Heather carefully squeezes the small plastic puff she is holding next to the leg of the chair and releases a tiny rush of air designed to blow away the dust which has settled and ingrained itself in the chair’s fragile surface. The removed dust is collected into a small nozzle by low vacuum suction to prevent redepositing. Once, this chair would have been richly-covered in royal blue silk velvet, but today, much of that velvet has gone and what little remains is exceptionally delicate. Even the gentlest touch risks further loss of the already crumbling pile (“pile” being the raised surface of a textile such as velvet – from the Latin word, pilus, meaning “hair”).
Surface cleaning in action – note the contrast between the treated section of velvet on the lower left edge and the untreated section higher up
Velvet is a type of dense, woven fabric, valued for its super-soft, plush quality. In the 15th and 16th centuries, velvet was highly-prized – used in sumptuous robes and elaborate furnishings, ecclesiastical and secular. Over time, however, silk velvet degrades and disappears. With the use of miniature soft brushes, conservation-grade vacuum and dust puffs, Heather can safely remove the dust and dirt which has accumulated in the velvet’s surface, while avoiding any accidental damage to the velvet itself.
Careful cleaning by a trained conservator not only helps to reduce the risk and rate of deterioration, but reveals some of the colour. Much of the exposed velvet on the chair’s exterior has faded to a sickly bottle green, but when Heather carefully removed the squab (or seat cushion), she discovered velvet which, having been covered and protected from the light, better retained its rich, original blue, with its almost iridescent sheen.
The velvet isn’t the only part of the chair which requires conservation. Cleaning of the gold colour trim and brass nails is slow, painstaking work, but these appear to shine more brightly now that the dullness has been lifted from the surface.
Though very fragile, the vividness of the blue silk velvet is still preserved here on the edges of the seat cushion. The modern black stitching has failed and requires more work
With the first phase of conservation almost complete, Heather will soon be able to start phase 2, which involves the cautious consolidation of loose fragments and threads where previous 20th-century conservation interventions have begun to fail. For example, the modern black stitching around the edges of the squab, no doubt introduced at some later point to reinforce the cushion, is now fraying and broken, the stuffing of the seat bulging out of its thin membrane. With Heather’s support, we can preserve these elements and avoid unnecessary decline.
