Just realized people at our dig keep using stiff brushes on delicate ceramics and it's wrecking the surface details

Honestly, I switched to a soft makeup brush after seeing a conservator use one at the Jamestown site, and the difference in preserving glaze patterns is huge, so has anyone else found a better tool for cleaning fragile artifacts?

3 comments

3 Comments

leotaylor27d ago

My friend's museum uses a soft-bristle toothbrush for in-between jobs.

price.jake27d ago

Tried that method for cleaning old tools in my garage. It really gets into the small grooves without being harsh, so @leotaylor is onto something with that museum trick. Works great for delicate stuff.

the_sean3d ago

Switched to those soft artist brushes myself after a similar horror show. They're cheap and they don't scrape anything off.