Clay jug

I have an 1862 jug, made with clay mixed with dust from a brickyard.
If it was fired, it was not extensively, as the material is quite
soft and friable.

The inside of the jug is unvarnished, but the outside is brightly
painted.  A great deal of the paint has already flaked off, and more
of it crumbles away with every handling.  I'm not 100% certain of
the type of paint used, but it appears to be an acrylic of some
sort.

Can anyone recommend a consolidant or varnish that would prevent
continuing loss of this paint layer without damaging the exposed
areas of clay?

Morag Wehrle
Assistant Curator
New Westminster Museum and Archives
New Westminster, BC
Canada


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 20:39
               Distributed: Wednesday, February 14, 2007
                       Message Id: cdl-20-39-018
                                  ***