The latest and most complete bamboo and wood ivory carving care and collection guide in 2016

The latest and most comprehensive guide to the maintenance and collection of bamboo and wood ivory carvings. Speaking of the maintenance of bamboo and wood ivory carvings, the author feels that I don’t know where to start because there are so many miscellaneous types, and the major categories include There are so many subcategories, and there are even overlaps between the categories. After all, it is hard to explain. Considering that material is the most basic, we will simply simplify it, start with the material, and proceed category by category. A small introduction, bamboo and wood ivory horn carving is the first item in the miscellaneous items. Let’s start with the maintenance of bamboo and wood ivory horns.
Maintenance of Bamboo Carvings
Among miscellaneous items, bamboo and wood tusks are the major item, and bamboo carving is the first item, so we will start with bamboo carving. The maintenance skills of bamboo carvings can be summarized into three aspects: good preservation conditions, careful cleaning, and proper oiling.
The storage conditions of skills must be complete
Speaking of maintenance, first of all, there must be storage conditions, or there is no maintenance at all. Usually, families who collect collectibles have Duobaoge, which is the most basic collection hardware. But only Duobaoge is not enough. It is only used for display. Considering that bamboo carvings have strict requirements on humidity, if the conditions are good and there are many small pieces of bamboo carvings, you can purchase a large glass cover to seal the bamboo carvings. Inside, this ensures a constant temperature without hindering viewing. In addition, it can also be stored in a wooden lattice cabinet. The temperature of the special storage cabinet is controlled at ℃ ~ ℃, and the relative humidity is controlled at ~, about 1 meter above the ground. If the temperature is too high and the air is too dry, you can put a glass of water indoors or put a few books in the cabinet. Play with and inspect it frequently to ensure that contamination is discovered in time.
Tips for cleaning
Bamboo carvings have just been bought from a street stall. If they are very dirty and need to be cleaned, be sure not to use various sharp and hard tools to scrape the attachments on the bamboo carvings to avoid damaging the carvings. original appearance and condition. Of course, if you apply paint and chemical colorants on the surface, it will destroy the original coating, which is even more unnecessary. After all, the old pieces of bamboo have been played with for many years, and there are maintenance oils and sweat left on them, forming a beauty caused by natural discoloration. Once destroyed, they lose their sense of historical authenticity.
It is okay to clean the newly bought bamboo carvings, but be sure to use a highly corrosive washing powder. Because this also hurts the old patella. Old bamboo carvings that have been around for many years will develop mold within the bamboo muscles. This mold will firmly adhere to the surface of the bamboo carvings and become patina, which has a very good protective effect on the bamboo carvings. If cleaning is necessary, it is best to use the least corrosive detergent, and be sure to apply walnut oil after cleaning.
Skillful oiling is a good way
Experienced bamboo carving collectors, when oiling bamboo carvings, choose to use raw oil rolled from raw walnut kernels instead of cooked oil extracted from fried walnut kernels. Oil. Raw oil has a high moisture content and is not drying. When applied to bamboo carvings, it will not damage the material and patina. Ripe oil has less moisture and is more dry. After it is applied and dried, the bamboo carvings will easily crack. When collectors usually play with it, they can apply a little oil on their palms, rub their hands evenly, and then hold the bamboo carving with both hands to play with. Don't use too much oil, otherwise it will become damp. This will not only protect the coating, but also prevent insects.
Maintenance of wood carvings
After bamboo carvings comes wood carvings. The preservation of wood carvings is somewhat similar to that of bamboo carvings. Most wood carvings are made of hardwood, and hardwood contains moisture. When the air humidity is too low, the hardwood will shrink and crack, and when it is too high, it will expand and become mildewed. Generally, wood carvings should be careful not to be exposed to water, sunlight, or baking, and should be protected against mildew and insects. Therefore, when placing wooden sculptures, care should be taken not to place them in places that are too humid or too dry, such as near high-temperature places such as stoves and heaters. Always place near floor surfaces where the mop will become wet. Wood carvings can be held in your hands and played with frequently, but they should never be wiped with a wet or rough rag. In addition to playing with your hands, you can also regularly use a clean, soft cotton cloth with a little furniture wax or raw walnut oil to gently wipe it back and forth along the wood grain, so that the patina of the wood carving will be better maintained. Specific to the wood carvings made of various materials, we should pay attention to their characteristics, such as softness, hardness, humidity, temperature and other related characteristics, and adopt more targeted protection.
Collection and maintenance of ivory horn carvings
A recent ivory carving collector was on a business trip for nearly two months one summer and had no time to take care of the treasures at home. The continuous rain made the air Very humid. By the time the Tibetan friend rushed home, several of the ivory carvings had become moldy and fluffy. When he saw it, he felt really distressed. He quickly prepared some water and rinsed it, and after a lot of effort, he finally got it clean. It happened to be a sunny day, so he put the newly cleaned tooth sculptures on the balcony to let them dry faster. The next day I saw it was broken and the tooth carvings exposed on the balcony were all cracked.
Deformation, falling pieces, and deterioration are serious injuries. Once such problems occur, they are almost irreparable. There is another type of damage, which is mildew caused by improper humidity control. This problem is relatively easy to solve, thus ensuring that the degree of damage is minimized. Mildew must be removed promptly. Generally, it can be cleaned with dilute citric acid solution, and then neutralized with dilute ammonia water to neutralize the remaining dilute acid. Finally, rinse with distilled water, dry it gently with a clean dry cloth, and place it in a cool place to dry slowly. , never use heating and sun drying methods to quickly dry. Once the tooth horn carving is stained with dust and dirt, it will easily age and deteriorate, so it must be wiped frequently to keep it clean. Stains that cannot be wiped off easily can be washed with soapy water, but not soaked, and should be dried as soon as possible. Yellowed and stained ivory horn carvings cannot be washed, let alone bleached. Compared to precious ivory, rhinoceros horn is even more priceless, so be extra careful when storing it.
The article is selected from the public account of Changchang Silver Art Appraisal Database, which aims to provide everyone with high-quality art collection and appraisal knowledge and is updated every day.