Work Begins on the Plaster Cast of the Djedhor the Saviour Statue Base

The blog post for this week has been written by Micah Ellis, a second year at Cardiff University studying Conservation of Objects in Museums and Archaeology.

The statue base plaster cast (fig. 1) previously seen during the visit to Cardiff University Conservation Department (W302) is now undergoing the first steps in the conservation process. Before it can be reunited with the statue (currently in the Petrie Museum in London) for display at the Egypt Centre, the base will first need to be cleaned and have the surface chips treated. Work on the plaster cast is being carried out by Cardiff University conservation students.

Fig. 1: Plaster cast of the Djedhor the Saviour statue base

The plaster cast was made from the original at the Cairo Museum in 1933 and over time has acquired surface damage and a build-up of dust and dirt. An initial inspection of the condition also revealed several small paint splatters and staining in some areas of exposed plaster, as well as some places where air pockets within the plaster had collapsed. These contained some small, loose pieces of plaster as well as a more significant amount of dust and dirt that has accumulated inside. Further caution will have to be taken when cleaning these areas due to the potential for losing plaster or causing more breaks in these weaker areas (fig. 2).

Fig. 2: The plaster cast in the Cardiff University conservation labs

For the cleaning process, the main techniques considered included brush and vacuum cleaning, and using Groomstick and smoke sponges (effective at removing soot and smoke and often used on paintings) to remove surface dirt. We are considering dry-cleaning methods to begin with, as we don’t have information about the paint used or how the plaster was sealed, and the use of water or solvents over the entire surface has the potential to cause damage, which may not be necessary after the dry-cleaning is complete. The end of the vacuum was covered by a piece of mesh to prevent the loss of any plaster if loose pieces were disturbed while cleaning (fig. 3). After tests were carried out on small areas, it was determined that the most effective technique to begin with would be to brush and vacuum loose dirt before using the Groomstick to remove what the vacuum was unable to. Groomstick is a dry-cleaning putty that can remove dirt and grease without leaving detectable residue on many surfaces (best suited for smooth surfaces) when fresh and stored at room temperature.

Fig. 3: Beginning the brushing and vacuuming of the surface

Throughout our testing, there was no visible residue from the Groomstick, and only the surface dust was removed. During the cleaning, it will be important to be mindful of any other air bubbles within the plaster and to not apply too much pressure. The preliminary cleaning also revealed an as-yet-unidentified stain in the well where the statue would usually sit. The next step in the cleaning process will be to identify methods for removing the paint splatters and this newly revealed stain. 

For cleaning plaster, cotton swabs with a small amount of water and detergent can be used with caution, but we will first have to test on a small unobtrusive spot to ensure that none of the original paint is removed by this method. The paint splatters may have to be removed mechanically using a scalpel as any solvent that could effectively remove them could also impact the original paint. Once clean, the chips on the surface will need to be addressed. In some cases, particularly where the surface paint has been scraped away, only inpainting will be required. In some areas of greater loss, gap-filling with mixed adhesive may be required first to create an even surface for the inpainting. In these cases, it will be important to consult images, if available, of the original statue base or the plaster cast before damage for any original detailing that may have been lost. 

Bibliography

Jelínkova-Reymond, E. 1956. Les inscriptions de la statue guérisseuse de Djed-ḥer-le-Sauveur. Bibliothèque d’étude 23. Cairo: Institut français d’Archéologie orientale.

Moy, Sara A. 2004. Groomstick: A study to determine its potential to deposit residues. Objects Specialty Group Postprints 11, 29–42.

Sherman, Elizabeth J. 1981. Djedḥor the Saviour statue base OI 10589. Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 67, 82–102.