Feature Article

The Care and Feeding of Wounaan Hösig di Baskets

© 2004 By Charlotte Meares

We usually associate the terms conservation and preservation with museum materials, but it is also appropriate to think in terms of the proper handling, cleaning, storage and display of our own valuable collections, particularly of your hösig di, fine Wounaan baskets from the Darién Rainforest of Panamá.

The primary purpose of conservation is to prevent or slow potential deterioration of an object in order to give it an optimum life span. The following care and feeding guidelines may be applied to any type of basket. Prevention is the key to conservation.

Sound like a lot of work? Consider that anything of value is worth the TLC. We care for our families, homes, gardens, furnishings, cars, collectibles and treasured objects. Why would we give any less effort to our collection of valuable baskets? And who knows what legacy they may carry through the generations.

Despite the fact that the materials from which baskets are made are very susceptible to chemical and physical forms of degradation, baskets are among some of our oldest artifacts, surviving hundreds, even thousands of years under just the right conditions. Light, heat, dust, humidity and insects can all contribute to shorten the life span of a basket.

So many environmental factors that can damage our basketry collection and other fiber art are beyond our control. Yet, in her 1982 monograph outlining basketry conservation techniques developed by the Anthropology Conservation Laboratory of the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum, Emily J. Hartley cites mishandling as one of the main sources of damage to baskets.

The average basket, she writes, “will take much ill-treatment without seeming to change in appearance, but over a period of time, the difference between a well-cared-for basket and one that has been neglected can be seen.”

Understanding basket construction is helpful in learning proper handling methods. Coiled baskets like the hösig di are made up of two types of materials. The foundational coil construction that forms the spiral is a harder, more substantive material than the softer, more flexible wrapping or sewing strands that surround the coil.

Though it may seem obvious, Hartley reminds us to handle our baskets as little as possible and only when we have just washed our hands. Dirt and perspiration on unwashed hands contain oils and acids that have a long-term detrimental effect and cause chemical deterioration.

NEVER lift or hold a basket by its rim. Always use two hands—either on the side and base or both under the base—when lifting a basket. This distributes the pressure of the hands more evenly, reducing the strain on the fibers as the basket is lifted, particularly large baskets. An antique basket that is fragile or thin and brittle could crack, tear or even separate at the rim. Very large Wounaan baskets are heavy, and their rims are not intended for lifting. Handles seem the perfect way to lift a basket, but not when the basket is an antique or very heavy. Resist the temptation to squeeze or press the body of the baskets “to test their give or flexibility.” This pressure can lead to the coil cracking or breaking as well as splitting of the stretched fibers wrapping it. Contemporary and new baskets may seem flexible and more resilient than their antique counterparts, but they, too, can suffer the same damage by being dropped.

Display or store baskets away from direct sunlight. Unblocked ultraviolet rays and heat from sunlight weaken and dry out basket fibers and fade dyes. Unsuspecting culprits in the premature aging of baskets are incandescent and fluorescent lights in small, enclosed display areas. Curators recommend fluorescent tubing with an ultraviolet-filtering plastic sleeve over it because it is the least harmful and coolest lighting to display fine fiber and textile arts. Shield light fixtures in display areas or showcases so that they cast only indirect or relatively low-intensity light on your baskets. Curators also caution about over-illumination. Lighted display cases should be well ventilated to prevent heat buildup.

Are you concerned about too warm, too dry or too moist an environment for your collection? Temperatures between 63&Mac251;F and 68&Mac251;F (18&Mac251;C and 20&Mac251;C) with a relative humidity of 50% to 60% are ideal, but not exactly your average home comfort levels. Museums can keep display and storage “climate” conditions relatively constant, as rapid fluctuation of these conditions can cause warping or weakening of basket fibers from expansion and contraction. But you’re not likely to have humidity controlled display cases in your living room or library. In the home, you can help to minimize these night-and-day fluctuations of heat and humidity by resisting the temptation to display baskets on mantels and around the fireplace, or on the coffee table in front of the bay window, or directly under skylights and table lamps without protective lights.

Just as our skin stays more supple with added moisture, baskets need a little moisture to retain flexibility, too. The moisture content within a glass-front, barrister-style bookcase remains more stable than the humidity of the room itself. For dry rooms, place a shallow dish of water near baskets to raise the relative humidity of the surrounding environment. If you live in an arid environment such as the American Southwest, you can also lightly mist your baskets with distilled water, just as you would mist cane-bottom chairs, wicker furniture and your favorite house plants.

Too much moisture, however, can cause baskets (shoes, books, furniture, walls) to mildew. To help prevent such a costly occurrence, increase ventilation around the collection. You can also insert into the basket small desiccant pillows of silica gel, like those you see packed with electronics equipment.

New collectors often ask if these beautiful Wounaan baskets hold water. Yes, they do. But that does not mean you should fill it at the sink to test its tightness. Nor would you want to put a potted plant in any piece on which you place any great deal value.

Display baskets on shelves at least as deep as the widest diameter of the largest basket. This assures your basket will neither be squashed against the wall and become misshapen or be unsupported and hang out over the edge, causing the front to sag. Over time, these deformities can become “set” and, if serious enough, may be irreparable.

Insects thrive on organic materials. If you doubt it, take a peak at your garden. Those insects may not recognize the difference between the tasty living morsels found in abundance in your home and garden and the fibers of your basket. In coiled baskets, the foundation materials can harbor an infestation of insects that go virtually unnoticed. But if you look carefully, their destructive work sometimes can be detected as crumbs of basket fibers or dust on the inside or outside of the basket.

If unwelcome guests from somewhere else in your home have made it to your basket, immediately segregate it from other baskets and tightly seal it in a plastic bag. For a nominal fee, a professional exterminating company will fumigate an invaded basket—often with methyl bromide gas, and the process will not harm the basket and its structure or colors. This is not a do-it-yourself project! Commercial home-use sprays or liquid insecticides not only can not penetrate the basketry materials sufficiently to kill the insects, but they also are likely to stain or chemically damage the basket.

Displaying baskets on high shelves around the perimeter of a room or atop bookcases seems like a sensible way to keep them out of harm’s reach. And they do look great that way. But Hartley wants us to beware those alto locations expose baskets to warm, drying, dust-bearing updrafts that may also carry small particles of airborne kitchen grease and grime.

You will know when a basket is dusty and dirty. It smells dusty and looks dull. But not looking their best is only a small portion of the problem. Household dust contains iron, which, Hartley explains, in conjunction with sulphur-polluted air and moisture in the air acts like a catalyst to produce sulphuric acid. Albeit a weak concentration, this acid over many years can harm basket fibers and make them brittle. Consider what it does to forests.

Hartley’s motto for cleaning a dirty basket: “less is more.”

DO NOT:

Immerse your basket in or saturate it with water.
Use soapy water solutions.
Use commercial cleaners such as spot removers or kitchen cleaners.
Use acidic solutions, such as vinegar and water.
Use highly basic pH solutions, such as concentrated ammonia or chlorine bleach.
Use furniture polishes or waxes.

DO clean loose dirt from inside the basket first, gently. Use the vacuum cleaner, along with a new 2-inch wide or smaller brush. Attach the long hose and nozzle to the vacuum cleaner. Working with another person if possible, hold the basket firmly and brush the inside gently so that the dust becomes loose and can be vacuumed up. Be careful to hold the vacuum nozzle about three inches away from the basket fibers. Do not vacuum the basket directly as the suction is too strong. Do not use the upholstery or dusting brush, as neither of them is clean. Furthermore, these brushes are often stiff enough to loosen or break delicate wrapping stitched around the coil. Clean the outside using the same method.

A solvent may be necessary to remove clinging dirt held by a thin film of static electricity and even household grease. Hartley reminds us that while water is a good solvent for dirt, it could damage the basket if over-saturated. For that reason, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a safer cleaning solution. Ethanol will not swell the fibers of a basket as will water, so there is no risk of warping or fiber damage. It can be obtained from paint stores in the form of “methylated spirits” or “denatured alcohol” and is a mixture of 95% ethanol with enough methanol (1%-5%) to make it poisonous. Grain alcohol, sold as Everclear™ in liquor stores, is 95% pure beverage-grade ethanol. Ethanol not intended for consumption is denatured to prevent its use as a beverage, but it also is made synthetically from either acetaldehyde derived from acetylene or from ethylene derived from petroleum. Ethanol can be ordered from a chemical supply company online. Do not use the alcohol in the drug store commonly known as rubbing alcohol, which is isopropyl, and may contain no ethanol at all.

Clearly label the alcohol container “POISON” and store out of the reach of children and pets. Use ethanol ONLY in a well-ventilated work area where NO SMOKING is allowed. Dipped, not drippy, cotton swabs don’t snag or fuzz on rough or protruding fibers as cotton balls might. Test it first in an inconspicuous spot as it can affect the natural dyes. Test each color separately with a clean swab for colorfastness. Not only are you testing to determine if the color will come off on the swab, but also if it will run into adjacent areas or dull the polish of the fibers. Once you’ve successfully tested, rub the surface of the basket gently in the direction of the fibers rather than across them, like working wood with the grain. Admittedly, this is a labor-intensive process requiring considerable patience. If no dirt comes off onto the swab, dip again in ethanol and repeat the gentle rubbing. If the dirt doesn’t budge and refuses to be loosened, leave the basket alone or take it to a conservator. Hartley cautions that an over-cleaned basket with damaged fibers is less ethnographically valuable than one that is dirty.

Sometimes a basket may become misshapen. If a basket is clean, thin-walled, not mended, has no added ornamentation such as feathers or beads and is of a simple configuration, steaming it and gently stuffing it with paper can often restore it to its original shape.

Glycerine, a humectant commonly referred to as glycerol and glycerin and readily available in drug stores, helps the steam penetrate the basket fibers. Glycerine, a trihydric alcohol, is subject to degradation if overheated and should be stored below 54 degrees C (130 degrees F ) but above its freezing point of 16.7 degrees C (62 degrees F ). DOW claims that its glycerine products set the industry standard (See www.dow.com/glycerin/faq_1.htm). To achieve approximately a 12%-14% solution of glycerine in ethanol recommended by the Smithsonian anthropologists, add seven liquid ounces (14 tbsp.) of ethanol to one liquid ounce (2 tbsp.) of glycerine in a spray bottle and slosh gently to blend. Clearly label the spray bottle “POISON” and store out of the reach of children.

Spray the basket thoroughly inside and out with the ethanol-ethanol solution. Heat distilled water to boiling in an open pan or kettle with a spout. Rotate the basket in the steam cloud until it is pliable, all the while protecting it from burner heat. The basket will feel slightly damp.

Line the interior of the basket with a clean, unprinted plastic bag large enough to fill the inside and extend over the rim. Gently stuff the bag, creating a core with loosely crumpled newspaper or craft paper and surrounding that with softer paper, such as tissue paper or paper towels, until you’ve achieved the desired shape. Be careful not to overwork the basket at this more-vulnerable stage. Let dry about 24 hours before carefully removing the paper and plastic bag.

To restore a round rim once the basket is stuffed, conservators suggest inserting a circle of medium-weight poster board, being sure that it is inside the plastic lining. We also have found that the proper size round-bottomed stainless steel bowl inverted gently into the opening and left there to dry is highly effective and creates a perfect circle. Chances are that you have an assortment of stainless steel bowls that graduate in size from the bottom to the top. Do not press the bowl down too far into the rim as you can stretch the rim fibers or burst them.

Should your treasured basket somehow suffer a “sprung” wrapping, small hole, break or tear that requires mending, you can use a flexible, chemically compatible adhesive. The adhesive should not form a bond stronger than the basket itself. The Smithsonian Institution curators Hartley consulted strongly advise against the use cyanoacrylates found in “super” or “crazy” glues, epoxy resins, cellulose acetate found in “duco cement,” rubber cement, silicone sealer, tape or even “Elmer’s” glue.
So, what can you use? Their choice is “Magic Mend™,” a polyvinyl acetate (PVA) emulsion similar to “Elmer’s” but more flexible. Our recent internet research indicates that it may be ordered online from Gaylord (www.Gaylordmart.com). Keep it away from heat and light. PVA-based adhesives are strong, dry to a clear film and offer a superb adhesion to basket surfaces. They are environmentally friendly and pose no health risk. According to the manufacturers, their shelf life is usually 12 months. Store them in temperatures between 5 degrees C (41degrees F) and 30 degrees C (86 degrees F).

With a small, clean brush, apply the glue from the inside of the basket and let it flow into the break rather than onto the surrounding area. The trick is to keep the break under compression and immobile for at least five minutes. You will need some creativity here. You can also use a few drops of glue to tack down “sprung” wrappings. Non-acidic, fine, translucent Mulberry paper or Japanese tissue, found easily online or in handmade paper stores, can be used in the mend where fibers are missing. Tear a patch the desired size, but smaller than two inches. Tamp the glue-saturated paper into the basket’s weave with the end of the brush.

If you are as patient and skillful as the curators who work with basket restoration, you can make your patch virtually invisible. You do this by “inpainting” with acrylic (not oil) paints to match the design and dyes woven into the basket. Undiluted acrylic paint remains stable for a long time and does not easily react to solvents.

Nearly everyone who admires the beautiful Wounaan hösig di baskets remarks about the luster of the fibers and wonders how it was achieved. The sun-bleached “chunga” palm fibers of which the baskets are woven derive some of their luster from the natural oils in various organic dyes. Weavers enhance this seeming depth by twisting the silk-fine strands and often running the strand through a piece of cloth, usually an old T-shirt, during sewing. This removes many of the fine stray “hairs” that fuzz the strand, making it appear smoother and silkier.

Many types of art objects are coated with a substance to protect them. Wounaan baskets have no protective coating. Conservators such as those at the Smithsonian Institution favor a “reversible,” or removable, coating to protect baskets from the ill effects of dust and pollutants as well as to mitigate the effects of rapid changes in temperature and humidity. The protective coating of choice for basketry is paraffin oil in Varsol™. Varsol™ is a brand name for a blend of petroleum distillates known as paint thinner or mineral spirits. But not all paint thinners are the same. The anthropologists interviewed by Hartley use a 16% solution. Beware. This mixture is also highly flammable. Once applied inside and out with a soft brush, the Varsol™ evaporates and seals against dust and moisture. The remaining thin layer of paraffin oil restores some of the flexibility to dry basket fibers. A single application is sufficient. The mixture, which will darken the basket until it is thoroughly dry, puts a slight sheen on smooth fibers.

Now that you’ve cleaned and moisturized your fine basket, keep a small journal to record the who, what, where, when, how much and the care and feeding that you gave your collection (as well as the rest of your valuable art). With just a little TLC, your extraordinary hösig di collection can be enjoyed for generations to come.

© Charlotte Meares, 2004

References:
Hartley, Emily J., The Care and Feeding of Baskets, 1981, in cooperation with the Smithsonian Institution
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