Brooklyn Museum

http://brooklynmuseum.tumblr.com/post/180652203059/with-the-support-of-a-generous-grant-from-the
On 11/30/18 06:00, Brooklyn Museum wrote:

With the support of a generous grant from the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), the Brooklyn Museum has been carrying out research and treatment on the Book of the Dead of the Priest Herw papyrus (37.1484Ea-b).
Written in hieratic and illustrated with beautiful vignettes, this Ptolemaic Period Book of the Dead fragment measures over twenty-three feet in length and features a sequence of spells to assist the deceased on his journey into the new world.

The Book of the Dead of Herw was excavated near Saqqara, Egypt and acquired by Dr. Henry Abbot, a British physician an amateur collector residing in Cairo between 1832 and 1852. Dr. Abbot amassed a collection of over 2,000 Egyptian objects and eventually transported them to New York City for display

in the Abbot Egyptian Museum at the Stuyvesant Institute in 1853. The collection was purchased by the New York Historical Society in 1860, where it remained until it was acquired by the Brooklyn Museum in 1937.

Prior to acquisition by the Brooklyn Museum, the roll was cut into several smaller fragments and adhered overall to cotton fabric. While the mount helped keep the papyrus intact for the past century, it certainly contributed to its deterioration. The mounting materials respond quite differently to environment conditions than the ancient papyrus and have caused stress over time, resulting in distortions, fractures, and loss throughout the fragile object.

With assistance from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Network Initiative for Conservation Science (NICS) program, the mounting adhesive was determined to be composed of wax and colophony, a pine resin. This type of mounting technique was developed in the mid-19th century for the treatment of easel paintings.

With a better understanding of the mounting materials, paper conservators at the Brooklyn Museum are investigating the feasibility of removing the papyrus from the fabric support. In addition to carrying out discreet testing on the object itself, they have produced papyrus mock-ups from stalks acquired at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for more in-depth experimentation with treatment protocols.

As their research continues, they have begun the initial stages of treatment to stabilize friable ink, reduce surface soiling, realign papyrus fibers and repair fractures – quite a task for a fragile object of this size. Check back soon for updates on their progress!

Posted by Elyse Driscoll
Image caption: Detail of the Judgement Scene from the Book of the Dead of the Priest Herw, before treatment

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