
cause it absorbswaterto some extent;it is
therefore possibleto treatthetextilewiththe
organicsolventin conjunction withwaterand
a detergent (termed WAS), and to removeina
single operationthe fattymaterials(which
dissolvein theorganicsolvent)together with
the water-solublesubstances(Fig. 3). This
avoids the strainthatwould be imposedby
two cleaningoperationsand also keepsthe
swellingof the fibresto a minimum.It has
been objectedthatthe wool 'fats'would be
dissolvedout by organic solvents,which
9
IO DetlefLehmann

FIG.I. Reference ofthecommon

collection animaltextile
fibres.

wouldthusscourthewool excessively. This against20/o originally. Chemically, wool

is incorrect,
however,becausethistypeof 'fat'(i.e.lanolin)is nota fat(fatsareglycerol
woolfatwillin anycasehavelongsincede- estersofthehigher fattyacids);itisa wax.For
composed intofatty
acidsandhigher alcohols. thisreason itisalsocalledinGerman Wollwachs.
After rawwoolhasbeenscoured (i.e.grease, Lanolinconsists chieflyof the wax-like ester
oil,andpigment discoloration
havebeenre- formed between cerotic acidandcholesterol.
moved)thepercentage of 'grease'remaining The proportion of thisesteris about50oto
is aboutI% of theweightofpurewool,as 55s ; otherconstituents are hydrocarbons

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 ofTextilesat theWestBerlinStateMuseums
Conservation II

FIG.2. Partofthereference mounted

offibres
collection formicroscopic
examination.

FIG. 3. Dirt depositon a textilefibre.x 200.

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12 DetlefLehmann

FIG. 4. Plasticwashingtrayconstructed
withclamps.

(40-45%) and freefattyacids(1-2%), suchas
oleic and palmiticacids,etc. The fattyacids
forminsolublelime soapswithcalciumions,
thepresenceofwhichin thefibres isgenerally
unwelcome.It is thereforedifficult to see
why the decompositionproducts of the
residuallanolinshouldremainin thefibres.
The chlorine-containing solventsmustbe
testedbeforeuse to see whetherlight has
causedhydrochloric acidor freechlorine(Cl2)
to be liberated.This testfor acidityis per-
formedwiththeaid of pH indicatorpapers.
Potassiumiodide starchsolutionis used in
testing forthepresenceofoxidizingmaterials.
If oxidizing agents are presentiodine is
liberatedand formsa blue compoundwith
thestarch.
The wet cleaningprocessis usuallycarried
out in a plastictrough(Fig.4) providedwith
clampsthatcan be adjustedto thesizeof the
fabric.The textileto be treatedis stretched on
a net or gauze made of glassfibreor PVC,
and placed in the trough.The net support
keeps the tensilestrainon the object to a
minimum. The materialis thenwashedwitha
neutralanionic,or non-ionicsurface-active
detergent. The authoremploysvariousforms
of Levapon[2]; thesedetergents are scarcely
affectedby calcium ions, and thereis conse-
quently little in
advantage using distilled
water. Further,they do not produce any
precipitate with the metalions of the pre-
parations,dressings,and greases. Textiles
havingan innersupportare cleanedin this
manner:piecesof fabric,articlesof clothing,
tapestries,carpets,and banners.Particularly
delicateobjectscannot even withstandthis
gentleprocess.They are spreadon an ab-
sorbentsupportof thickstiffcardboardand
sprayed by means of an atomizer. The
cleaningfluidmaybe eitheraqueousor in the
formof an organicsolvent.The dirtyliquid
is at once drawnoffdownwardsthroughthe
cardboard.

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 ofTextilesat theWestBerlinStateMuseums
Conservation 13

Caucasiancarpet.A new knotis beingmadeon new warpthreads.

FIG. 5. Loss in a nineteenth-century

The materialis driedeitherdirectlyon the It shouldalso be notedthatbacteriain a

plasticsupportor absorbentcardboard,or
alternativelyon a glassplate.If it is necessary
to putthetextileon to anothersupportwhile
it is stillwet, the lattermustfirstbe placed
againstthe materialand thenturned,so that
the old supportlies uppermostand can be
removed.It is desirablethat dryingtimes
should be shortin order to minimizethe
swellingof the fibres.In swelling,water
moleculespenetratebetweenthe individual
chainsoffibremolecules, and areableto force
these apart; this process is reversible.In
addition,however, some of the macro-
molecules are partiallyhydrolysed.This
processis irreversible, and is kept within
boundsby a neutralwash of shortduration.
Keratinfibres, forinstance,do notswellmuch
in water,becausetheprimaryvalencechains
arefirmly boundto eachotherbycrossbonds.
If these bonds are broken,however,the
swellingcapacityis increased.
moistmediumcan multiply moreeasilythan
in a dryone. It is therefore
advantageousto
speedthedryingwithwarmair.
Afterthe cleaningprocesshas been com-
workcan be carriedouton the
pleted,further
oritcanbe mountedon a supporting
material,
fabric.
REPAIR
Carpets [3] and Gobelin tapestries[4]
possessingdefectscan be invisiblymended.
For this purpose a strongwarp of hemp
threadis insertedat theback.When thishas
been stretchedon a wooden blocktherepair
can be effected, by the knottingprocessin
thecase carpets(Fig. 5), or by weavingin
of
thecaseoftapestries.The new materials must
matchtheold bothin colourandin strength;
the total effectof a small difference in the
strengthof thethreads can lead to a distortion
of thepattern.In thecase of carpetsit is also

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 L b

'I ir -? .,
"
"

lottr:
44a~aa 1 1 L
L ~P~j40
. ....
......
~~'1EI~~I
tk. li" Y~Y;c? ... f . ......... h '
:i
-
i.".

.. .. ...... ..: P
?Z "
?

; oil .,
c.wl::l.
. .....
........ ? e . .

?l;~~ ;;
,-10.:

:~~? ,?? ?i ? I1F

FIG. 6. Fragment withlinen.

of a carpetreinforced FIG. 7. Detail of storecup

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 ConservationofTextiles attheWest BerlinStateMuseums Is
necessaryto note the heightand densityof visibleto the observershouldbe as fastas
the pile, as well as the 'grain'.Good results possible to light; the dyestuffs mentioned
can only be achievedwith a very elastic above are usefulin thisrespect.Slightcolour
material;forthisreason'sick' wool* cannot corrections can be applied to both natural
be employed.The wool usedis verysoftand and synthetic fibreswith Deka permanent
and
resilient, is in the form of a two- or four- colours [7]. These dyes can also be mixed
ply worsted yarn. with each other. Theyareputon witha small
The materialsemployedfor repairwork brush, and are fixed whendryby meansof a
are dyed beforeuse, the dyestuffs employed hot iron or steam.
beingresistant to lightand washing.Animal The materialusedforthebackingis often
fibresare dyed with complexmetallicdye- stretched over a frame,a fine-woven boiled
stuffs[5],and cellulose fibres with Solophenyl linen fabric being used for the purpose.The
compounds[6]. The of
period digestion is frames themselves are housed in a metal
lengthened if darker tones are required. The cabinet (Fig. 7) which protectsthemfrom
dyestuffs mentioned are distinguished by a light,dust, and moths. A small"window" is
highdegree of fastness and resistance to light often provided in supportingbackingsin
and to washing.Theyarealso easyto handle, orderthatitmaybe possibleto seethemethod
andensurea uniform absorption on thefibres. ofweavingat therearsideof theexhibit.
The bathforthe complexmetallicdyestuffs
must be slightlyacidifiedwith acetic acid. MOTH-PROOFING WITH EULAN
Sodiumsulphateis added to the Solophenyl
dye bath, and the materialis subsequently It has been observedthatnaphthalene in
treated with Tinofix LW [6] to improve its the presence of water can produce a reddish-
fastnessto water and washing.This dye is brown discoloration in wool, which is due
absorbed as a colloid. The resistanceto to the formation of decomposition products
moistureis improvedby the after-treatment as a resultof bacterial oxidation.The bacteria
withTinofixLW, in whichthe solubilizing clearly use the naphthaleneas a nutrient
dyestuff groupsare inhibited by a basiccom- medium,and are only effective when wool
poundthatattaches itselfto them. and moisture are presenttogether.Again,
in thecaseofparadichlorbenzene it is possible
REINFORCEMENT
forstablestrains of bacteria tobe formed under
certainconditions ofstorage, andin thecourse
Delicate or damagedfabricsare generally of timethesecan damageand alterthecolour
backedinsteadof being repaired.The same ofthefibres andalsocauserotting ofthetextile.
applies to objects that are only slightly It is therefore advisableto wrap the textiles
damaged,wherethe defectaffects a pattern well and to preventthemfromcominginto
thatis notrepeatedelsewhere (Fig.6). In these directcontactwith eitherof thesetwo sub-
cases it is chieflya questionof puttingthe stances.Protectionagainst moths will be
object into an aesthetically satisfactory con- achievedif the naphthalene can act through
ditionso thatitmaybe exhibited. The texture its smell,forwhichpurposeit is placednext
of the materialused for backingshouldbe to thetextiles in a separatecontainer provided
similarto thatoftheold textile, andthecolour with air-holes.This method of separate
is generallymatchedto the principalcolour packingis also recommended in the case of
in theobject.The dye in anybackingthatis paradichlorbenzene. But what is to be done
* Poornutrition andcertain otherforms ofillhealth withitemson show,whichusuallyhangfree
causethe sheepto growirregular weakenedfibres in the exhibitionrooms,or which are in-
to in German
referred as krankeWolle. stalledin show-cases? Protection is obviously

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16 DetlefLehmann
requiredforthe longestpossibleperiod.On be on thesafeside.The objectis placedflatin
the otherhand the methodto be used must the Eulan mixtureand gentlyworked or
be well tested,particularly in the case of movedwitha rubberrolleror scraperfora
delicate,historical, and generally verydilapi- periodnot exceeding30 minutes.
datedtextiles. It shouldbe emphasized thatEulanmustbe
Certain items in the display collection regardedas a 'colourlessdyestuff'which
(mostlyfree-hanging ones) are mothproofed naturally requiresa certain
timetobecompletely
withEulan [8]. Eulan is absorbedlikean acid absorbedby the wool fibres.The rate at
dyestuff by the keratinfibres,to which, whichthistakesplaceincreases withtempera-
it no
however, imparts colouring. This pro- ture; the treatment thereforetakes longerat
duct spoilsthe tastefor wool exhibitedby 200C thanat 300 or 400C. A shortwashwith
pestssuchas moths,carpetbeetles(Anthrenus) clean water is given afterthe treatment,
and fur beetles(Attagenus). Other writers followedby a secondwashin a bathto which
thinkthatEulan formscompoundswiththe aceticacid has beenadded,to givea pH of 5
amino acids thatcannotbe hydrolyzedby to 6. Concentrated aceticacid mustbe well
eatersof keratin,and which are therefore dilutedbeforeadding.The objectis leftin
indigestible forthem.The excellent properties thisbathfor25 minutes,while the mixture
of thissubstanceare not confinedto moth- is agitated and uniformlydistributedby
proofing, but include a remarkable inhibiting meansof a rubberroller.
effecton thedevelopment offungus(mildew) A neutralwash is not necessaryafterthis
germs, and bacteriain the treatedobjects. treatment, whichprovidesa lastingprotection
Treatment withEulan does not entailany againstmoths,carpetbeetles,and furbeetles.
injuriouseffects, whethertheaqueousprocess Eulan U 33 can also be appliedby pouring.
an
or organic solvent is employed(seebelow). The articleis sprayedwitha tepidsolutionof
Thisalso appliesto fabrics of mixedfibres. 5 g Eulan U 33 per litre,untilno further
moisture is absorbed.The fluidis thenspread
EulanU 33. uniformly with a scraperor rubberroller.
Any textiles(tapestries, carpets,or clothes) After25 to 30 minutesthematerial is washed
thatcan standwashingin watercanbe treated withneutralwater,and thisis followedby a
with Eulan U 33. If the materialstogether secondbathto whichaceticacid is added as
withtheirattachments and thedyesemployed describedabove,to give a pH of 5 to 6. The
are not damagedby watertheaqueousEulan materialremainsin thisbathfor20 minutes.
treatment shouldbe used.In orderto impose Hereagaina further washingis notnecessary.
as littlemechanicalstressas possibleon the The articleis thendried.
articleitis expedient to keepitflatin a trough
duringprocessing. Creasesshouldbe avoided EulanBLS
as faras possiblein the wet treatment. Pro- If it is not possibleto use an aqueous
vided thatthe articleshave been washedthe medium,treatment can be carriedout in an
finishing processcan follow. organic solvent bath, usingEulan BLS. It
The concentrationto be employed is should be mentionedthatEulan BLS only
normally1.5/ Eulan U 33 reckonedas a protectsagainstmoths,not againstcarpetor
percentage of theweight of thedry material. fur beetles.1.2% concentrated Eulan BLS
However,thisfiguremayrequireadjustment (reckonedwithrespectto theweightof the
due to the fact that the articlescannotbe dry material)is added to the solventbath.
spin-dried or squeezedout afterwashing,and Suitable solventsare carbon tetrachloride,
to allow forthe effect of thewashingwater petroleum,tetrachlorethylene, or trichlor-
the percentageshould be raised to 2 or 21 to ethylene. Organicsolventsofindustrial purity

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 ofTextilesat theWestBerlinStateMuseums
Conservation 17
do not generallyaffect naturaltextilefibres. and their activitiessuch as the eating of
The concentrated Eulan BLS is dilutedwith materialcease as soon as theyare poisoned.
20/o of water before being added to the In the case of a numberof insectssuch as
mixture,except when petroleum is used as bugs and mothcaterpillars it is verydifficult
solvent, in which case no water is added. It for the to
layman distinguish healthycreatures
shouldbe mentionedthatthewaterrequired fromfatallypoisonedones. The movements
with the chlorinatedhydrocarbonsolvents of a mothgrubpoisonedby Paral are often
doesnot adversely affectthematerial, sinceit takento represent a signof life,and it is not
remainsboundin thesolvent,and almostno realizedthatsuchmovements are in factthe
wateris absorbedto act detrimentally on the convulsionsof a creaturethat has been
article.The treatment lastsfor io minutes, poisoned.Sincesome grubsmay remainfor
during which time the solution is kept several days in this state,whereas one is
moving. After treatment the material is accustomedto see fliesreactin a matterof
dried. There is no difference in the moth- minutes, it is oftenwronglyinferred thatthe
proofing effect of these last two formsof poison is comparatively ineffective against
treatment. suchtenacious insects.Ifmotheggsarepresent
Ifthistreatment cannotbe advocatedeither, duringspraying, on hatchingthe grubswill
it is possible sprayon a coatingof DDT
to contactthepoisonand die.
(I,I-bis(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2,2-trichlorethane), Furbeetlesand carpetbeetlesareconsidered
also manufactured underthe name Paral by to be even moredangerous, becausetheyare
Bahme Fettchemie GmbH, Diisseldorf.This moredifficult to combat.The grubsofclothes
coatingdoesnotprovidepermanent protection, mothssettlein one placeat a veryearlystage,
butcan be re-applied withouthesitation every andremainthereas longas theycanfindfood.
year,by meansof a spraygun or atomizer. At thisstagetheyare particularly susceptible
Providedthatthe articleis not cleanedby to contactpoisons.The otherspeciesmention-
brushingor washing,the insecticide remains ed, and the larvae of the carpetbeetle in
effective forat leastone or two years.It is of particular,have quite different habits.The
coursenecessaryto proceedwithgreatcare. beetleslay theireggsin darkcorners, and the
In thecase of thicktextiles suchas carpetsitis emergent larvaeusuallyfindsufficient particles
necessary to sprayon bothsides.Both spray- of wool to feedon in thedustat or nearthe
ings must be verythorough, in orderthatthe spotwheretheyarehatched.Lack of foodor
preparation may penetrate attachments such an urgeto migratethensendsthemon their
as knotsand cross-overs and preventpestson travelsfromthe time theyare half-grown
bothsidesfromfeedingon thematerial. until they have almost reached the adult
The active agentsin Paral are 'contact stage,whentheyhave greatpowersof resis-
poisons' which are absorbed by insects tance.However,theywill be poisonedand
through the skin as soon as they come into eradicated fromtextilesthathave been well
contactwith the coating,or with a droplet sprayed with DDT or y-hexachlorcyclo-
fromthe Paral dispenser. The agentsdiffuse hexane(Lindaneor Gammexane).But how
through the insect's body thenervecentres, can one be surethatgreatcarewill alwaysbe
to
which theyrenderineffective. Unsteadiness, takenand thecorrectquantities of insecticide
convulsions andparalysis follow, leading sooner administered? For instance, the larvae can
or laterto death,dependingon theanimal's come to a lessheavilysprayedsectionwhere
resistance.Flies generallydie aftera short the poisontakestoo long to act and enables
time, but other speciescan be found still themto causea certainamountofdamage.
alive severaldaysafterbeingpoisoned.How- Whenevercarpetor furbeetlesare found
ever,thesecreaturesdo not recovereither, in museumcollectionsintensivemeasuresto

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I8 DetlefLehnmann

?r".:i ~?.... .T-

::..:. i.r;i..'~ ..:.;?iB' ?; 'i

.4 ?,,> ,~?~;;~ci;: ?.? ,1' i" ....,"-.].

.?~?:
? ,.
?; t. :
.'"
i..... .?T-:~ ,..? ..
*.? .?
.o.. .o

.. ., ? .

tit.
. ,

.i,,

! !M7

FIG.8. Suspension
fixedto thebackofa hanging
textile.

combatthemshouldbe undertaken without hidden awayitwillofcoursebeimpossible to

delay. The larvae should not be
only kept eradicatethem completely with one spraying.
fromcomingintocontactwiththetextiles, Aslongaslarvae orbeetlescontinue tobefound
but shouldalso be exterminated in their spraying shouldbe carriedout oncea year,
hiding-placesor on theirwayto the material. during warmseason.In thisconnection
the
Thiscan be achieved to someextent by the it shouldbe notedthatcarpetbeetles havea
generalspraying of all affectedrooms,in- preference forlofts
and and
attics, theseparts
cluding walls,floors,
shelves,
cupboards both of thebuildingshouldtherefore alwaysbe
insideandout,andall otherfixtures, usinga treated.Inviewofthemanyfacilities available
suitablepreparation.According to American for it is
mothproofing unfortunately im-
reports,particularly effectiveresultshave to
possible givegeneral working instructions,
beenachieved against larvae(which sincetheprocedure
Dermestida tobe adopteddepends on
includecarpetbeetles)by 'Diazinon' (2- thecondition ofthearticle, thetexture ofits
isopropyl-4-methylpyrimidyl thiophosphoric material, and thedyesemployed. However,
acid, diethylester),whichwas introduced thetechniques described in thisarticleshould
someyearsago (manufactured to
by BiShme- help point way.the
Fettchemie GmbH,DUisseldorf). Thisproduct After hasbeencleaned
thearticle andmoth-
in Germany
is available underthenameParal proofed,and repairedand mountedon a
Konzentrat Diazinon.In viewofthewayin support ifnecessary,
itisfittedattherearwith
whichthelarvaeof the carpetbeetlelive a suitablemeansofsuspension (Fig.8).

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 Conservation ofTextilesattheWest BerlinStateMuseums 19
In addition,
itmaybe necessary to provide and fortsare oftenused to some extentas
webbing straps at therear. This is particularly museums,and thesegenerallydo not even
trueof tapestries, whichare usuallyheavy. possess a heating installation.A further
Thestraps arefitted about20 to 30 cmapart, advantageof thefilmproducedfromsolvents
so thatthepullon thefabric isuniformly dis- is thefactthatit is possibleto add an ultra-
tributed overtheirsurface and thematerial violet light absorberto the solution.The
is thusprovided witha support. writer employs Permyl B 00oo, a benzo-
phenone derivative,manufactured by the
firmofBairlocher [Io]. This product does not
SYNTHETIC RESINS
produceany coloration in thefilm. Sinceit is
Apart from carrying out this normal form obviouslyimpossible to shield the textiles
of treatment, the restorer nowadayscan completelyfromlight,steps are taken to
preservetextilesand protectthem from filterout the most damagingpart (i.e. the
further decayby spraying or impregnating ultraviolet light)beforeit reachesthe fibres,
themwithsolutions or emulsions ofplastics. by meansof sucha UV absorber.
Various materialsareusedindifferent museums, The following fabrics havebeensuccessfully
such as celluloseethers,polyvinyl alcohol treated withthe'propenoate' solution:carpets,
together withitsesters andacetalderivatives, flags,and tapestries, as well as articlesof
andacrylic resins. All thesematerials maybe clothingof historical importance, and various
in
employed aqueoussolutions or emulsions. pieces of material.In the case of flags,the
Whenusedas emulsions theyproducefilms effect of thistreatment is quiterevolutionary
withroughsurfaces thatprovidepointsof becauseit becomespossibleto dispense
attack fordirtandbacteria; furthermore,
[II],
they with the coarse supportingnets, with the
aresusceptibletomoisture, andsomematerials resultthatit is now possibleto see theflags
arenotfastto light.Certain polyvinyl esters properly.In othertextile-restoring workshops
alsoremain somewhat sticky. finesilkmaterial is sewnon to givesupportto
All thesefilmshave been thoroughly theflags.Unfortunately thelifeof thisfabric
testedby thewriter forresistance to ageing, (naturalsilk or 'crepeline')is short,as has
light,andbacteria. A particularly goodresult been reportedby FrauDr Leeneof theDelft
wasachieved witha 'propenoate' film, which Laboratoryfor TextileTechnology,on the
is appliedin an organic solvent, ethyl acetate occasionofa conference ofrestorersbelonging
[9]. This filmis transparent, and is not to the Associationof Technical Museum
dulledby moisture. Although filmsformed Staff,held in Mainz in October1962. From
fromsuspensions looklike'crater landscapes' comprehensiveteststhe author has found
evenundera magnification of 5o,thosepro- thatthe strength of thismaterialsometimes
ducedfromsolvents only exhibit contours decreases more rapidlythanthatof thefabric
whenthemagnification is increased to 350. it is intendedto support,as a resultof which
Thefilmremained elastic during ageingtests, an additionalload is imposedon the latter.
anditssurface is notsticky. It alsowithstood The stitching holes also have a particularly
weathering and bacteria better than the damaging effect.In short,it can be said that
previously mentioned materials. this treatment does not offerany protection
Incomparison withthefilm produced from an against further decay, but rathertends to
emulsion, whichbecomes dulledbymoisture accelerate it.
and losesitsstrength, theadvantages of the In theprocessusedby the writerno sup-
filmproduced fromsolvents aremostmarked portingfabricis normallyrequiredfor the
when the treatedarticlesare exhibitedin flags;theseare simplysprayedon bothsides
damp rooms. Historicfarm-houses, castles, withtheplasticin solution.Heavy flagsand

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20 DetlefLehmann

FIG.9. Brittle before

Coptictextile restoration.

film
a synthetic
FIG.Io. Casting onpolyethylene
foil.

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 ofTextilesat theWestBerlinStateMuseums
Conservation 21
thosewithdefects aresupported by backing filmis producedby pouringthe'propenoate'
themwitha material suchas Perlonmono- solutionon toa sheetofpolyethylene (Fig.io).
filamentfabric,usinga solutionof 'pro- Narrowstripsof thiscast 'propenoate'film
penoate'as glue.The particularadvantage of are then placed between the overlapping
thismethod is thatthismaterial
is muchmore portionsof theold and thenew fabric.Stage
to ageingthannatural
resistant silk,andalso by stage, these portionsare dabbed with
moreresistant to tearing.A sewnsupport solventand stucktogether[13]-
causesdamageto theold textiledue to the In thepast,restoration at bestsimplymeant
stitchholesand to the chafing effect.The the
renovating original features of a textile.
method ofbacking justdescribedis freefrom In view of the facilities
that are available
thesedrawbacks. nowadays one should not restcontent with
Thesprayed filmisinvisible
toanimpartial this object alone. Modern restoration must
observer.In the case of particularly frail preservethe articlesfromfurther decay,and
materials a
(Fig.9) stronger film is produced since it is now possible to arrest progressive
on therearofthefabric. Thisisaccomplished dilapidation, it is incumbenton the restorer
byusinga spraying fluid
ofthickerconsistency. to do so.
Restorationworkcanevokea trueimpression DETLEF LEHMANN
of thearticle,suchas canneverbe provided
by theseparate fragments.The missing parts Staatliche Museen,
of incomplete textilescan be filledin by IslamischeAbteilung,
onreplacement material 2,
sticking bymeans ofa Jebensstrasse
1 Berlin
film. For this a thin 12-Charlottenburg
'propenoate' purpose

NotesandReferences

I Reported by theauthorin detailin 'Mechanisch-technologische undchemische

Textilpriifungen'
(Naturfaserstoffe), October1963andJanuary
Priiparator,
1964.
2 Producer ofLevaponT, LevaponNSW, andLevaponCA: BayerAG, Lever-
kusen.
3 D. LEHMANN, 'Aus derRestaurierungspraxisan Orientteppichen', 6,
Priiparator,
no. 3(I960),pp.69if.
'Das RestaurierenvonOrientteppichen,' Heimtex,13,no.2 (Feb.I96I).
4 Anexhaustive discussion
ontherestoration andconservationofGobelin tapestries
is in preparation,and will be published in Heimtex,VerlagBussesche
Verlagshandlung, Herford.
5 Theauthor usesthedyesIsolan(BayerAG) andIrgalan (Geigy,Basel).
6 Produced byGeigy,Basel.
7 Produced byDeka-Textilfarben AG,Miinchen 2.
8 TheEulansusedbytheauthor areproduced byBayerAG,andarederivatives of
2,4,5-trichloraniline
chloromethylsulphonate.
9 Detailsof manufacture will be givenin Restaurierung undKonservierung von
Textilien.DieAnwendung dermodernen beiderKonservierung
Kunststoff-Chemie
von biiichigen unterbesonderer
Stoffen der Restaiurierung
Beriicksichtigung
historischer
Fahnen.Thisis beingprinted inHeimtex,February 1964.
Note.Itisthenormal
Editor's of
practice theeditorto sufficient
request identification
of syntheticmaterialsusedin restoration. Conservation
workis too im-
portant to be hampered by secretformulae. Howeverin thecaseof this
polymer theauthor requestedthatitschemicalconstitution
be withheld for
publicationinhisforthcoming book.

This content downloaded from 128.240.233.146 on Sat, 26 Dec 2015 19:00:27 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
22 DetlefLehmann
io ChemischeWerkeMiinchen,Otto BirlocherGmbH,Miinchen3.
ii Full detailsare to be foundin 'Die Konservierung von Fahnen',Waffen-und
Kostiimkunde, December1963.
12 D. LEHMANN,'Konservierung einerLippischen mitderJahreszahl
Infanterie-Fahne
8, no. 4 (1962),pp. 135-7.
1651',Priiparator,

CONSERVATION DES TEXTILES AUX MUSEES D'ETAT DE BERLIN OUEST

Resume
Cet articledecritd'abord une collection deux 'Eulans', dont l'un est employden
t moin de textiles(FiguresI et 2). Pour le solutionaqueuse,et I'autredans un solvant
nettoyagea sec, I'auteurrecommandeparti- organique.Pour renforcer par impr6gnation,
culierement l'usagedu tetrachlorethylene, en on a mis au pointselon une formulenon-
conjonction avec de l'eau et du Pour
detersif. rev616eun produit plastique synth6tique
le nettoyagehumide,il emploie l'un des 'propenoate'.Cette matiereest flexibleet
Ldvapons(faitspar Bayer). Il d6critensuite pourtantcomplktement non-collante.Pul-
la rdparationet le renforcement un
en utilisant vdrisdesur un elle
tissu, est invisible,saufde
support. Pour la protection contreles mites, tr'spres.
il fournitde nombreuxdetailssurl'usagedes D. L.

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All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions