Preventive conservation: storage mount for a folk dance bonnet: Fosshape

Bonnet before conservation.

Construction. A layer of gold paper is seen through the split in the crown.

Condition. Detail of the metal finish paper at the back of the neck, showing green oxidation of metal finish (copper?).

Condition. Detail of paper crown: paper folds, covered by head ribbon.

Context of original use: revival of folk dance c. 1900. Copyright: Give-Egnens Museum, Denmark.

Context of original use: revival of folk dance, Give, Jutland, c. 1900. Copyright: Give-Egnens Museum, Denmark.

Pattern for the mount cut out from Fosshape 600.

Fosshape felt cut to shape, hand stitched, and arranged over a polystyrene headform, ready for steaming.

Conservation mount after steaming.

Conservation mount after steaming.

Finished mount: Fosshape form, covered with polyester wadding and cotton jersey, attached to the board .

Bonnet arranged on conservation mount.

Mounted bonnet in storage box.

This post is about making a three dimensional conservation storage mount from Fosshape 600 (polyester) for a rare folk dance bonnet made from paper. This is an example of preventive methods of collection care and storage that compliment

Dress forms with integrated head mounts, custom made from Fosshape 600

Dress from the island of Fanø, mounted on a form made from Fosshape 600.

Making of the head-mount: one piece of Fosshape 600 was steamed over a polystyrene head, that was cut to right size/shape.

Steaming of Fosshape 600 (one piece construction) over polystyrene head.

Headdress mount padded with polyester felt, covered with cotton jersey.

trials of the inner cap (Fanø island) on the mount.

Fosshape mount, padded with polyester felt, covered with cotton jersey, edge and interior lined with black cotton.

trial of the replica headscarf on the mount

Dress from the island of Læsø on the mount made from Fosshape 600.

Dress from the island of Læsø on display.

During installation.

Polyurethane form, cut and filed to right size and shape, was used as a mould for Fosshape.

Steaming Fosshape over the mould.

Removal from the mould by cutting along the back.

the opening is closed by steaming a piece of fosshape over it.

Fanø headdress on the mount/sideview.

Fanø headdress on the mount/view from the back.

Dress from the island of Fanø during installation.

Dress from the island of Fanø during installation.

These forms with integrated head mounts were made from Fosshape

A support mount for flat storage and 3D display of an incomplete and fragile 19th century straw bonnet

Tags

European dress, mount making, plant fibres

Here are some extra images for my paper:

Dovgan Nurse L. 2012, A SUPPORT MOUNT MADE FROM NOMEX CARD FOR STORAGE AND THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY OF AN INCOMPLETE AND FRAGILE 19TH CENTURY STRAW BONNET, JAIC_V51_No1_08_Nurse_77-84

Vol. 51, No. 1, Spring/Summer 2012, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation Special Issue on Mountmaking

Abstract: The aim of this project was to prepare a fragile and incomplete 19th century straw bonnet for storage and occasional display. When brought for conservation the bonnet exhibited a distorted and shallow shape due to the loss of the crown and previous repairs, the straw was brittle, the wire was distorted but flexible. The mount solution addressed the problem arising from the conflicting demand for the bonnet to be stored flat due to the client’s storage constraints, while retaining the ability to display the bonnet in a three-dimensional shape. The paper discusses the condition of the object before treatment, the treatment undertaken, the method of making the mount from Nomex 410 card (meta-aramid), the functionality of the mount for flat storage and its assembly for three-dimensional display. The support mount reconstructed the bonnet’s original shape and compensated for the missing areas. It enabled the client to store the bonnet flat and to arrange the bonnet safely into shape. The mount eliminated the need to handle the bonnet excessively when arranging it for display.

Bonnet, before treatment.

Before treatment.

Bonnet, arranged on the mount for flat storage. Courtesy of Mike Halliwell, Textile Conservation Centre.

Bonnet after treatment, new mount. Courtesy of Mike Halliwell, Textile Conservation Centre.

Bonnet, arranged on the mount into a three-dimensional shape for display. Courtesy of Mike Halliwell, Textile Conservation Centre.