Endrei Walter szerk.: Textilipari Múzeum Évkönyve 8. 1995 (Budapest, 1995)

dr. Ágnes Balázsy: "A stitch in time saves nine" - ethical aspects of textile conservation

17th century form or, - in the final one when it was still in use at the beginning of this century? Photo 3. Photo 4. Detail of the face of coronation mantle: Detail of the reverse side of the coronation the countless fixing stitches can be seen mantle: the fixing stitches on the third well (Photo: Agnes Kolos) layer (Photo: Agnes Kolos) Considering these statements she recommended that the layers should not be separated, the object should preserve its integrity and all the information of its history. A thorough surface cleaning was suggested with the help of a very fine vacuum nozzle, and appropriate environmental conditions, which would preserve this unique object in its present condition. Although the committee which consisted of historians and art historians was prepared to adopt a plan of a much more extended conservation process, they accepted her arguments for this minimum treatment. In those days this 'modesty' of a textile conservator who should have been world-famous to get the assignment to an extended restoration work of such an invaluable piece was very brave and quite shocking to some people. Today, it is completely normal, that a textile consisting of more layers is not separated and receives only the minimum intervention by the conservator. This became a general ethical rule in Hungary. The only exceptions are those deteriorated textile objects which can not gain a physical and chemical stability without treating their parts individually.