International experience in conservation of artifacts from clay

The purpose of the article is to familiarize conservators and researchers dealing with this problem with international experience in conservation of archaeological items made of airdried clay. The authors study the experience of leading museums dealing with this problem. The main attention is paid to reports on the methods of preservation of artifacts madeof air-dried clay used by various museums and conservation organizations when they received archaeological objects. The methods of preservation of Babylonian tablets used at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, the Berlin Asian Art Museum and the Louvre are studied, as well as methods of conservation of loess objects used at the Hermitage, GOSNIIR, the A. Donish Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan, the Iranian National Museum (Tehran) are reflected. The article presents comparative characteristics of the properties of all consolidants used to strengthen clay artifacts. Studies of both natural and synthetic materials are described. The experience of the condition study of clay objects that have undergone the consolidation process is described, and the consequences of the use of various consolidating compounds are revealed. The consolidating compositions, which are currently used by the leading museums and restoration centers of the world, are given. The properties necessary for preservation of artifacts have been determined. Based on the data obtained, the further direction of work at the chemical technology laboratory of the State Research Institute for Restoration was chosen.