Community: bloggers@brooklynmuseum

To those of you who are regular readers to this blog, you may remember my colleague, Jakki Godfrey’s post from May 27 detailing the deinstallation of the dragon and zinc lion to accommodate roof work.  Over the summer, both objects were cleaned by objects conservation staff.

Unfortunately for the objects conservators, not to mention the zinc lion, pigeons found the sculpture to be a very comfortable apartment in a very desirable location.  The amount of bird guano inside the sculpture was both astounding and disgusting.  Guano is both acidic and rich in nitrates, which can be corrosive to the metal of the sculpture and needed to be removed from the interior.  This only proves that the job of an art conservator is not always glamorous.

This week, both sculptures were rigged back onto the roof now that the needed roof repairs had been completed.  Mariano Brothers a specialized rigging firm, returned to reinstall the sculptures.  But what were we to do about the pigeons?

To this end, we contacted Birdmaster, a firm that specializes in installing protective netting and screening that prevents birds from setting up house on buildings and sculpture.  After the riggers installed the sculptures, not taking any chances with those pigeons, we wrapped the lion in plastic, a la Christo, to await the arrival of the crew from Birdmaster.

Pigeons need a 3″ hole in order to set up a nest and two flew immediately over to sit on the head as soon as we removed the plastic, but William Barretto and Brian Dwyer expertly cut and secured with stainless steel wire, resin coated stainless steel mesh and stainless steel spikes to block the access. The birds will be disappointed at the loss of their home, but it’s a happy day for the lion.

Those of you who are 1stfans got an introduction to the animal mummy research project being done at the Museum when we held an informal presentation about the project to look at some x-radiographs and see some animal mummies up close and personal.

In the months that have followed this presentation, the conservation lab has continued to examine and x-ray the collection which consists of about 60 animals in all.  We have enlisted the help of a radiologist at The Animal Medical Center Dr. Anthony Fischetti, DVM, MS.  Recently Anthony and a colleague came to the museum specifically to look at the x-radiographs of our cat mummies.

The wrappings and coffins, when present, represent a huge range of styles and levels of complexity.  The collection consists of a young cat wrapped with simple pieces of linen to larger cats with very complex patterning of dyed linens cut into fine strips.  The coffins themselves can be simple stone boxes with polychrome designs, to wooden forms in the shape of seated cats with sometimes elaborate polychrome and gilt decoration.

In examining the radiographs, the veterinarians were able to confirm that the animals in the x-rays were in fact cats, and were able to give us information regarding possible age.  Depending on the size and shape of the skull and teeth, they were sometimes able to suggest whether the mummified cat was more likely a species of domesticated cat (Felis silvestris) or a wild species (Felis chaus).

As more institutions begin to study their collections of ancient animal mummies, there seems to only be more questions as to what these differences in mummification styles and animal species might actually mean.  The Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis is heading a feline genome project.

The project is looking into what ancient DNA can tell us about current domestic cat populations.  Due to the condition of two of Brooklyn’s cat mummies, long bones were able to be sent to Dr. Leslie Lyons for inclusion in the genome project.

Through the generosity of Beth Rudin DeWoody, the Museum recently acquired a multiple component installation piece made by the artist Vadis Turner, which will be included as part of the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art. The installation titled Reception addresses women’s worth as represented in dowries provided at the time of marriage. The sculpture consists of a twin bed piled high with objects in this woman’s dowry, including dishes, candelabra, jewelry, textiles, and stacks of bibles. All of this is surrounded by fabric wedding cakes, chocolate coins, ribbons, fabric flowers, garter belts, paper rose petals made from tampon boxes and plastic brides and grooms mounted on top of fabric cupcakes.

Due to the numerous components—61 fabric flowers alone—and complexity of how the components interrelate, the artist came in to assist with the initial installation of this object. The object is on view in a specially selected room within 21: Selections of Contemporary Art from the Brooklyn Museum on the 4th floor.

The install took a day and a half, but the cataloging and accession numbering of all the components took several weeks. When objects are acquired by the Museum for the permanent collection, a baseline condition report and cataloging of the parts are made. This follows the current standard of best practices, establishing a record which will aid the museum in preservation and proper interpretation of the art work in years to come. Besides the bed, the viewer will note two other major elements in the room; a sex swing and a working chandelier made from tampons. The effect is one of a riotous explosion which seems a little off kilter. In speaking with the artist as she set up the installation, she wants the whole feeling of the piece to be decadent but a little tired; kind of like a melting wedding cake.

As some of you may have seen from the recent press coverage, we took four of our Egyptian human mummies to North Shore University Hospital to be CT scanned—short for computed tomography.  Although the bodies were well preserved with the sophisticated techniques employed by ancient Egyptians, they remain very fragile due to their age and being essentially composed of organic materials - skin, bone, tissue, hair, and textile.

Mummy of the “Lady” Hor Encased in Cartonnage. Linen, painted and gessoed. Circa 712-664 B.C.E. Third Intermediate Period. Second half of XXV Dynasty. 69 3/4 x 18 1/16 in. Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund. 37.50E

How would you pack and transport a mummy safely?  At the Brooklyn Museum, we have as a part of the Registrar’s Department, one fine arts packer, Paul Speh.   Art objects, especially Egyptian mummies, are not easy objects to pack.  Working with the Registrars and Conservators, he came up with ingenious designs to safely hold and support the mummies for their trip to the hospital.  We used a variety of polyethylene foam products to absorb shock, and vibration.

Mummy Pasebakhaemipet. Thebes, Egypt. ca. 1070-945 B.C.E. XXI Dynasty. Third Intermediate Period. 76 3/8 x 21 5/8 in. (194 x 55 cm). 08.480.2a-c

Additionally, for two of the most fragile mummies, we used radiation bags designed for use with patients undergoing types of radiation treatments.  These bags are malleable and filled with polystyrene beads (much like a bean bag chair).  They were manipulated under the mummies to fully conform and support their irregular shapes.  The air is then drawn out with a vacuum to make a custom fitted full support.

The mummies, once properly packed for their journey, were transported using a fine arts transportation company.  We used Marshall Fine Arts.  Fine art shippers will have specially designed trucks that are climate controlled and have a specially designed suspension system to absorb vibration called air ride. Paul placed on each travel container, the hieroglyph of Wadjet—the eye of Horus—so that the mummies could be able to see where they were going.

Paul Speh measures the CT scanner with Dr. Jessie Chusid.

When we arrived at the hospital, before the truck was even opened to move the mummies inside, Paul surveyed the route, and ensured that all was in order, down to the inch.

The day proved exhausting for all of us (except maybe the mummies), but a wealth of information was obtained, not only about the individuals themselves, but about the ancient Egyptian techniques of mummification. All the staff at North Shore University Hospital were very accommodating and helpful, especially the doctors and radiologists who worked directly with us—Drs. Amgad Makaryus, Jesse Chusid, and Karen Lisk.  We are excited about working with them to absorb and process the information.

Look for future postings on what we find out about each mummy.

Thothirdes may be familiar to those of you who have seen her on display in the 3rd floor Egyptian Galleries.  She was deinstalled and brought up to the lab this week so that we could prepare her for a trip to the hospital.  Fortunately, her mummy seems to not have been disturbed, and she is a good candidate for the CT (computed tomography scanning) we are planning on doing at North Shore University Hospital.

X-radiographs were take in the 1930’s of this mummy.  Unfortunately, those radiographs were made using nitrate based filmed and are no longer in a state of preservation to be of use.

When we removed her body from the coffin, the beautiful painting below was revealed.  The coffin, without the body, is now on back on display in the 3rd floor galleries.  You can come by and see this painting until the end of June when we plan on returning Thothirdes’s body to her coffin.

In addition to the painting on the inside, her coffin is painted on all sides, including the underside as seen here in this image.

We look forward to sharing the information about Thothirdes that might be revealed in the CT scans.

Lisa Bruno

Objects Conservator