Antiques : Their Restoration and Preservation

Contents: 1. Restoration. 2. Preservation. 3. Application of methods to specific materials. 4. Simple physical and chemical tests. Bibliography. Index.

The literature dealing with methods of treating antiques objects, with a view to their restoration and preservation, is very scanty, and all that exists of the subject are the few books and pamphlets mentioned in the bibliography at the end of the present volume,. Together with occasional scattered articles in scientific journals and brief notes in archaeological sports. The author therefore who has made a special study of the subject and who for two seasons has been helping with the cleaning and preservation of the objects from the tomb of Tut-ankh-Amen, has ventured to write a small book in the hope that it may be useful to archaeologists, museum curators, collectors and others. The book is admittedly elementary, and the author has endeavoured to be as simple and non-technical as possible. He has also tried to be definite, and where there are a number of different methods to indicate the best. It must be remembered, however, that no one remedy can be of universal application and that each case should be treated as a separate and special study, and in order that this may be done, the underlying principles are fully explained. The methods recommended are neither difficult nor expensive.