Weisser Vase Treatment Report

Weisser Vase Before Treatment
Before treatment

LAB NUMBER: 96-1-1

 

OBJECT: Vase

OWNER: private collector, Helena, MT

DESCRIPTION: A blue and white vase. The clay body is porcelain with no temper or grog. A deep blue underglaze shows through a white overglaze that shrank during firing. The crack and shrinkage pattern of the white glaze forms an even pattern of four or five sided white glaze islands on a sea of dark blue. This under and overglaze was developed by Kurt Weisser during the 1980's and is one of his trademarks. Weisser's signature and the symbol "1", in black felt tip marker, are written on the flat bottom of the vase.

TITLE: n/a
ARTIST: Kurt Weisser, 1988
INSTITUTION'S NUMBER: n/a

DIMENSIONS: DIA: 5" H: 13"

CONDITION:

 
 

Weisser Vase
During treatment:
rejoined and filled

 

In 18 pieces: six large pieces and 12 smaller pieces. The breaks are clean. The smaller pieces are from the same area of the pot, where the blow that shattered it occured. In this area, there is quite a bit of loss of the surface decoration, especially along break edges. In one area, a small piece of porcelain sheared off of the interior of the pot. There are loss areas on the interior surface around this spot, too. There is a small amount of loss (chipping) at the break edges of pieces further from the blow, where white glaze islands overlapped the break and snapped off. There is extensive loss along the break edges close to the blow area. The inside of the vase is dusty.

TREATMENT:
The vase pieces were photographed before, during and after treatment with 35 mm color slides. (1 hour)

Dirt and debris were removed from the base of the vase with a soft dusting brush. (n/a)

 

 
 

Weisser Vase
After treatment

 

Pieces were assembled, arranged, and joined using 50% Acryloid B-72 (a methyl methacrylate co-polymer) in acetone and balancing the sherds in sand. (2 hours)

Losses near the joins and where decoration had been dislodged were filled with gesso putty (mixture of calcium carbonate, hide glue and distilled water). (6.5 hours) The fills were surfaced and then inpainted with dry pigments in 15% Acryloid B-67 in petroleum benzine and Golden acrylic paints. (2.5 hours)

The vase was photographed and a final report completed.

CONSERVATOR: Helen Alten

DATE: February 12, 1997

TOTAL TREATMENT TIME: 13 hours