COMPILATION ON PILE RUGS UNTYING RESTORATION FROM CURRENT CONSERVATION PRACTICES
Date
2019-05
Authors
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Publisher
University of Delaware
Abstract
The pile rug has a unique status unlike all other textiles. It has been studied as
a utilitarian object, artwork, product of trade, and prized collectable. The uniqueness
of pile rugs cannot be attributed to a single factor. Construction, material, history, and
previous care compound their complexity and allure. The restoration and conservation
of pile rugs is an equally complicated history blurred by parallel treatment and
preservation methods. The scope of this research is limited to the structural
stabilization and compensation of visual loss in pile rugs. The goal of this research is
to create a compilation on the methods in conservation and restoration of pile rugs
from 1990 to present. In 1990, the Textile Museum in Washington D.C. hosted a
symposium on the conservation of Oriental rugs. While the goal of the symposium
was to spark further dialogue on the subject, published literature has since been sparse.
This compilation contains two major components. The first is a literature review based
on selected papers from the symposium and other published sources since the
symposium. Secondly, interviews with experienced conservators provide further
insight, which is then compared to the information found in the literature review.
Conclusions draw on changes to practice over time and the comparison of current
practices in the conservation of pile rugs.
Description
Keywords
Art conservation, Pile rugs, Restoration, Conservation