Wooden Figurine Conservation

                

When the Summerville-Dorchester Museum acquired a small, water-logged wooden figurine in 2018, they reached out to the WLCC for help in both conserving the figurine and in identifying its time-period of manufacture. Through extensive analysis using XRF, FTIR, Raman Spectroscopy, conservation scientist, Lisa Kasprzok, was able to identify the red paint as PR3, a synthetic azo organic pigment, whose use dates to the mid-20th century. Following sampling for analysis, the figurine underwent polyethylene glycol impregnation and vacuum freeze drying.