The understanding of cultural heritage objects can require a multi-technique approach to identify materials, manufacturing, and history. This research focused on a four-panel Chinese kuan cai lacquer screen from the Walters Art Museum, initially dated to 1681 from its inscription. Due to its complex layered structure and extensive restoration, both non-invasive and micro-invasive methods were used. Fiber Optics Reflectance Spectroscopy (FORS) identified surface pigments, while Raman spectroscopy analyzed cross-sections to distinguish original materials from restoration layers. Supporting techniques included XRF, SEM-EDS, and THM-Py-GC/MS. The detection of synthetic ultramarine blue and azo carmine dye—unavailable in the 17th century—suggested a later production date. The absence of traditional pigments like vermilion, orpiment, and malachite further challenged the original attribution. Provenance research later revealed the screen’s identity as a twentieth-century replica made in New York City by the retailer Charles Gracie & Sons. This study highlights the value of combining spectroscopic techniques for accurate material analysis.

Madonna and Child was acquired by Henry Walters in 1910. It has not been exhibited since 1994 due to its unstable condition. The presence of salts, first identified in 1992, have continued to undermine the structural stability of the limestone. The sculpture has visible salt crystal growth on the surface and exhibits issues including powdering, delamination, flaking, spalling, cracking, and loss. The sculpture cannot be safely handled, transported, or exhibited in its current state. A successful treatment will allow for the possibility of Madonna and Child to be reinstated in the Walters Art Museum galleries.

​This research project is being conducted as the fourth installment of a multi-year collaboration between Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC), Voices in Contemporary Art (VOCA), and The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation (RRF).  The purpose of this study is to distinguish between and identify Robert Rauschenberg’s use of dye-based and pigment-based inkjet colorants in his inkjet transfer works made between 1992 and 2008. The colorants of these works have faded over time, in some cases to a degree where the RRF no longer sees the object as representative of the artist's work. An understanding of the chemical composition of these colorants and their relative lightfastness can impact the stewardship and understanding of this body of Rauschenberg’s late work. Three inkjet transfer works from the RRF study collection will be used as case studies for visual and compositional analysis (x-ray fluorescence (XRF), fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), and Raman spectroscopy).​

• Conservation of "Paul Revere" by de Saint-Mémin

• Conserving a Nipmuc Storage Basket Using Unexpected Materials

• The Global Influence of Blue and White Ceramics

• Carefully Conserving a Museum Treasure: the Worcester Hunt Mosaic

The conservation of an eighteenth-century framed wax portrait of a Madonna presented a series of ethical and material challenges rooted in its complex restoration history. Prior to its acquisition by the Walters Art Museum, the portrait had undergone multiple repairs and aesthetic intervention campaigns. Broken components were replaced, degraded pigments disguised beneath brighter overpaint, and structural breaks stabilized with various types of adhesives. While the work of each restorer reflects the enduring value placed on the object’s preservation, these accumulated interventions complicate today’s treatment decisions. The blue paint on the surface of the Madonna’s mantle exhibits significant flaking and lifting. Scientific analysis helped differentiate the two layers of overpaint, one made using synthetic ultramarine blue and the other Prussian blue. While the portrait itself was modeled from different passages of pigmented wax, the underlying wax of the Madonna’s mantle was not the expected blue color symbolic of purity and protection. The exposed break edges of the mantle revealed a much darker brownish-blue wax. Analysis of the wax confirmed the presence of smalt, a colorant known to darken over time, which likely informed the restorer’s rationale to apply the later overpainting. Challenging questions arose: When does the work of past restorers become part of the object’s history? Is the intended color of the mantle more important than preserving the layered record of its restoration?

This research focuses on the conservation treatment of a 16th-century Japanese lacquered iron helmet which exhibited significant instability due to extensive cracking, lifting, and flaking of the lacquer. Due to the shape of the helmet, commonly used clamps and weight bags were not suitable. I adapted the Japanese technique of shimbari, the use of flexible sticks to apply discrete controlled pressure to lacquer as the applied consolidation adhesive dried. Taking inspiration from the methodology outlined by Bainbridge et.al., 2015, we fabricated our own shimbari clamping system using fiberglass rods sourced from a kite-making company, a custom elevated plywood platform with adjustable L-shaped supports, and an ethafoam helmet mount. Paraloid B48N, in 50:50 ethanol and acetone, was selected as the consolidation medium for its compatibility with lacquer and metal substrates. In order to ensure precise application of adhesive underneath the flake and not on the surrounding areas, small pieces of Mylar were used as the application tool and slid behind lifting areas. This project required significant creative problem-solving to the common objects conservation treatment step of consolidation.

As a pre-program intern at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute, I worked with Jia-Sun Tsang, Senior Paintings Conservator, and Dr. Thomas Lam, Physical Scientist to optimize a method for preparing paint cross sections. Our research was published in the 2019 issue of the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation.