Cleaning of Wooden Gilded Surfaces

Gilded wood is fragile and easily damaged by cleaning with water, yet relatively few conservators have the specialized knowledge needed to care for it appropriately. In response, the Cleaning of Wooden Gilded Surfaces project is developing improved cleaning protocols for gilded wood and sharing this information widely through workshops, reference materials, and professional networks.

• An 2018 experts meeting at the Getty Center that included twelve participants from Australia, Brazil, France, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States and published meeting report

Wooden gilded surfaces are found on a wide range of artifacts and settings, from collections objects in museums or private homes to architectural elements integrated into buildings such as churches, historic houses, and palaces. These complex, multilayered surfaces were created using various techniques applied to artifacts of different scales, representing a wide range of challenges when a cleaning treatment is needed. Since gilded surfaces are typically fragile and highly sensitive to polar cleaning systems and abrasion, they can become damaged or lost during cleaning campaigns.

• No consensus on the ethical considerations and goals of cleaning these decorative surfaces
• Lack of understanding of the value of preserving original and aged wooden gilded surfaces by stakeholders involved
• Insufficient understanding of original gilded surfaces by many conservators
• Scarcity of specialized training in the treatment of these surfaces in academic programs. These surfaces are often treated by conservators from allied specialties (paintings, furniture, etc.) who might not fully understand them or they are treated by craft-trained professionals who understand gilded surfaces but may not have the scientific background required to fully grasp newly developed cleaning systems
• Unfamiliarity with advanced cleaning options developed in other specialties, such as modern painted surfaces, that can be applied to gilded wooden surfaces

Stéphanie Auffret, Project Manager, Senior Project Specialist; Rita Cavalcante, GCI Professional Fellow