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Bone, ivory, and antler are rarely attacked by insects, but horn is often seriously damaged by the larvae of carpet beetles and clothes moths. [7] Light, ultraviolet, and infrared. Ivory, bone, and antler should be kept away from bright light such as spotlights or direct sunlight. Bright light can increase the surface temperature of the object.
Like any museum objects, the handling of bone, antler, and horn should be conducted in a manner conducive to maintaining the health of the object. While these objects may be handled with clean, dry hands, body oils can stain their surface due to the porosity of these materials. This is especially noticeable on light-colored antler, horn, and bone.
Cleaning of human remains varies by type. If necessary, surface cleaning of bone can be done with a very mild detergent and water solution, but bones should never be soaked in order to prevent dirt from becoming embedded in pores. [2] The possibility of cleaning human remains is highly dependent on the fragility of the specimen.
Ivory is a fragile medium; many 19th-century pieces were preserved because they were kept in a barrel of oil on board ship. Gary Kiracofe, a scrimshander in Nantucket, Massachusetts, advises collectors that if a piece looks dry, one should fill the center of the tooth with unscented baby oil and allow it to remain until as much oil as possible is soaked into the microscopic pores of the ivory.
The Anglo-Saxon Franks Casket is a whale bone casket imitating earlier ivory ones. [4] Medieval bone caskets were made by the Embriachi workshop of north Italy (c. 1375 –1425) and others, mostly using rows of thin plaques carved in relief. [5] A face carved on a piece of curved bone. The face is framed by hair and part of a winged head-dress ...
Polishing is the process of creating a smooth and shiny surface by rubbing it or by applying a chemical treatment, leaving a clean surface with a significant specular reflection (still limited by the index of refraction of the material according to the Fresnel equations). [1]
If you thought teeth were only worth a couple bucks from the tooth fairy, think again. On a brand-new episode of "Antiques Roadshow" Monday, a Fred Myrick scrimshaw tooth got a price tag that ...
Polishing is the last step of the carving process. Sculptors use a variety of fine, abrasive materials such as sandpaper or emery paper to highlight patterns in the stone and to accentuate its natural sheen. [9] Some sculptors may also use tin oxide to achieve a high-lustre polish. Regardless of the method, however, a glossy marble sculpture ...