Restoration of Artifacts for the “Abd el-Kader” Exhibition
Monday, July 11, 2022Each exhibition provides an opportunity to take a closer look at the objects to ensure they are displayed under the best possible conditions.
To this end, the curatorial department of the Mucem’s Conservation and Resources Center enlists the services of conservators certified by the Ministry of Culture.
Metal objects are particularly affected by restoration work, as they are prone to soiling (dust clumped together by moisture), which can lead to corrosion (especially of the copper contained in silver). The process also involves removing traces of fingerprints and residues from old cleaning products.
Fanny Dallancourt is a metal conservator with a Master’s degree in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne). Here, she is working on one of the iconic pieces from the “Abd el-Kader” exhibition, an Ottoman saber known as a “Quilidj” which, according to the tradition of the Count of Bourmont’s family, is said to have belonged to the Dey of Algiers and was presented to the count during the capture of Algiers in July 1830.
The flintlock pistols were first cleaned of dust by gently brushing them with a soft brush, and any old cleaning residue was removed by dry brushing. Corrosion products on the iron were then removed using a fiberglass pen and a micromotor fitted with a stainless steel brush. To protect the iron surfaces of the pistols, the restorer finished the process by applying a layer of microcrystalline wax, which was buffed to a shine with a soft brush after it had dried.
Residue left by previous cleaning products was removed by dry brushing with a metal-tipped brush. The surface was also degreased and cleaned using cotton swabs soaked in ethanol, with any remaining deposits removed mechanically with a scalpel.
Flintlock pistols, inv. nos. MHFA2013.8.1.1 and 2013.8.1.3. "Quilidj" saber and scabbard, first half of the 19th century, Algeria, inv. no. 2002.82.2.1-2.
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Pascal Laporte, an architect who graduated from the Marseille School of Architecture and the Duperré School of Applied Arts (with a degree in visual arts, specializing in surface design), is a co-founder of the firm Corinne Vezzoni & Associés.
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