Conservation treatment:
Initially, mechanical cleaning was carried out using demineralised water and ethanol (50:50), with cotton attached to bamboo skewers, avoiding scratching the surface. Consolidation by dripping was then performed in localized areas of the head and body using a syringe.
Micro-fissures were consolidated before mechanical cleaning of the object. Some other cracks were simultaneously cleaned and consolidated with Paraloid B-72 at a low concentration (6%). On most of the object, mainly on the back of the trunk, a thin white film was found on the surface. It was found that this was a consolidator, which dissolved when ethanol and demineralised water were used.
The residual film was removed using thin wooden skewers to avoid scratching the surface. The object was then consolidated using Paraloid B-72 in acetone. In other less accessible areas, the whitish film was removed with needles.
Since the object was made up of two main areas that were separated (head and body), it was simpler to consolidate and clean both separately, and then glue them together with a higher solution of Paraloid B-72 (50%).
Conserved by: Ileana Olmos
2015