Someone else can answer the leather question better than I. But the first
question, maybe I can help shed some light on. "Soapstone" is another term
for talc, one of the softest (and thus most carvable) minerals there is (it
is #1 on the Mohs hardness scale, for those of you who weren't completely
asleep in Rocks for Jocks, like I was). It will not be any more adversely
affected by water than it is by the dry brushing. In fact, a stiff brush
vigorously applied could do far more damage than water ever could, depending
on the softness of this particular specimen. Never mind the name; it has
nothing to do with soap and won't dissolve in a little water. However, I
agree that water may damage the adjacent lacquer, so if dry brushing with a
SOFT brush doesn't help, I'd suggest that she find a conservator before
using ANY solvent, including water.
Cheers,
Sally Shelton
Collections Officer
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
>>> Christine Mouw <[log in to unmask]> Friday, 8 October 1999
>>>
I put this query on the ConsDistList a couple of weeks ago and got no
responses at all! Can someone here help me out?
>>>
Like most museum people, I receive questions from the public on how
to care for their personal treasures. The questions usually run
along the lines of "How should I store my grandmother's quilt?"
These questions I can handle and I'm happy to help out.
However, in the past week, I have received two separate inquiries
that I cannot answer, and I am in need of someone trained in these
areas. I have no local objects or furniture conservators I can
call.
1. I had a call from a woman who recently received an old (she
thought very old) Chinese chest with a lacquer finish and
what she called "soapstone" carvings on the top. She said
the chest had obviously sat somewhere where it was allowed
to get very dirty and dusty. She assured me that there were
no cracks or chips in the finish, so I suggested she start
with a light dusting with a soft brush. Wet cleaning the
lacquer and especially the "soapstone" concerns me.
2. The second woman has a small table with a leather top.
Someone spilled an alcoholic drink on it (Scotch to be
precise). She thought she had cleaned it all up, but
apparently she missed some and noticed later that there are
white areas on the surface. What can she do to remove
them? The table is in very good condition and is not very
old, but it has value to her. If this were on wood, I could
help, but I don't know what to suggest to remove the bloom
from the leather surface.
Thank you in advance,
Chris
Christine Mouw
Assistant Curator
Herbert Hoover Presidential Library-Museum
West Branch, Iowa 52358
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