CONSERVATION OF A PRECIOUS NINETEENTH-CENTURY FAN

Abstract

In 1983, a rare collection of watches and clocks had been stolen from Mayer Islamic Art Museum in Jerusalem, Israel. Two years ago the stolen objects were recovered; one was a hand-painted fan with music box and watch, made in Switzerland in 1820. This valuable European fan is made of gold, pearls, enamel decorations and a painted battle scene on vellum. The fan was found to be in poor condition, the golden rods were detached from the main fan element, as the painted vellum was badly damaged. The handles containing the mechanisms of the watch and the music box had been dismantled. The complex restoration process is described as a joint project involving two different disciplines – that is, conservation by a silversmith and paper conservator. Delicate titanium supports were added to the fan's internal structure, golden pins to reinforce the handles, and vellum inserts for the missing and weak areas. Lastly, the painting was retouched in order to complete the restoration.