Object
The object is a commemorative mug with the image of Field Marshall Lord Roberts on the front and ‘For Queen and Empire’ on the reverse. There are a number of similar ceramic mugs and cups with other military commanders on the front. They appear to be commemorating wars from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Field Marshall Lord Roberts was one of Britain’s most successful military commanders of the 19th century. He won important victories during the Second Afghan War and revitalised the British campaign in the Boer War.
Condition
- Evidence of dust and dirt on the surface
- Discoloured adhesive is present along the old joins, indicating previous restoration
- Areas of missing surface material around the painted decoration
- Evidence of staining along the break edges from the old adhesive.
Conservation
Initially the cermic mug was treated using cotton wool swabs with a 50:50 solution of ethanol and deionised water. This removed the thick layer of dust and dirt from the surface. The previous adhesive was unable to removed using the ethanol / deionised water solution so an alternative solvent was sought.
After testing, it was found that acetone softened the previous adhesive. Cotton wool soaked in acetone was applied to the break edges and the areas of adhesive overspill in order to soften the past adhesive for removal. As one of the loose sherds still retained a past repair, this was soaked in acetone in order to be able to take down the previous join.Once the adhesive had softened it was fully removed using a combination of cotton wool swabs with acetone and a scalpel.
Once the old adhesive had been removed it was found that it had caused some staining on the surface of the ceramic which couldn’t be removed using solvent. As a result a laponite poultice was made and placed on the areas of staining. The ceramic was then placed into a clear polythene bag in order to slow the rate of evaporation. This treatment lessened the severity of the staining and the process was repeated several times.
The majority of the stains were able to be removed, however some remained (although they had lessened) and the decision was made not to treat them further. Following treatment of the stains the pieces were adhered together. Paraloid B72 adhesive was applied to the break edges and the fragments brought together. Sections of tape were placed across the the joins in order to hold them together during the curing process. Any excess adhesive was removed using cotton wool swabs with acetone.
Once reconstructed, it became evident there were several areas of missing surface material which would require filling to improve the aesthetics. After testing several different fill materials the decision was made to use Zellaan as it has similar properties to porcelain. The Zellaan was mixed to an appropriate consistency, applied to the missing areas and allowed to cure. The areas of fill were then colour matched using a combination or acrylic and watercolour paints.