Celestial Globe 01

The globe was structurally unstable. Extensive damage was present on both the North as well as the South side of the globe. The surface was heavily soiled.

The soiling from the surface was removed with very slightly damp cotton wool swabs. The swabs were barely damp to prevent the moisture from seeping into crevices caused by the cracquelle. Non-varnished areas were avoided and a smoke sponge was used instead.

The protruding plaster sections on the North side were gently manipulated into their original positions. The area was consolidated and the pieces were adhered in their original positions with Lascaux Medium for consolidation. White spirit was used to pre-wet the surface to aid with the distribution of the adhesive. Weights were used to keep the pieces in place while the adhesive was drying. Missing sections were and hollow cracks were filled with acrylic putty filler and in-painted. Areas with missing paper were also in-painted. A protective layer was applied to the treated areas followed by an application of a layer of varnish.

The protruding plaster sections on the South side could not be manipulated into their original positions, as they may have been fragments of loose plaster wedged underneath.  In order to set the pieces back into their places, they had to be removed. After the removal, the area was structurally stabilised and the pieces was set into their original positions. Areas of missing plaster were filled and treated in the same manner as mentioned above.