Treatments

On this page you will find a selection of projects from my time working in the West Dean College Ceramics Restoration Workshop. While working as a Student Conservator I oversaw every aspect of the treatments, including client relations, time estimations, condition reporting, provenance research (upon request), treatment design, treatment, documentation, packing, and hand-off/deaccession paperwork.

My tutors Lorna Calcutt and Jasmina Vučković supervised my work to ensure adherence to best practices, but encouraged me to take the lead on any project I was offered. This included solo work and collaborative projects. While at West Dean I treated 27 ceramic, glass, and jade objects from 3 museum collections and numerous private collections.

Below find photos of some of my favorite projects. To view each project in more detail click the buttons below the photos.

The Journey of the Headless Horseman
Astbury-Whieldon type figurine, cir. 1760
Lead-glazed creamware ceramic
2024

Headless Horseman as Received

Headless Horseman WIP

Headless Horseman After Treatment

The George Jones Jardiniere
Victorian Majolica, cir. 1775
Polychrome glazed ceramic
2024

To be able to bond the large sections back together I needed 4 extra sets of arms.

This project included substantial mold-taking to reproduce the many areas of loss.

Once bonded the adhesive was left to cure for 14 days before any further work was completed.

Jade bird as received.

Jade bird after treatment.

Noodle bowl before treatment.

The reverse of the bowl as received.

Noodle bowl after "mock-sugi" treatment (kintsugi inspired gilt epoxy treatment)

Tureen lid as received

After cleaning and filling

After retouching

Retouching close-up

Guanyin Figurine as received

Guanyin figurine close up of damage

Wax modeled hands for recreating areas of loss.

Finished epoxy fills in place.

Fragment 1 of the Satsuma project

Fragment tray 2 of the Satsuma project

Fragment tray 3 of the Satsuma project

WIP, bonding the over 75 fragments with the help of a visiting conservator.

Working on the retouching.

Fragment tray 4 of the Satsuma project

After bonding and filling, retouching in progress. The project was handed over to another student for collaboration on retouching after this point.

Archeological pot from the Fishborne Roman Palace Museum in West Sussex, condition as received 1

Archeological pot from the Fishborne Roman Palace Museum in West Sussex, condition as received 2

Archeological pot from the Fishborne Roman Palace Museum in West Sussex, condition as received 3

Following my maps of the sherds to rebond the pot with Paraloid B-72.

To ensure the adhesive between the sherds cured in the correct shapre, I created internal and external supports.

Large dish before treatment.

Large dish before treatment, reverse view.

Large dish after treatment

Dragon pot after bonding and filling, 1

Dragon pot after bonding and filling, 2

Dragon pot WIP creating a layered retouching to mimic the visual depth of the cobalt underglaze and celadon glaze.

Dragon pot after treatment.

Polychrome stoneware bowl before treatment

Polychrome stoneware bowl after treatment

close-up of damage

Lazarus Straus & Sons porcelain vase, before treatment 1

After treatment 1

After treatment 2

Lazarus Straus & Sons porcelain vase, before treatment 2

Fragrence Figurine, cast porcelain, before treatment

Fragrence Figurine after treatment

Bonsai figurine before treatment.

Casting in-situ fills

Bonsai figurine after treatment.

Egg shell porcelain cup with fired glaze repair before treatment.

And after treatment, every sherd placed.

Latticework porcelain tray from the Russell Cotes Museum Collection before treatment fragment 1

Latticework porcelain tray from the Russell Cotes Museum Collection before treatment fragments 2 & 3

After treatment