Yale Babylonian Collection
Objects Conservation Fellowship
The Yale Babylonian Collection, founded by Albert T. Clay in 1911, was an independent entity within Yale University until 2017, when it became formally affiliated with the Yale Peabody Museum. This change was made in order to expand access to the collection, and provide it with the expertise, services, and infrastructure that come with the stewardship of a larger museum. Improving the conservation and documentation of the collection is part of this change.
Storage
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Current housing: original wooden cabinetry, in original glass-lidded boxes, often padded with old cotton
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Goals: pad original boxes with polyester batting and acid free tissue, spread out crowded tablets and seals
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Results: [# tablets] rehoused during 1-year tenure, standards set for continued work
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The tablet room
Environmental Monitoring
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Goals: Implement environmental monitoring to determine if cabinetry adequately buffers changes in RH by comparing ambient and drawer RH
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Results: Data from HOBO T/RH loggers showed that both wood and metal cabinetry significantly buffers changes in RH, but ambient condition fluctuate enough to require closed storage
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Results presented in 2021 AIC Annual Meeting (see poster)
HOBO monitor setup
Documentation
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Previous work: Most of the tablets have "old" and "new" catalogue numbers and complete descriptions. Many cylinder and stamp seals, have only paper records and are not in the new database (EMu). Condition info reflects 10-50 year old work.
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Goals: Update condition assessments, add location codes to improve tracking, implement a barcode system.
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Volunteers and student workers help to organize and catalogue the less-studied seal and figurine collections.
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Results: Initial efforts set standards for ongoing work.
Creating condition and conservation reports in EMu database
Treatment
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Previous treatment: 50%+ tablets were fired post-excavation, by excavators, dealers, or the Collection. Many adhesives were used - crusty brown glue mixed with straw, yellowed animal glue, opaque white or grey adhesives, cloudy white adhesives, and more modern clear adhesives.
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Goals: Do repairs that ensure stability and legibility, using various concentrations of Paraloid B72 in acetone, or acetone and ethanol.
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Results: ~200 tablets treated in 1-year tenure
Reconstructing a tablet envelope
Parthian Slipper Coffin
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Goals: stabilize a large crack and carry out aesthetic repairs for loan to Metropolitan Museum of Art.*
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Coffin originally conserved c.1900 - joins, staples, and fills; possible additional repairs since then
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Treatment: "feet" removed**, poor inpainting removed, old fills shaped and repainted, crack stabilized.
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* Conservation work paid for by the Met
** Catherine Sease assisted with feet and paint removal
Preparing to lift the coffin off its base.
For more information, contact: aliza.taft@gmail.com