Abrasions: | Loss of media (and often the support) caused by rubbing or scraping. | |
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Accretions: | An accumulation of extraneous matter on the surface of the artwork that alters the artist’s design, i.e. dirt, dust, grime, etc. | |
Acidic Backboard: | Rear board upon which paper art is mounted, made of wood, wood pulp or other acidic materials which will seriously damage art paper.
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Acid Burn: | Alteration to a work on paper (usually darkening – resembling burned paper) caused by lignin containing acidic materials in proximity to, or in contact with the art. | |
Acidic Mat: | The border around a picture, between the picture and the frame made of wood pulp paper or other acidic material which will seriously damage the art paper. | |
Adhered to Backboard: | Paper adhered to a stiff board behind it; usually with glue or self adhesive tape. | |
Adhesive & Tape Residue: | Remains of adhesive left by previous application of paste, tape, glue, etc; generally occurs during inept mounting of the sheet. | |
Auxiliary Support: | An attachment to the sheet to add strength and stability. | |
Backing Removal: | Removal of a rear board (See Adhered to Back Board) to which a work on paper has been adhered. Removal can be wet, if the art can be immersed and the adhesive is water soluble, or dry with a scalpel if the work cannot be immersed in water. | |
Biological Degradation: | See “Mold/Mildew” and “Insect Damage”. | |
Board: | A thin firm board made of compressed paper pulp, used as a support for drawing or painting.
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Cleaning: | Removal of dirt, or other soiling; dry cleaning or wet cleaning (washing) are the two most common methods. | |
Cleavage: | Separation and lifting of media (gouache, paint, etc.). From the support layer (paper, board, etc.). | |
Cockleing & Buckeling: | A wrinkle on broad system of wrinkles without creasing. | |
Consolidation: | Procedure to re-adhere delaminating media to its primary support sheet on board. | |
Crease: | Line or mark made by folding or wrinkling. | |
Cut: | Straight separation in support caused by sharp slicing action. | |
Deacidification: | Mitigation or removal of conditions causing work to be or become acidic. | |
Delamination: | Separation of the layer(s) of the support and/or media layer(s); often accompanied by flaking. | |
Dimple: | Any small, hollow place. | |
Dirt/Grime: | Dirt of any kind that has accumulated on the surface (accretion); may also be embedded into the support (soiling).
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Discoloration: | Changes of hues, often uneven and visually detrimental to the prevailing tones. | |
Dog-ear: | A folded down corner. | |
Draw: | Stretch by tension. | |
Edge Damage: | Any damage in and confined to the edge of a sheet of paper; usually small tears. | |
Embrittlement: | Support has become perceptibly fragile to the point of snapping, crumbling or breaking. | |
Faded: | Losses of brightness or brilliance of the color(s). | |
Fill: | Material used to replace missing areas of loss. | |
Flaking: | Media and/or support layers to dislodging from the support. | |
Flyspeck: | Small dark spots of fly excretion.
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Foxing: | Reddish-brown stains believed to be caused by metal particles in the paper being attacked by micro-organisms; foxing previously thought to be a variety of mold or mildew. | |
Frass: | Powdery residue left by insects after attacking a sheet of paper or board. | |
Friable: | Insufficient binding to adhere the media to the sheet or board (support). | |
Fugitive: | Unstable colors that have or will diminish or suffuse into adjacent areas when exposed to light, moisture or solvents. | |
Gouge: | A groove, indentation or cavity resulting from an object pressing or cutting into the surface without completely penetrating the support. | |
Handling Dents: | Shallow creases (usually in or near the edges) created by rough handling. | |
Hinge: | A small folded rectangle of paper with adhesive (or tape) used to mount a sheet to a support. Usually part of a mounting or matting procedure. | |
Hinge Damage: | Damage created by improper application of hinges to a sheet. Self adhesive tapes may bleed through creating a permanent stain; excessive mounting adhesives may also create permanent compression of paper fibres. | |
Hole: | Open or hollow loss in the support. | |
Imbedded: | A variant of embedded. | |
Inclusion: | A foreign body enclosed within the mass of the paper fibres. | |
Infestation: | Over-run and invaded; usually associated with insects, bacteria or other microorganisms such as mold, although it can also pertain to other pests. | |
Inherent Vice: | Existing condition that causes deterioration of an object as a result of its original construction. | |
Insect Damage: | Numerous species of insects feed upon materials in paper borne works, inflicting damage which can be massive, resulting in partial or total destruction. | |
Insecure: | A damaged work which maybe in the process of deterioration due to weakening of materials or due to weakness in structure or construction; work will probably sustain further damage if moved or handled without immediate attention. | |
Liquid Stain: | Stain created by an unidentified liquid. | |
Loss: | >Missing area in one or more layers of image; most frequently the result of flaking, abrasion, tearing, skinning, insect attack, etc. | |
Loss Compensation: | Replacing loss areas (holes, etc.) with material not original to the work. | |
Mat Stain or Matburn: | Darkened area caused by acidic conditions related to the use of improper matting materials. See “Acidic Mat”. | |
Mend: | Reattach or reinforce cuts, tears, etc. | |
Mold/Mildew: | Any of various fungi growths that invade many organic surfaces provided sufficient moisture is present, producing enzymes that dissolve, stain, or degrade the host material. | |
Offset: | Planographic printing using indirect image through such as photomechanical plates. | |
Photo Oxidation: | Degradation of paper and/or media by light. In media this results in fading; in paper it results in destruction of the molecular structure of the cellulose paper fibre and can result, in extreme cases, in the total collapse and loss of the sheet. | |
Physical Degradation: | Degeneration of the overall structure. | |
Planar Deformation: | Structural deformation of the support whereby it is no longer flat or in place. (See Cockling and Buckling). | |
Powdering: | Insufficient binding media or failure of the binding media to adhere pigments to the support causing the media to become powdery, chalky or crumbly. | |
Previous Restoration: | A restoration performed prior to the current examination. | |
Primary Support: | >Material providing the foundation for the image. i.e. paper, vellum, etc.; called the “primary support,” when a secondary support is present. | |
Puncture: | Hole created by impact. | |
Scratch: | Loss in the media, which may extend into the support caused by marking the surface with something sharp. | |
Secondary Support: | Backing, backboard, mounting support or other material providing a foundation layer for the primary support. | |
Sheet: | A broad, thin, usually rectangular piece of paper serving as a support for media; drawings, watercolors, etc. are referred to by collectors as “sheet(s)” | |
Shellmark: | Crease in the pattern of a half circle; generally the result of a blow or impact when the object is rolled. | |
Skinning: | Excessive intervention resulting in losses of the original media; also called “over-cleaning” or “excessive cleaning”. | |
Smudge: | Smear or blur caused by dirt, soot or ink. | |
Soiling: | Dirt driven deep into the surface. | |
Split: | A rupture or tear running along the support, usually caused by stress. | |
Stain: | A discoloration, usually darkening where the media and/or support layer has been penetrated. | |
Stain Reduction: | Diminishing or removing discoloration. | |
Support: | Material providing the foundation for the image. i.e. paper, vellum, etc.; also, called the “primary support,” when a secondary support is present. | |
Tape Stain: | Staining caused by migration of the adhesive from self-adhesive tape into paper fibres. | |
Tear: | A rupture in the support layer as a result of tension. | |
Tenting: | Delaminating of paint or gouache along cracks where the delaminated media layers lift upward into a pattern resembling the peaked tops of tents. | |
Thinning: | Abrasion of paper or board support creating areas which are thinner than the surrounding support. | |
Tideline: | The dark line created by drying liquid, at the farthest point of liquid migration in the paper or board. The line itself is dirt transported by the liquid; the dirt embeds itself deeply into the paper fibres becoming tenacious and difficult to remove. |
Degree:
The comparative extent of damage described by the following adjectives:
Negligible:
Insignificant damage that may not need immediate attention but needs to be monitored.
Slight:
Damage slightly more noticeable than “negligible”; should be monitored by a conservator.
Minor:
Existing condition, which is relatively unimportant; generally does not involve risk of loss; should be monitored by a conservator.
Moderate:
Damage is noticeable and may be of middle or increasing severity of size; not serious but should be monitored or corrected by a conservator.
Marked:
Readily identified damage, often with distinctive features and requires remediation by a conservator.
Major:
Damages or existing condition are noticeable, if not conspicuous in extent; stability of the work is in question, often great risk is a factor. Requires immediate attention by a conservator to prevent further damage or loss.
Extreme:
Most severe damage or existing condition has become very advanced. The work is insecure, no longer stable and at great risk.
It is important to understand that damage to a work of art is rarely static and the work will continue to deteriorate. It is best to have a conservator monitor works annually.