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 SMP Silver Salon Forums
 A Curator's Viewpoint
 object treatment
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| Author | Topic: object treatment |
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wev Moderator Posts: 4121 |
posted 05-21-1999 02:50 PM
  
The subject of polishing silver in museums has been touched on in another forum, but I was wondering about repairs. Some museums appear to leave pieces as received, warts and all. Others apparently limit themselves to cosmetic touch-ups (removing a small 'ping' in a spoon bowl for example), but do not attempt to redo previous repairs except when they endanger the object's integrity. A few seem to go much further and try to return a piece to its 'as new' state. Are there any general guide lines agreed upon or is it again a matter of each institution deciding for itself? IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 05-22-1999 09:51 PM
Basically, each museum or each curator will decide his/her conservation philosophy. Some people like to keep small dings and dents (to a point) as documents of the history of the object. Damages that are disfiguring or don't allow the piece to stand or function properly (like not-fitting lids) are repaired based on the availability of conservation funds. Old repairs that are disfiguring, or dangerous (lead solder), are also usually repaired based on availability of funds. The broadest philosophy, shared in theory by all curators, is "do nothing you don't have to." Of course, defining "have to" is where it gets subjective. The biggest difference is usually the need for funding for conservation. With very limited conservation funding, such as at Newark, we tend to do only urgent or really disfiguring conservation jobs. Dings and small dents aren't important enough to warrant competition for funds. These days, if a gift of silver comes in that I see needs some conservation, I usually ask the donor to underwrite the conservation (this goes for any gift, for that matter). I've had surprising success in getting people to do this, especially if the gift has family history important to the donor and the museum. IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 05-26-1999 09:38 PM
An addendum to this (if anyone reads the first one). NEVER remove a monogram, especially if it is the original monogram. If you can't live with someone else's monogram on a piece, then keep looking for unmonogrammed pieces--or buy new stuff. If you want to add your own monogram, then do so somewhere discreet--along with a date--that way it adds to the history of a piece, without destroying its history. IP: Logged |
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Jeff Herman Posts: 20 |
posted 06-02-1999 12:25 PM
Monograms on silver are part of the object's history and should not be removed for this reason. Museums use monograms to help trace an object's provenance. Beautiful engraving is a work of art—an art form quickly disappearing. Most antique dealers indiscriminately remove monograms to make the object more saleable. Having said this, if a customer INSISTS on having the engraving removed, I will agree to eradicate it, but under protest. I have turned down numerous requests to remove monograms because of their unusual beauty or historical significance. I would rather remove the monogram than have the object brought to someone less skilled and have it ruined. I have no reservations in removing machine engraving from mass-produced flatware. Keep in mind that if a monogram is deeply engraved on the bottom of a thin tray for example, the removal results may not be desirable, for any weight placed on that area could possibly produce a dent. In a perfect world, all monograms would remain intact. Some individuals will go to ANY length to have them removed. [This message has been edited by Jeff Herman (edited 06-02-99).] IP: Logged |
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Scott Martin Forum Master Posts: 11520 |
posted 06-11-1999 09:53 AM
I heard Martha Stewart on her CBS Martha Stewart Living show recommend that you look for antique monogrammed silver which matches your own initials. If you do buy antique silver and the monogram doesn't match your initials, she then recommend that you "invent" a past family member to match the monogram.  IP: Logged |
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Ulysses Dietz Moderator Posts: 1265 |
posted 06-13-1999 07:03 PM
Good ol' Martha--she's from New Jersey, ya know. IP: Logged |
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Cheryl and Richard Posts: 154 |
posted 06-18-1999 03:32 PM
I enjoy wearing braces (suspenders) to which we have attached Unger Brothers clips; when asked whose initials those are, I reply "My grandfather's." If someone notes that there isn't a 'D' on them, I explain that it's my mother's father. [This message has been edited by Cheryl and Richard (edited 06-18-99).] IP: Logged |
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