Conserving ethnographic objects can be tricky work. The historical context and cultural values of such objects can be constructed from the evidences of wear and tear and even dirt that they carry prior to being collected.
This is however not often easy to discern when working on objects which had entered the museum collection many years ago.
Recently, 15 Southeast Asian barkcloth vests from NHB's ethnographic collection from the 1920s were selected to undergo conservation treatment.
In this project report, Object Conservator, Angie Liow shares with us the intricate process involved in preserving this barkcloth collection.
Download Conservation Treatment for the Barkcloth Collection
