Best of NMAI

I realize I haven’t posted many posts specific to the day to day conservation work I undertake, at the lab bench. So, to make amends for this, here is a sort of retrospective. Including a few images, and notes, of a small selection of some of my favourite objects that I treated during my time at the National Museum of the American Indian. Not necessarily the most complex or interesting treatments, but, just objects I enjoyed passing over my bench.

This is the first object I worked on when I arrived at the NMAI:

This object was a full set, excluding the dress, of powwow regalia. Quite daunting for a first object. Lots of surface cleaning involved, and the replacement of some missing beads. However, the most complex element of this treatment was the removal of large amounts of duct tape (and duct tape residue) from the moccasins. This was exhibited in the exhibit Identity by Design on the mall museum, and has recently been moved to New York City, George Gustav Heye Center.

Clay Effigy Figure standing by a llama

This object was treated, surface cleaning and infilling and in-painting a few areas of damage, for the forthcoming Infinity of Nations exhibit in New York city. An exhibit that will show a large number of objects from across the collections of the NMAI.

Beech Bark Canoe Model

This object is also slated to be exhibited in the Infinity of Nations exhibit. This treatment involved the securing, through both manual manipulation and the use of adhesives, various plant fibers that make up the object.

Yakima Fancy Dancer Figurine

This object was surface cleaned, and assessed for a mounting system that could support its outstretched leg. The object is currently on display in the Dolls Exhibit of Windows on Collections. I reported on the installation of this exhibit previously in my blog.

Houma Doll

This Houma dolls is my favorite object that I treated all year, the treated was fairly simple, and involved surface cleaning and realigning various parts of the fabric elements of the doll, and working out a means of attaching the doll to the basket for exhibition in the dolls exhibit referred to above. However, the doll just looks fantastic, and it was great to work on.

(These images are in a LQ format. However, most of these objects are either currently on display in Washington, DC, or will soon be on display in New York City, at one of the NMAI Museums).