Conservation Center | Conservation Treatment of an Elephant Howdah
The exhibition Maharaja: Splendor of India's Royal Courts showcases the museum's outstanding elephant howdah, complete with parasol (AAM 2001.12.A-.C) and an ornate elephant blanket (AAM 2011.41). Both parasol and blanket are made of silk velvet with fine embroidery, and are particularly fragile and susceptible to light damage. They should never be displayed for long, and so it is a special occasion when they are on view.
Preparing these luxurious items for display takes teamwork. The elephant blanket and parasol required treatment by a textile conservator, while metal parts were cleaned and tested by objects conservators. Conservators also added special pads inside the howdah to support the weight of the parasol, and beneath the feet of the howdah to prevent the velvet blanket from becoming crushed. Finally, the heavy howdah was lifted into place by a team of preparators and registrars.
Parasol
Textile conservator Denise Migdail repaired many losses on the parasol lining, both inside and out. Wherever possible, conservators try not to disturb the original material and make repairs that can be easily removed. In this case, she inserted multiple layers of sheer fabric to match the colors, sliding the new fabric under the original and stitching the largest fills in place with fine thread.
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Several layers of fabric were inserted behind torn areas to mask the losses. Every fabric is tested before use, to be sure it will not stain or give off chemicals that might harm the artworks.
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Repairing fabric inside the howdah parasol.
The parasol embroidery includes silk and metallic threads of silver and gold. This inscription can be translated to read: Babu Raghunandan Prasad Sinha [Singh] Lanka Kacchuara [Kacchwaha].
The parasol tip was missing its ornamental point, with only a rusted screw showing. It was decided to create a new facsimile, modeled after a finial from a similar Indian parasol of the same period. First, the new wood part was turned on a lathe by Vincent Avalos, the museum mountmaker. The new part was smoothed and coated to a mirror finish, in preparation for a layer of silver leaf.
Graduate conservation intern Elizabeth Saetta applies silver leaf to a facsimile part for the finial of the parasol, using traditional gilding tools.
The replica finial in position.
Howdah
The exterior of the howdah body is clad in thick sheets of high-quality silver. The sides and seat arms are decorated with complex figures, using traditional silversmithing techniques such as raising and engraving. Highlights are accented with gilding and paint, and colored glass eyes added to the animals give them a very lively appearance. The howdah was polished and coated for previous displays, so only gentle cleaning was needed for this exhibition. X-ray fluorescence showed the alloy to be about 95% silver, higher purity than the sterling standard (92.5% silver) commonly used today.
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Tarnished silver can often be polished with finely precipitated calcium carbonate and water.
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| Detail of the howdah with gilded and colored accents and glass eyes. | Conservation tools for polishing silver: soft flannel or cotton, water, ethanol, and precipitated calcium carbonate. |
Installation
After conservation, the heavy howdah is installed in the Maharaja exhibition. This brief video shows the action as the Maharaja installation team of registrars and preparators lifts the heavy howdah into position. Associate Curator Qamar Adamjee assists by placing pads under each foot to protect the velvet blanket. Later, spotlights will be added so that the silver and gold howdah will truly sparkle.
