Samoan Basket | Lavina Li Portfolio

Basket, Before Treatment

Basket, Before Treatment (Top)

Basket, During Treatment - Humidification & Reshaping

The handle was gently humidified and gradually reshaped using a Gore-Tex/blotter humidification stack (not pictured) and a Tyvek-covered Ethafoam support.

Basket, During Treatment - Handle Reattachment

The handle was reattached using Jade 403.

Basket, During Treatment - Reed Splints

Reed splints were added as the handle was reattached in order to support the join. The reed splints were cut and bent into the correct shape, and were then inserted into a gap between the handle and the basket wall. Jade 403 was used to adhere the splint to the handle.

Later, strips of toned and waxed Japanese tissue was used for loss compensation in areas where the handle's core was exposed due to loss of weft elements. These strips were wound around the handle, using wheatstarch paste to adhere the strips over the reed splint. The ends of the tissue strips were woven between the surviving dark warps.

Basket, After Treatment

Basket, After Treatment (Top)

Basket, After Treatment

Detail photo of Japanese tissue strips covering the splint and areas of loss

Basket, After Treatment

A supporting insert was made from black Plastazote to help the handle keep its shape while in storage or on display.

Pandanus Leaf Basket

Samoan

This basket from the Museum of Anthropology's collections exhibited a number of condition issues: there was adhesive residue on one side, dust and dirt overall, and the handle was badly misshapen and completely detached on one side. Light-coloured wefts were beginning to unwind from one end of the handle, and were broken off on the other. The treatment involved removing adhesive residue (not pictured), humidifying and reshaping the handle, reattaching the handle, and performing loss compensation for missing handle wefts. A supporting insert for the handle was also created.

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