AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Whilst working for the Conservation and Museums Advisory Service (CMAS), I carried out stabilisation and mounting of a Wasp Nest for Sherborne Museum, UK. The nest was to be displayed illustrating the interior construction and allow for close inspection of the surface by visitors. Wasp nests are made of wood, which is chewed by the wasps, combined with their saliva, to form a pulp. This pulp is accreted to form thin paper like walls. The nest brought to us was large and extremely fragile with sections of walls actively flaking off the surface. I had no experience of treating this kind of object and found no published articles on the conservation of wasp nests. Research across different disciplines and practical tests were required to produce an appropriate treatment method.

Having reached out to fellow conservators on the American Institute of Conservation’s (AIC) Global Conservation Forum, I had three main areas of focus – what consolidant to use, how to apply the consolidant and how to support/ mount the object to prevent further deterioration via handling. Fellow conservators responded, having previously treated wasp nests by spraying with 10% Paraloid B72 in acetone, Lascaux MFC applied in a nebuliser and methyl cellulose or Klucel. Due to ethical concerns, I decided not to spray the entirety of the nest with a consolidant but to focus on more localised application techniques more familiar to paper conservators such as pre-coated Japanese tissue, micro-dots and direct application. I also discounted cellulose ethers and BEVA consolidants based on further findings and decided to test Aquazol, Lascaux, Wheat starch combined with Methyl cellulose and Paraloid B72 which were easily accessible in the lab. Small fragments of the nest that had already become detached were used to carry out testing and I found that applying small dots of a 50:50 mix of 10% Methyl cellulose to 3% Wheat starch using a fine brush along the break lines of fragments produced good results – the consolidant was strong enough to hold the fragments together and did not create tide marks after curing.

The majority of loss was due to handling, so an appropriate support was a priority. A mount was needed that the object could be transported and displayed in. Although more complex mounts were considered, made from acrylic so more of the object could be visible, static charge lifted surface fragments when the object was placed near plastic, so a more low-tech approach was chosen. Ethafoam blocks were used, covered in a layer of polyester wadding and soft undyed, unbleached linen which provided a more appropriate colour that did not visually distract from the object.

Although I would describe the result of the treatment as a success, I am aware that the object will continue to flake and deteriorate. The consolidation technique only covers areas that are already fragile not any that may become weak in the future, and the application technique is time consuming. Hopefully my project can be a starting point for future research.