The Conservator's Assessment

"This pot has a crack through 1/3 of it with many small sherds at the base and upper cracks which have been reinforced with 1 cm wide orange paper tape, and on the inside of the base, a disk of paper approximately 10 cm in diameter. An area measuring approximately 7 cm x 4 cm on the outside of the pot was repaired and covered with paint which spread over the pot surface." Brian V. Arthur, January 1997.

The Recommended Treatment

-due to the fragile nature of the pot, it should not be taken down
-fill cracks with adhesive
-remove the orange tape to allow access to the upper cracks as those joints are not stable
-remove the paint from the exterior of the pot
-reinforce or replace the plaster
-repaint the plaster
-thought should be given to removing the paper disc

The Actual Treatment

-the orange paper tape covering the upper cracks was removed with acetone and the 10 cm paper disc was removed with hot water poultices
-the pot was softened with steam and clamped to close the long vertical crack
-the old adhesive was cleaned out of the cracks as far as possible and replaced with a high fiber adhesive
-the overpaint was removed from the outside of the pot and the area consolidated with adhesive