Series editors' preface - Wood Tools

722 Conservation of Furniture
minimal in situ work to the removal, conservation
and reapplication of all materials or, alternatively,
to the replacement of inaccurate
interventions (upholstery additions or replacements)
with more appropriate materials or historically
based interventions. Where practicable,
the objects are placed in a controlled environment.
It is necessary to differentiate between
objects with upholstery which merit conservation
and those that do not. Whilst a specialist
upholstery conservator is in the best position to
either treat or advise, some objects may be
treated by reputable craftspeople, using materials
and techniques specified by a historian or
conservator.
All objects should be assessed individually
and treatments proposed on a case-by-case
basis in the context of current conservation
ethics. Broadly speaking, the treatment factors
to be considered for upholstery are based on
the same principles as for other furniture types.
They include the nature of the materials and
current condition, the end use of the furnishing,
the nature of the furniture collection, the
significance and effects of later interventions,
budget and time constraints, availability of
materials, facilities and expertise. Thorough
examination of the object and documentation
is essential before treatment begins.
16.3.2 Ethics
The ethical dilemmas that face an upholstery
conservator often mirror those in the broader
profession, for example balancing preservation
requirements against demands for study, display
or use. Other dilemmas have their roots in
historical approaches to the presentation of
interiors. The incorporation of historic colours
into furnishing textiles, for example, has often
drawn on an aesthetic with roots in the nineteenth
century revivalist movement.
Furnishings have been based on ‘authentic’
colours derived from aged textiles rather than
an original unfaded state. Dress fabrics from
previous centuries have on occasion been reinterpreted
in a similar way. In some cases this
approach has been taken a step further, with
the desire to incorporate surviving textiles into
new interpretations of historical interiors. Thus,
on occasion, upholstery conservators may be
asked to marry historic textiles to upholstery
with which they have not been associated.
Many upholstery conservators believe such
marriages are in conflict with professional ethical
guidelines. Such requests often pay little
heed to the historical use of fabric weight and
construction, fibre type, design, size or trimmings.
Practical concerns in using historic textiles
include the time and costs entailed in
preparing these degraded artefacts for use.
Such textiles may require cleaning and conservation
to make them stable enough to withstand
the handling necessary for re-application
to the frame. Historical textiles, even after conservation,
are likely to require replacement
sooner than replicas.
Advances in furniture and textile studies by
historians, curators and conservators have
resulted in a re-examination of the presentation
of upholstered furniture and the use of historic
textiles as replacement top coverings. The use
of historic textiles has become less acceptable
within the context of a greater respect for
preservation and accurate interpretation of
upholstery. The use of reproduction period
fabrics based on document textiles (those with
documentary evidence to support an ascribed
date) has become an accepted practice among
conservators and curators (Gill and Eastop,
2001; Nylander, 1990). The quality, choice and
cost of reproduction has often been a factor in
the choice of treatment. However, the quality
of reproduction fabrics has improved in
response to the demands of museums as discerning
customers. The increased acceptance
of the practice of using reproductions has
resulted in collaborative ordering and purchase
by museums and a wider choice being available
from stock. This has reduced costs, as may
the purchase of undyed yardage for piece dyeing
different colours.
Curators often have legitimate concerns in
using reproduction textiles. For example, a
new textile or leather reproduction used as an
upholstery covering often appears too lustrous
and bright against the patina of an aged historic
finish or mellowed wood. To overcome
the high lustre, a different material may be substituted.
Mercerized cotton, for example, is
closer in appearance than new silk as a
replacement for aged silk. Textile and leathers
may be purchased in an undyed state to allow
them to be dyed to a more appropriate tone.
Small yardage can be dyed in-house by a conservator,
whilst bulk quantities may be piece-