Leather artefacts

It will be seen that the successful treatment of any object requires the conservator to have a wide range of skills. These include an understanding of the scientific principles behind any treatment process, a knowledge of the technology of the material from which the object was made, an appreciation of the techniques employed in its manufacture and the craft skills to undertake the conservation procedure. This applies just as much to the treatment of leather artefacts as to those which are sometimes more conventionally valued. 

T. Sturge, The Conservation of Leather Artefacts, The Leather Conservation Centre, Northampton, 2000. 

In a unique application of RRC, the present authors are preserving timber and leather artefacts from Henry VIII s warship. The Mary Rose, which sunk in the Solent and was recently recovered after 438 years on the seabed. The fact that, using the additives outlined in this paper, grafting may be Increased during these RRC treatments is very Important, since the enhancement effect may well improve the physical properties of the material and thus should assist the longevity of the final product of the preservation process. 

Concentrations of metal ions in the burial environment can lead to localized conditions of toxicity, which can prevent microbial activity (Janaway 1996). This phenomenon is typically associated with the preservation of associated grave materials such as textiles, leather, and wood (ibid.). However, an extensive collection of metallic artefacts usually contains insufficient concentrations of metal ions to result in significant retardation of decomposition (ibid.). 

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