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 How to clean bone knob?
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| Author | Topic: How to clean bone knob? |
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kerppola Posts: 69 |
posted 04-09-2007 02:18 AM
  
[01-2570] I have a 19th century Russian tea pot with a bone knob which I would like to clean. The knob has during years got a yellowish surface. The knob has also some cracks. I would like to hear suggestions how to clean it. Does the same cleaning method apply for ivory? IP: Logged |
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vathek Posts: 966 |
posted 04-09-2007 08:22 AM
Just to be on the safe side I guess I'd try milk first, as is recommended for ivory. IP: Logged |
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argentum1 Posts: 602 |
posted 04-09-2007 12:44 PM
Old things look old and new things look new. Why would you want to clean it? If it is not damaged or full of gunk that could harbor bacteria why not leave it alone? After all it looks a lot better than we are going to look in 100 years or so. But it belongs to you so if you must. Nothing more harsh than light soap and water and dry very carefully. I was in your part of the world 45 years ago in the US Navy. Very nice country. IP: Logged |
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kerppola Posts: 69 |
posted 04-09-2007 02:09 PM
Well I don't expect it to be shining white but just clean it like cleaning other antique items which has during years got dirt on them when touched with hands. Thanks for the country compliments. IP: Logged |
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FWG Posts: 845 |
posted 04-09-2007 02:55 PM
What you have there looks to me, insofar as one can tell from a photo, more like ivory than bone, and ivory would be what I'd expect there. The techniques and concerns are pretty much the same, though. Especially if you use soap, which tends to pull out oils, I'd finish with a light rubdown with an oil. As I've suggested elsewhere, a rub against one's nose sometimes does the trick, but many people are squeamish about putting their nose oil on a piece of dining ware! Mineral oil would work fine, but I've also used vegetable (cooking) oil - some worry about that going rancid, but I've never had any trouble with that. The main source of damage to ivory and bone - evident in the fine cracks in your knop - is drying out, and an occasional light oiling can slow that. As an aside: rubbing in red palm oil will produce that reddish mahogany color so often seen in African ivory pieces (and is one of the techniques used there to produce it). Lemon juice will also cause ivory to darken, especially if also exposed to sunlight - but it also weakens the ivory, I think by leaching out some of the mineral content. Toothpaste can of course be used to clean ivory, but it has potential side-effects of bleaching the color and has the risk of getting trapped in the cracks. IP: Logged |
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Richard Kurtzman Moderator Posts: 768 |
posted 04-09-2007 10:56 PM
How does one remove glue fom Ivory without doing damage and can dried out ivory be restored? IP: Logged |
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FWG Posts: 845 |
posted 04-10-2007 10:18 AM
Depends on what kind of glue, and how dried out. And of course on what your risk-tolerance is. It's possible it could be done by oneself, but it also might really need a conservator. IP: Logged |
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kerppola Posts: 69 |
posted 04-10-2007 10:47 AM
Thanks for your advices, I will clean it accordingly and finish with the oil. The knob must be then ivory as you estimated. I don't have the knowledge to see the difference between the two. IP: Logged |
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swarter Moderator Posts: 2920 |
posted 04-10-2007 11:50 AM
Fresh ivory is hard, white or creamy, and smooth. Bone is less dense and much more porous than ivory. Ivory is dental enamel and while it is uniform in texture, it can show layering if cut in such a way as to expose what are the equivalent of growth rings in wood from trees. It can also have a translucent appearance when not discolored. It can split when shrunk from drying or from exposure to extremes in temperature. Bone shows minute openings of various sizes, ofted darker than the surrounding matrix, and most bone does not show the polished appearance of ivory. Anything applied to bone will penetrate below the surface and become trapped in the interstices and cannot be easily removed, so extreme care should be used in treating bone. Both ivory and bone are best preserved by being kept away from strong light (which can discolor ivory) and protected from extreme changes in temperature, which can result in drying and splitting. IP: Logged |
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