We recently commissioned ceramic specialists Kenneth Watt and Dana Norris of Oxford-based Watt and Norris Conservation to conserve a vase that has been a feature in the garden for the past fifty years.
Kenneth Watt and Dana Norris are specialists in the care of art and archaeological objects made in ceramic, glass and enamelled metals. They provide a range of conservation services, bespoke to each client, including conservation, cleaning and repair, condition assessments, store planning and conservation photography. Their previous clients include the Ashmolean Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Sir John Soane's Museum, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery as well as many private clients. The practice is an Accredited Member of the Institute of Conservation (ICON) and you can read Dana’s case study of the pithoi on ICON’s Conservation Register here.
This is Kenneth’s report.
Original condition and requirements:
A large earthenware garden vase, possibly from Portugal and dated circa 1750-1800. The body has a very open and light structure with obvious inclusions and is finely potted. Probably originally intended for storage purposes. This ceramic vase has been been exposed to the elements and weathering and has remained in a garden environment for at least 50 years. There is a build up of mosses and lichens on the surface which is now pitted from freeze-thaw processes over the years and there is evidence of several losses from the surface. The interior surface is also covered with salt crystals and the base is retaining significant amount of water.
Two cracks or breaks have developed around the middle section and both appear to have broken all the way through and are now apart. A small section also had become loose and is broken out from the side and this has been retained.
Conservation:
Originally on site, the vase needed to be moved to a covered dry area and allowed to dry out before conservation treatments could then be applied. In preparation for this the vase was ‘dismantled’ and the separate sections were lifted off in three separate sections. The sections were then packed and moved. It was decided at this point that the vase should be transported to our workshop to allow the vase to dry and for treatments to take place in a more controlled and warmer environment.
The initial requirements and treatments made in agreement with the client included very limited cleaning to surfaces. The florescence of salts in the interior had to be partially removal through careful brushing as the surface in some areas is quite delicate and loose. Light application of brushes was applied to mosses particularly in the interior to remove it from surfaces although some has been retained. As the existing ‘patina’ should remain largely unchanged very little cleaning was applied to the outer surfaces. The partial cleaning of the surfaces would help arrest any further degradation especially if the vase in future is kept in a more protected and drier environment. Keeping the vase dry should halt any further degradation.
More thorough cleaning was carried out to the break edges as black mould and dirt had been trapped in these areas. This was carried out using a steam cleaner which applies steam under pressure to the edges and readily removed the dirt. The assembly and bonding of the three sections was carried out after the drying and cleaning process were completed. The small section was also incorporated. After assembly and bonding selected large areas of loss along the break edges were infilled, retouched and colour matched to the original. This added some level of protection to the open joint and adhesive bond. The fills provide some structural protection while also providing a more invisible aesthetic result and finish along the break.
Reinstalling the vase in its original position required preparing the site so that rainwater would drain efficiently from the vase, this was achieved by laying bricks level and packing with gravel to provide a porous and stable base to sit on.
Removal of Conservation Materials and After Care:
All of the conservation materials used can be removed with careful application of solvents, such as water, acetone, and dichloromethane. Extreme environments will affect the ceramic and the restoration materials.
Kenneth Watt, March 2021
Watt and Norris Conservation www.ceramicconservation.com
The initial requirements and treatments made in agreement with the client included very limited cleaning to surfaces. The florescence of salts in the interior had to be partially removal through careful brushing as the surface in some areas is quite delicate and loose. Light application of brushes was applied to mosses particularly in the interior to remove it from surfaces although some has been retained. As the existing ‘patina’ should remain largely unchanged very little cleaning was applied to the outer surfaces. The partial cleaning of the surfaces would help arrest any further degradation especially if the vase in future is kept in a more protected and drier environment. Keeping the vase dry should halt any further degradation.
More thorough cleaning was carried out to the break edges as black mould and dirt had been trapped in these areas. This was carried out using a steam cleaner which applies steam under pressure to the edges and readily removed the dirt. The assembly and bonding of the three sections was carried out after the drying and cleaning process were completed. The small section was also incorporated. After assembly and bonding selected large areas of loss along the break edges were infilled, retouched and colour matched to the original. This added some level of protection to the open joint and adhesive bond. The fills provide some structural protection while also providing a more invisible aesthetic result and finish along the break.
Reinstalling the vase in its original position required preparing the site so that rainwater would drain efficiently from the vase, this was achieved by laying bricks level and packing with gravel to provide a porous and stable base to sit on.
Removal of Conservation Materials and After Care:
Care has to be taken when lifting the vase due to its great weight. Uneven lifting may stress the ceramic and the restoration.
All of the conservation materials used can be removed with careful application of solvents, such as water, acetone, and dichloromethane. Extreme environments will affect the ceramic and the restoration materials.
Kenneth Watt, March 2021
Watt and Norris Conservation www.ceramicconservation.com
The initial requirements and treatments made in agreement with the client included very limited cleaning to surfaces. The florescence of salts in the interior had to be partially removal through careful brushing as the surface in some areas is quite delicate and loose. Light application of brushes was applied to mosses particularly in the interior to remove it from surfaces although some has been retained. As the existing ‘patina’ should remain largely unchanged very little cleaning was applied to the outer surfaces. The partial cleaning of the surfaces would help arrest any further degradation especially if the vase in future is kept in a more protected and drier environment. Keeping the vase dry should halt any further degradation.
More thorough cleaning was carried out to the break edges as black mould and dirt had been trapped in these areas. This was carried out using a steam cleaner which applies steam under pressure to the edges and readily removed the dirt. The assembly and bonding of the three sections was carried out after the drying and cleaning process were completed. The small section was also incorporated. After assembly and bonding selected large areas of loss along the break edges were infilled, retouched and colour matched to the original. This added some level of protection to the open joint and adhesive bond. The fills provide some structural protection while also providing a more invisible aesthetic result and finish along the break.
Reinstalling the vase in its original position required preparing the site so that rainwater would drain efficiently from the vase, this was achieved by laying bricks level and packing with gravel to provide a porous and stable base to sit on.
Removal of Conservation Materials and After Care:
Care has to be taken when lifting the vase due to its great weight. Uneven lifting may stress the ceramic and the restoration.
All of the conservation materials used can be removed with careful application of solvents, such as water, acetone, and dichloromethane. Extreme environments will affect the ceramic and the restoration materials.
Kenneth Watt, March 2021
Watt and Norris Conservation www.ceramicconservation.com
