Object
The object is a Crown Devon teapot of an ivory blush colour, from the Beamish Museum collections. The teapot sports the Crown Devon Wick pattern, indicated by the number 0992 on the base, (the regulation number for the design is 648631). The stamp and pattern indicate that the date of this teapot is between 1913 and 1930. The design is printed on the porcelain and then hand filled. The golden paint on the spout, handle and lid is made from gold.
Condition
- There is a small chip on the lid
- Evidence of a number of scratches on the gold sections
- A section of the spout is missing
- Some signs of staining due to dust and use
- Several hard brown inclusions inside the teapot.
Conservation
The dust was brushed off the surface using a paintbrush, it was then cleaned using a staedeler eraser. Following this the teapot was cleaned using cotton swabs and a solution of 50:50 ethanol and deionized water with Synperonic A7.
Once this was done the lid was placed in a plastic tub, as a preliminary test, in a deionized water and Synperonic A7 solution for 1 hour to clean further. It was the rinsed using deionised water to remove the Synperonic A7 residue. Once taken out the lid was allowed to dry. The test was successful and the same protocol was put in place for the teapot body.
Three fills were tested to replace the spout and chipped lid. These were flügger, Zellaan, and Milliput. Zellaan was selected due to its hardness, easy application, smooth / clean look and ease of shaping. Masking tape was applied around the areas that needed to be filled to aid shaping afterwards and protect the porcelain from damage. Dental wax was heated using a hairdryer and shaped around these areas and left to harden. Zellaan was mixed together with deionized water until the consistency required was obtained (approximately 1 part water to 3 parts Zellaan). The mix was then poured into the the dental wax moulds and left to solidify overnight.
The fill on the lid was shaped using a scalpel and abrasive paper of three different grades. Additional zellaan was applied in areas that required a shape change or additional material. Once smoothed paint tests were made on a separate piece of porcelain that had previously been filled with Zellaan. A mix of green and white very watered down was used to get the blush effect combined with a brown and white combination that was diluted further to match the inside tint of the porcelain. Several tints of gold were tested to match the colour of the rim. A combination of gold and a small amount of black were chosen. Once dried the fill was covered with porcelain restoration glaze.
The spout was blocked with dental wax to avoid the Zellaan travelling down into the teapot. A second piece of dental wax was applied to the underneath of the spout to create the tip. Once cast the spout tip was shaped using a scalpel and abrasive paper of three different grades. Additional Zellaan was applied in areas that required a shape change or additional material.
Three different types of golden paints were tested to apply to the teapot as well as different colour mixes. The colour settled for was the same as for the lid: gold with a little black. The inside was done using a very watered down combination of white and brown, with a greater concertation of brown to imitate the staining that appeared in the middle. Once the paint had been applied it was covered using the porcelain restoration glaze. The whole teapot was then swabbed one last time with a solution of 50:50 ethanol and deionized water.