Collections Care: Boxing Clever

The Pitt Rivers Museum is currently in the process of packing over 100,000 objects in the reserve collections to move them to a new storage facility. Many of these objects have not been stored in suitable conditions during their lifetimes in the Museum. The project team are endeavouring to improve these conditions for the future. This work includes packing into chemically inert boxes, so either physical movement or pollutants do not damage the objects. To achieve this, large numbers of acid-free cardboard boxes in a range of standardised sizes are purchased from G. Ryder & Co. Ltd, based in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire. Founded in 1914, Ryder's specialise in hand-made boxes for museums and galleries. They also produce the boxes used to hold the scrolls given when receiving an honour from the Queen, hence holding a Royal Warrant since 1988.

In an effort to understand the box making process, and to discuss future requirements for the project, some of the OPS move team visited Ryder's on 26 May 2016.

OPS move team at Ryder's. From left to right: Andrew, Ashleigh, Meghan and Marina

Firstly, we were amazed at how small the premises were considering the quantity and size of boxes they produce for us, let alone all of their other customers. The second thing that stood out was how labour intensive the process is, with lots of people - each one working on one particular element of a box's production throughout the day.

Monique using the machine that creates the crease line in the card to enable folding

Tania using the machine that cuts slots in the card before the box can be folded

Janice using the machine that wire-stitches the boxes together at the end of the process

Each of these processes seemed quite manageable for the boxes they were working on that day. We realised their tasks would become infinitely more difficult with some of the large boxes we have ordered, which are over a metre long and nearly half a metre wide.

Another thing that our host, manager Rob Honour, explained was how many of the machines they are still using are upwards of 50-100 years old. This makes servicing and repairs a nightmare, with replacement parts needing to be specially made. It also limits the size of the flat sheet material that can be used to make a box. Considering these constraints, we are now working with Rob to design a box that is 1.5 metres long to be able to pack wooden clubs largely from the Pacific Islands. Rob is worried about a revolt from the ladies on the shop floor given how complicated this will be!

To see updates on how the team are using the boxes, and for news on the project, keep an eye on this blog or follow us on twitter

Heather Richardson

Head of Conservation

Caring for the Collections: A Model Boat

I am currently working on upgrading the Museum's model displays on the ground floor (Court Gallery). I work closely with the Conservation Team, who check the condition of the objects, and carry out any necessary treatment before they go on display. I catalogue each object in detail, take photographs of each one, and write the new display labels.

During this process we discovered a beautifully made model of a rowing boat from Malta. The carved wooden hull has been neatly painted and the model includes painted oars, a painted metal lamp, a wooden bucket and baler, a metal anchor, and decorative silks drapes hung over the cabin area.

Detailed model of a Maltese rowing boat, PRM 1908.5.1 © Pitt Rivers Museum

Originally given to the Museum in 1908 the drapes are now faded and extremely fragile, the damage caused by past exposure to the UV rays in natural light . In addition the anchor, which the Conservators did a spot test on to identify the metal, is made of lead that is seriously corroded.

Close ups showing the faded and fragile silk drapes (left) and the corroded anchor (right) © Pitt Rivers Museum

As you can imagine staff in the Museum are extremely busy and Conservation would need to spend many hours to stabilise the silk on the boat before it could go on display.  Consequently we are going to house the rowing boat in a custom made storage box within the reserve collections.

Even if the decision is made not to include a model in the new display I still catalogue each one in detail. I add any information and photographs to the appropriate record on the object database. These form the basis for the online object database, which is regularly updated. This ensures you can access all the known information, plus see what the objects look like, on the Museum website.

Part of the cataloguing process involves clearly numbering each detachable part of the boat with the appropriate unique identification number. This enables each part to be described in detail and means even if they become separated - for whatever reason -  each part can be accurately identified and linked to the correct information.

The accession number written on
one of the oars © Pitt Rivers Museum

We number objects by applying a layer of reversible acrylic adhesive in solvent - often called paraloid - which looks like clear nail varnish. We then write the number using a rotring pen, before applying another layer of the acrylic adhesive.




As I have just catalogued and photographed the Maltese rowing boat this seemed an ideal opportunity to show you this particular model. Described as a daisa, in the information written down when this was given to the Museum, this appears to be a model of a traditional water taxi used to carry passengers and their baggage. To propel the boat a man stood facing forward pushing on the two oars, rather than sitting down to row.

One of the distinct features when you look at the boat is the height of the stem and the stern. The shape of these - as well as being decorative - provided a means of support for passengers to easily board and disembark.

Carved hull with high stem and stern © Pitt Rivers Museum

I hope you have enjoyed looking at and reading about this beautifully made model.

I will continue to keep you informed about the redisplay of the models with regular posts so keep following this blog.

Zena McGreevy
Senior Assistant Curator

Temporary Exhibition: Preserving What is Valued - A World of Repairs - Part 2

One of two ceramics on loan from private collectors
demonstrating repairs made using the kintsugi technique
with lacquer and gold © Pitt Rivers Museum

Back in May we posted a blog about preparations for a temporary exhibition curated by the Conservation Department demonstrating original repairs made to objects when they were still in use. This is an update on the earlier blog now that the exhibition has just been installed into the display case on the Lower Gallery.

Despite the last minute addition of an excellent gourd, discovered by Jem and Faye while working to improve storage of the reserve collections, we managed to have everything ready for mount making on Monday 1st June as planned. We also borrowed from private collectors two ceramics demonstrating the kintsugi repair technique, the starting point for our exhibition plans.

Most labels were designed to include a detailed image of the repaired area on each object to help focus the visitor's attention on the part they should be looking at. We were keen however, to not put too much information on each label but leave it for visitors to think about  what significance the repair might have, after reading the introductory panel text.

Mock-up of the display once mounts were complete
© Pitt Rivers Museum

Display Technicians Chris Wilkinson and Alan Cooke had produced a scale mock-up of the final display case and were ready to go immediately. We were surprised to find that it took them about a week to complete the mock-up, which I think was also a relief to them given the complexities of working on the re-display of the Cook Voyages Collections, from which they were taking a therapeutic break.

At this stage the previous exhibition in the case was deinstalled, allowing Chris and Alan to prepare the case by filling and sanding holes and re-painting. It is important to do this a few weeks before the objects are installed to allow the paint to dry properly and any fumes from the paint to dissipate as they could cause adverse chemical reactions with the materials used on the objects. This is why you may see display case doors left open when you visit the Museum. At this stage they also painted and prepared the panels and plinth to be used in the display.

Chris and Alan mount the final copies
of labels and text © Pitt Rivers Museum

The next task before installation was to prepare the final labels and text. Katherine Clough, who has volunteered in the Conservation Department for a few years in many capacities, had accepted the challenge of producing a poster for the exhibition. The key element of the design uses several detailed images of the repairs fitted together to look like the world. We had added the strap-line 'A World of Repairs' to the exhibition title to be more explanatory on the poster. We used Katherine's 'world of repairs' motif in a semi-translucent way on the panel text to give it a bit of a lift and tie it into the poster.

On Thursday 25th June, a little ahead of schedule, Chris and Alan installed the objects in the case where they had already added the pre-painted panels earlier in the week. They started early to have the case closed and locked when the Museum opened at 10.00 a.m. On Friday 26th we adjusted the lighting in the case slightly to prevent too much light hitting the textiles, the materials in this display most prone to light damage.

Left: Installation of the objects, right: Alan and Chris take a moment to appreciate their labours © Pitt Rivers Museum

When we set out to produce the exhibition we were keen to write a gallery trail to enable visitors to see more repaired objects that are permanently on display. Having narrowed down the list, Andrew (with a little help from Madeleine) has produced a colour trail, which is available beside the display case. This again uses Katherine's 'world of repairs' motif on the cover. There are lots of trails available in the Museum but they are aimed at children and we wanted to see what interest there would be from adults. Hopefully the Gallery Assistants will be able to observe how many people use the trail over the coming months.

Cover of the Gallery Trail
linked to the exhibition

Finally, this is a good opportunity to mention some of the other tie-in events that will be coming up over the 6-month run of the exhibition. On the 18th and 19th September Tom van Deijnen will be running darning masterclasses in the Museum's annexe. Tom is best known for his visible mending program where a 'beautiful darn is worn as a badge of honour'. Follow this link to book a place on one of Tom's workshops.

In November traditional lacquerware artists Muneaki Shimode and Takahiko Sato from Kyoto will be artists in residence at the Museum for 10 days, demonstrating the kintsugi technique of repairing ceramics. The residency will include gallery demonstrations, an evening event and half-day practical workshops. There will be information on how to book a place on a workshop appearing on the the Museum website very soon - so keep watching this space.

Heather Richardson
Head of Conservation

New Displays: Maori Wood Carving

New to display this
canoe baler
© Pitt Rivers Museum

I have been busy working on a new Museum display highlighting the art of Maori wood carving. I am pleased to let you know this display is now complete thanks to the effective teamwork of staff from the Collections, Conservation, and Technical Services Departments.

Most of the carvings, which are  are a selection of architectural carvings, canoe parts, paddles and treasure boxes, are from the reserve collections (26 of the 36 objects in the case).  So, if you can visit, this really is an opportunity to see objects new to display.

In Maori mythology the knowledge of wood carving was obtained from Tangaroa the god of the sea. Carving is a prestigious activity and the carvings regarded as prized possessions or taonga. If you do visit I encourage you to spend time looking at these cultural treasures.

New to display this
model sternpost
© Pitt Rivers Museum

This new display can be found on the ground floor of the Museum in the Court Gallery in case C.13.A.

If you are not able to visit in person you can still see the Maori carvings on the website using the online object database. To search for all the Maori wood carvings in the Museum just select 'Maori' for cultural group, 'carved' for process, and 'wood plant' for material.

Enjoy exploring this amazing collection!

Zena McGreevy
Senior Assistant Curator

New to display this paddle © Pitt Rivers Museum

The new display of Maori Wood Carving © Pitt Rivers Museum

Collections A Hive Of Activity

Jeremy busy at his desk © Pitt Rivers Museum

I thought you might enjoy seeing what everyone in the Collections Department is doing this morning.  All is a hive of activity:

Jeremy, Curator and Joint Head of Collections, is busy answering enquiries.

Marina is doing some research on objects in the collection made by the Ainu people from Japan.

In the Photo Collection are images of an Ainu village set up at the 1910 Japan-British exhibition in London. These images were also produced commercially as postcards. Marina has been able to match objects in these pictures to objects now in the Museum collection.

Marina studying the photos and postcards to identify the objects from the collections © Pitt Rivers Museum

Maddie and Faye are busy showing part of the textile collection to a group of tapestry weavers.

Left: Maddie getting the textiles out ready, right: Maddie & Faye during the tapestry weavers visit © Pitt Rivers Museum

Meanwhile, Sian has been to the off-site store to bring back some objects ready for a new metalwork display; while I am working on updating the introductory guide for the West African masks.

Left: Sian bringing objects back to the Museum, right: me, working at my desk © Pitt Rivers Museum

All in all another busy day...

Zena McGreevy
Senior Assistant Curator

Providing Access

The Pitt Rivers Museum is committed to making all its collections accessible, and to this end supports more than 300 research visits every year to examine material in the collections. We regularly provide researchers with access to museum objects in our reserve collection. In preparation for a research visit I need to retrieve the requested objects.

Cataloguing North American stone arrow heads © Pitt Rivers Museum

I catalogue the objects, ensuring the database record is up to date. I physically assign the accession number (unique museum identification number), write a description, transcribe labels, measure, photograph and check the condition of the objects. I then store the artefacts in a temporary holding room before the visit.

Inside the temporary object holding room © Pitt Rivers Museum

All enquiries concerning the Object Collections should be addressed to Julia Nicholson and Jeremy Coote (Joint Head of Collections) at objects.colls@prm.ox.ac.uk

Madeleine Ding
Assistant Curator

Visit from the Oriental Rug and Textile Society

On the 16th May Joint Curator and Head of Collections, Julia Nicholson and I welcomed a group of 15 people from the the Oriental Rug and Textile Society. The group have a keen interest in rugs and textiles from Asia and the Middle East. Julia and I showed them a small selection from the vast array of textiles in the Pitt Rivers Museum collection from all over the world. I greeted the group and gave them a tour of the textiles on display. The wall cases along the North side of the Museum's Court displays and explores weaving and textile production from around the world. The display includes complete looms, weaving equipment such as combs, shuttles and spools and textiles and garments.

Unfortunately most of the Asian textiles on display in these cases have limited information associated with them so I highlighted textiles from the Americas, Africa and Oceania, which I knew more about. These included the wonderful Chilkat dance apron (1884.56.82) from North West coast USA/Canada. The apron is made from deer hide and woven with mountain goat hair yarn. The fringes of the apron are made from puffin beaks and deer hoofs. These would make a jingle noise when the apron was danced. Puffin beaks are more difficult to source then deer hooves but they make the same sound, so both are used in this example, with puffin at the front and deer at the back.

Chilkat dance apron: 1884.56.82 © Pitt Rivers Museum

Not all of the textiles in the collection have been loom woven and so I also highlighted an interesting finger-woven bag from the Great Lakes region of Eastern USA. It is finger-woven with bison hair and decorated with early European trade beads.

Bison hair bag decorated with human figures: 1884.69.15 © Pitt Rivers Museum

Both these objects are part of the founding collection and are considerably old, dating prior to 1884. Both have been investigated by visiting researchers as part of collaborative projects with source communities and the Museum. The blanket was viewed by a delegation of Haida from Haida Gwaii, British Columbia in 2009 and the bag as part of the Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) in 2007. Both visits greatly helped to enhance the Museum's knowledge of these objects.

We wanted to illustrate to the group the range of textiles we have in the collections so I showed them briefly a more recent acquisition of Miao textiles from South West China on display in the New Acquisitions case. The textiles were collected in the Guizhou province of South West China in the late 1980s and early 1990s at a time when the area was still mostly inaccessible to tourists.

Textiles from Nagaland, India make up a large proportion of the total number of textiles in the collection so I took the group to the Upper Gallery of the Museum to show them the Naga display there. The display includes jewellery and ornamentation as well as larger body cloths and textile pieces. The objects were largely collected by two people, John Henry Hutton and James Philip Mills, both political officers in the Indian Civil Service and assigned to work in Assam in the early 1900s. Mills and Hutton took a keen interest in the material culture of the Naga tribes and amassed significant collections during their time spent in Nagaland. Body cloths often indicated which tribe the wearer came from and their status in society. The Museum also has a small collection of more contemporary Naga body cloths collected by the anthropologist Dr. Vibha Joshi on behalf of the Museum in 2007. 

The group view textiles from the Museum stores in the visiting 
researchers room © Pitt Rivers Museum 

After a whistle stop tour of the galleries the group were welcomed into the research room by Julia Nicholson to view a selection of textiles we had chosen from the Museum stores. This included textiles from South America such as Guatemalan textiles from the Elsie McDougall collection, molas from Panama, and some pre-columbian Peruvian textiles. We also had a bigger cohort of Asian textiles including patola cloths from India and a wonderful patchwork gypsy child's dress from Syria. The dress, on closer inspection has been very thoughtfully constructed, with great care taken in arranging the patchwork pieces of cloth to make an aesthetically balanced garment, made with love and attention to detail. 

Girl's patchwork dress: 1967.28.55 © Pitt Rivers Museum

The visit was very well received and Julia and I will be repeating the morning for members of Hali Magazine and the Oxford Asian Textile group in coming months. 

Faye Belsey

Assistant Curator