Egyptian mastabah fragment
Object property of The British Museum
Mastabah fragment before treatment
Photo property of The British Museum
Mastabah fragment after treatment
Photo property of The British Museum
Condition before treatment
The fragment was previously adhered with the other fragments using dowels and various types of plaster. A previous conservation attempt has produced an uneven consolidation result, which might have protected the pigments, but has given the stone a waxy appearance and texture. The old in-painting has discoloured. There are losses around the edges from taking down the old joints during de-assembly.
Treatment
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Dry cleaning of the stone surface with smoke sponge (vulcanised rubber)
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Plaster fills around the fragment were reduced or removed with mechanical methods (scalpel and chisel)
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Some previous in-painting was softened with deionised water and reduced mechanically (scalpel)
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The areas that would need to be filled were consolidated first with 20 % Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) in a 1:1 solution of IMS (Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol, methanol) and Acetone, (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone)
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New fills were then carried out using Microballoons (silica or phenolic resin), in a 20 % solution of Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) in IMS (Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol, methanol) : Acetone (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone)1:1).
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The bottom right-hand corner was lined with a layer of Microballoons (silica or phenolic resin), in 20 % solution of Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) in IMS (Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol, methanol) : Acetone (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone)1:1).
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Then a fill was made with 20% Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) and synthetic onyx (aluminium hydroxide) as a bulking agent. The fill was then capped with another layer of Microballoons (silica or phenolic resin), in 20 % solution of Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) in IMS (Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol, methanol) : Acetone (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone)1:1).
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In-painting of the fills and retouching of some abrasion and hit marks on the surface was done with Rowney's Cryla colours (acrylic) to match the surrounding stone.