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But now its back in all of its wee glory.
Thats about as close as one can get to the circus, Mancusi-Ungaro says.
Upon closer examination, the lipstick blot is actually a piece of very faded, very worn pink silk.
This is the only piece of fabric which really literally disintegrated, Nagy says.
We cannot improve things.
Each box has blocky handwritten notes in all caps at the bottom.
On the acrobats box: just note: Leather feet are fragile + sensitive to humidity.
And on the cowboys box: like note: This contains a number of brittle leather elements.
hey be careful not to touch scalp as it may be fragile.
Nagy points out bits of leather that have fallen to the bottom of the box.
What we came up with is that this is a very, very poor-quality tanning leather, Nagy says.
Nagy lifts the cowboys silk scarf, and underneath a vibrant, deep green shade is revealed.
The once-brilliant colors are essential to understanding the piece, Nagy explains.
It stays faded, Nagy says.
Nothing happens to it [physically].
What may be the greatest feat in restoringCalders Circusis, in effect, an optical illusion.
It is an optical adjustment, Nagy says.
I can only answer that from a conservators point of view, she says.
So basically, thats a good comparison to what conservators are aiming for.
I cannot make it last forever.
What I can do with preventative conservation and direct intervention, I can slow that process.
In other words: The show must go on.
