Szilágyi András (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 27. (Budapest, 2009)
Emese PÁSZTOR - Márta TÓTH - Anikó PATAKI - Andrea VÁRFALVI: Turkish Cases from the Esterházy Treasury
III/7. The lining for the wooden insert used for stiffening, on a moulding the result that having placed them in a moistening chamber I continued their adjustment to the required shape. After continuous moistening over a number of days, the fibres had loosened up to such an extent that the different pieces of leather could be adjusted to the appropriate sizes (fig. Ill/ 6). As completion of the treatment, having thinly smeared both sides of the lining and back panel leather with a 1:1 solution of glycerine and distilled water, I was able to bring about a state of affairs whereby they were softer and more flexible after drying. (For the prevention of mildew, the solution also contained 1 per cent isopropyl alcohol disinfectant and 0.5 per cent Preventol CMK.) The pieces of leather dried slowly and continuously between the paper wadding layers. Sudden drying would have caused great tension in the leather reminiscent of the earlier shrivelling. I laid out for drying the leather lining of the curved wooden insert to be found at the bottom of the case on a shape cut out from Nikecell 7 0 and then covered with polyethylene foil (fig. III/7). The distorted parchment strip fragments were very stiff. At the same time, treating them with liquid could well have brought about further shrivelling. Accordingly, I removed the soiling on them with a micro vacuum cleaner only, without using any liquid. The wooden insert, which was in good condition, I cleaned using fat alcohol sulphate 7 1 foam. Sewing conservation, supplementation of the stiching I strengthened the ground fabric bearing the embroidery by reinforcing it. 7 2 The linen weave cotton fabric chosen for this purpose also served on the missing edging. When attaching it by means of sewing, I followed the contours of the motifs. The supplementing of the skófium embroidery was warranted by statics considerations, as in the restoration of bow-case no. 2. In the absence of the solidity appropriate for the loosely attached cotton threads to be found beneath the worn-off metal wire on the edges of the case, I would have been unable to attach the leather layers and the parchment border holding them together. Additionally, the supplemented embroidery also provided protection for the padding threads, as well as the appropriate reinforcement. I performed the 103
