Artcare - Auckland Art Gallery

Textiles / BasketryRotorua, and where wool is prominent within a building.Other pollutants such as carbon from car fumes alsoincrease the rate of deterioration.Biological—insect infestation, fungi and moulds, aswell as rodents and animals, can all cause considerabledamage to textiles. The major insect pests to attack textilecollections are carpet beetle, moths and silverfish.Carpet beetle and moths tend to prefer protein materialssuch as wool, silk, fur and feathers, while silverfish aremore partial to cellulose fibres including cotton or linen.Mould and fungi grow on all fibres, weakening the structure,and may create stains which can rarely beremoved.Rodents have been known to make nests in artefactsas well as eating any likely food source such as asoiled textile. Animals such as cats and dogs can alsodamage textiles.HandlingImproper handling can cause irreversible damage to textilesand basketry. Unnecessary handling should beavoided and the artefact should not be pulled or dragged.It is recommended that white gloves are worn when handlingtextile objects. These should be clean and changedregularly if any soiling is apparent. Plastic gloves shouldbe worn when handling basketry to avoid snagging fibreson the surface of the artefact.Support the textile fully when lifting to avoid stresson the fibres and seams. Baskets should also be fullysupported—do not assume the handle or rim of an artefactis strong enough to hold its weight.Place the artefact to be examined on a preparedclean flat surface (washed sheets are ideal). To avoidunforeseen accidents, do not smoke, eat or drink nearobjects. Only pencils should be used while examiningthe artefact.Accession numbers should be written onto cottontape before sewing to a textile.Three-dimensional objects should be padded out toprotect them from creasing. Avoid storing basketryobjects inside one another or balancing them on theirsides.When mounting costume for exhibition, it is almostalways necessary to have two or more people involvedfor the safety of the object.Any loose dirt should be removed using a low-poweredvacuum cleaner through a plastic mesh screen. Thenozzle should be held slightly off the surface of the artefact.A soft brush may be used on basketry objects if thesurface is not too dry or friable. The nozzle of the vacuumcleaner should be covered with net and used withthe brush to lift and remove surface soiling from theinterstices of the weave. Any further cleaning should bereferred to a textile conservator.StorageImproper storage can cause permanent damage to anobject. Storage on a wooden shelf or drawer, or wrappedin acidic paper, will increase the acidity of the textile,often leaving a yellow stained area which becomes weakand brittle. A hot-water cupboard will dry an artefactout, increasing the rate of deterioration and causing it tobecome brittle.Plastic bags, adhesive tape, staples and pins shouldbe avoided. Heavy pieces of costume such as beadeddresses should not be hung, as they will distort andstress will be placed on the load-bearing areas. Textilesshould be clean before storing, but seek professionaladvice on cleaning techniques.Correct storage will help to extend the life of an artefactand reduce the risk of damage. The storage areashould be dark, with lights only in use when artefacts arebeing retrieved from or returned to storage. Temperatureand relative humidity levels should be kept constant ataround 20°C and 55% relative humidity respectively.Protect artefacts from dust and light in acid-freeboxes, fabric bags or clean acid-free card-lined drawers.Acid-free tissue should be used to wrap and pad textiles.Check stored artefacts regularly for signs of mouldgrowth or insect infestation.41