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

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

Photo 6. The 16th century child's coat disassembled (Photo: Ágnes Kolos) More than ten years ago an unexperienced conservator got the fragment of a red uniform decorated with silver trimmings, which once belonged to a body-quard of Maria Theresia, for conservation. Without carrying out a test cleaning on a model or a hidden part of the object, she applied a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate for cleaning the silver decorations. This chemical is usually successful in the cleaning of silver objects. When using the solution of the chemical on the garment, the red colour of the felt in the surrounding of the trimmings turned blue since the dyestuff was sensitive to various acidic or alkaline conditions. Namely, sodium hydrogen carbonate provides an alkaline solution, and a cochineal dyestuff (gained from a female insect called Coccus cacti) of the felt gives blue colour in alkaline conditions. The textile was then treated with a diluted solution of acetic acid and gained back its original colour. At the same time, the wool fibers underwent a considerable chemical deterioration due to the alkaline treatment. This deterioration can never be undone (Photo 7, 8). If the investigations of the dyestuff and modelling of the treatment would have been carried out in the course of the planning of the conservation process, deterioration of the wool could have been avoided - also the suprise