Putti Fountain Treatment Report

OBJECT: Ceramic Putti Fountain

Fountain with arm reattached after treatment. No surface cleaning was done, as per the client’s request.

OWNER: Private collector

PROVENANCE: Purchased at Sotheby’s auction. Made by Dennis Ruabon. Research shows Dennis Ruabon is currently a quarry tile manufacturer in Wales. The clay works have been in existence since 1878. This may be the same manufacturer. Throughout its history local artists and sculptors used the raw materials and facilities to produce other items. The clay used by the factory is an Etruria marl, which produces a red color when fired. There used to be other local clays, now worked out, which produced a buff color. These may be the source of the fountain’s clay.

MATERIALS: Ceramic with a thin, smooth, slip surface coating.

DIMENSIONS: Height of central Putti piece: 81 cm

DESCRIPTION:
Five-part fountain consisting of a three part trefoil base with the name "Dennis Ruabon" incised or stamped on the top surface of two of the three base sections; a central 81 cm tall section with three Putti standing with the proper left leg forward, arms bent with hands above thrust forward head to hold the final piece, a large bowl with curvilinear motifs. The sculpture has a porous interior with large inclusions and a smoother, warm tan exterior that shows wipe marks from application. Marks are visible in images 3 and 9.

Image 3: Colored lines on the belly.

Image 9: Surface spalling &
manufacturing ridges visible.

CONDITION REPORT:
Dirt and Grime: Surface darkening and greenish stains are probably the result of biological growth over its life as a fountain. Dark specks over the surface occur where the smooth coating has small holes, allowing water to penetrate and sit in the more porous material underneath. See image 2 for details of these spots.

Image 2: Dark specks at small holes.
Fine, stained surface cracks.

Image 4: Three holes in Putti heads. Break from above.

Stains: The three holes in the top of the Putti heads have red stains, probably iron corrosion product stains. There are no dowels present in the holes. Image 3 shows holes.

There are dark stains over large areas of the surface, as shown by images 1, 7 and 9.

Image 1: The top two layers of the
Putti Fountain in position,
showing side with break.

Image 7: Breaks and bowl
above showing staining.

There is a gray-white accretion on the interior surfaces of the Putti and underside of the bowl, with some spilling over onto the front of one of the Putti. This accretion does not dissolve in acid, suggesting that it is a mortar or a sulfate accretion rather than a carbonate accretion from the water. Image 5 shows the gray accretions on the back of the Putti head and underside of the bowl. Image 8 shows some of these accretions on top surfaces of the Putti section.

Image 8: Break from top, gray accretion visible.

Image 5: gray accretion on surface and arm break.

Image 10: Abrasion and loss
areas on unbroken Putti.

Image 11: Caulk residue at central hole in bowl.

Image 6: Breaks at arms.

There are fresh chips, abrasion and small breaks on the sculpture, especially along the bottom and top edges. These may have occurred during disassembly. Image 10 shows a small loss in the hand of one of the Putti.

Tiny crack networks in the surface of the sculpture seem to be relatively solid. Only a few small areas show lifting. The cracks tend to be stained in a similar manner as the small holes mentioned under dirt and grime. See image 2 (above).

TREATMENT:
Client wanted the arm repaired, but felt the spalling and surface damage was part of the charm of the piece. Client will monitor the sculpture and determine if the damage continues once it is on display in the client’s gardens.

Arm held in place with rubber straps and dowels while mortar set.

1. Wrote condition report and completed before treatment photographs.
2. Cleaned breaks to reattach arm. Brown hard adhesive residues on lower arm softened with acetone and removed mechanically and chemically using cotton poultices.
3. Drilled, pinned and mortared broken arm using ceramic bit drill and Plexiglas pins. Ends of pins were held in place with 5 minute epoxy. Mortar was 1:1:6 lime:white Portland cement: white sand with earth pigments. Mortar pigmented with dry, mineral-based powder pigments and ceramic dust formed when drilling sculpture. Supported breaks with rubber ties while mortar set.
4. Mortar fills of small surface losses around joint.
5. Provided recommendations for maintenance.
6. Photographed after treatment and completed treatment report.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
In the fall, drain the sculpture, rinse and let it sit in the sun until completely dry. Then wrap it in bubble wrap or other insulation, at least 3 inches thick. A rigid cover placed over the sculpture will protect it from heavy snows. In the spring, unwrap the sculpture after there is no chance of freezing.

Surface spalling is the result of the sculpture’s use as a fountain. Surface loss will probably continue as the fountain continues to be used. As much as possible, the fountain should be above the pool with supports sloping away from the sculpture. A surface consolidant may retard deterioration, although it probably will lead to further damage over time including discoloration, surface skin formation with subsequent peeling, and unusual cracking. Research on the sculpture suggests that it is a ceramic rather than cement. Silanes may work as a network enhancer, strengthening the ceramic matrix, but their use would be purely experimental. The effectiveness of them as a consolidant cannot be well estimated until they are used in this application. They may cause color alteration of the sculpture.

TOTAL TREATMENT TIME: 16 HOURS

CONSERVATOR: Helen Alten

DATE: September 21, 2000