Pottery Project Progress Reports

The Conservation Assessment Process and the Interpretive Area,
February 2007

Arizona State Museum’s conservation team, led by Dr. Nancy Odegaard, began moving into their new state-of-the-art laboratory in late November. With the equipment in place, they are now focusing on moving the pottery collection into the new area. Every piece in the 20,000+ collection will undergo a condition assessment. The conservation staff will be able to prioritize treatment schedules so that vessels in greatest need are stabilized first, before they are placed into the viewable storage vault.

In addition to a written history of each vessel and its condition, a digital photo is taken as a visual document. These records will ultimately facilitate future research.

Currently, the conservation staff’s attention is focused on damage from aging adhesives and soluble salt efflorescence. Many of the vessels were restored long ago using what are now considered antiquated techniques. Some of the adhesives have become yellow and brittle, making the vessels extremely fragile. “Spot testing,” a method pioneered by Odegaard at ASM, along with the use of an instrument called a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscope (FTIR), identifies the chemical compounds of each adhesive. Only after determining the exact compound and the appropriate solvent can the conservators proceed to stabilize, handle, and transport each vessel.

In addition to adhesive issues, soluble salts cause other forms of damage to the pottery. Until now, storage in environments of fluctuating humidity caused salts that occur naturally within the ceramic fabric to migrate and re-crystallize on the surface. Extensive damage results as the salts repeatedly transition from crystalline to non-crystalline form. This process is not unlike the damage seen on patio flowerpots that are watered and dried and eventually develop a white, flaking and powdering crust.

Untreated, these salts can cause severe damage to the structural integrity of pottery and complete loss of surface decoration. Fortunately, conservators can remove these salts and mitigate any damage that may have occurred. Likewise, simply moving the vessels into the new, environmentally stable storage vault will also arrest this destructive process.

While the main goal of the Save America’s Treasures project is to protect and preserve the ceramics, we also want to bring our visitors intellectually closer to the pottery collection. The interpretive gallery, adjacent to the conservation laboratory and pottery vault, will provide this opportunity by telling the humanistic side of the pottery collection. Visitors will learn the stories of pottery artists and the importance that pottery holds for the indigenous peoples of the greater Southwest.

When the gallery opens in 2008, visitors will be able to watch conservators as they work, as well as see the vessels resting in the storage facility.

A highlight of the interpretive gallery is an 18 ft.-long, floor-to-ceiling glass wall. Opening this month, the “wall of pots” will provide a sampling of outstanding pottery from the museum’s collection. An illustrated timeline detailing the development of pottery making and technologies in the Southwest will further enhance the visitor experience.
Timelapse Video of the Wall of Pots Being Filled

Although the interpretive gallery is in the beginning design phase, I invite you to come see our progress.

In the next Pottery Project Update we will discuss in greater detail our plans for fully outfitting and equipping the interpretive gallery. On behalf of the staff and this long-needed project, I thank you.

Sincerely,

Hartman H. Lomawaima
Director

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Photos by Jannelle Weakly