I've worked with beaded bags and there is not always a perfect solution.
The best I've seen is to store it flat. You can create a very stable
storage mount with ethafoam, polyester batting and very soft uncolored
cotton knit and a glue gun. Because the bead threads are fragile you want
iut to be absolutly still and on a very soft surface with some give for the
beads. by making a kind of tray with the above materials you can keep the
object in an acid free box and remove it/ movit without moving the object.

For more references, look at CCI (canadian conservation institute?) notes
on costume accessory storage. They have very good advice.

Elizabeth Walton
assistant curator of costume
atlanta history center


At 09:08 PM 4/10/02 -0500, you wrote:
>I am preparing a Northwestern Loucheux Indian, bead-embroidered tobacco pouch
>c 1890 (in my Museum Collection Care & Mgt. Class) for LONG TERM storage.
>DOES ANYONE HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF HISTORY/CLEANING/STORAGE (OF WHAT APPEARS TO BE
>GLASS/METAL)ETHNOGRAPHIC BEADWORK?  My research to date on beadwork
>specifically, has been unsuccessful. Although a few of the beads on the sinew
>string are loose, the general condition of the worsted wool, velvet and
cotton
>pouch with braided wool yarn drawstrings, appears to be fragile, yet good.  I
>see no mold or pests.  There is no odor.  There is no effervescence under
>black light (metal beads)  I viewed the trace contents of the pouch interior
>under microscope.  They appear to be bits of styrofoam, sand, dust, flint and
>particles of tobacco leaves; all were stored in a separate capsule.  I
vacumed
>the outside of the pouch through a fine mesh screen.  I am planning to use a
>pliable insert inside of the pouch. OTHER HELPFUL HINTS WILL BE GREATLY
>APPRECIATED. I NEED YOUR RESPONSES AS PART OF MY CLASS RESEARCH PAPER :)
>Thanks in advance.
>Jill Quakenbush
>Graduate Student
>American History/Museum Studies
>University of Iowa
>UI Museum of Natural History
>
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