Papier jedwabny jako nowy materiał konserwatorski

The concept of silk paper (German: Seidenpapier) refers to a wide assortment of paper with a basis weight below 25 grams/sq. metre, including so-called Japanese and Chinese tissue paper (6-8 grams/square metre), which does not include any silk fibres. The reason for this state of things is probably the use of the same Chinese ideogram for describing silk, paper and mulberry. Pertinent literature does not mention any publications on the production of silk paper. Consequently, a series of tests and research experiments were conducted pertaining to the possibility of producing specialist paper for the conservation of silk fabric, and composed of silk fibres. Close adherence to the contemporary conservation principle entailing the usage of conservation material containing the same raw material which was applied for making the historical object leads to the simple conclusion that paper intended for the conservation of silk fabrics should be made of identical fibres. Up to now, this postulate has not been put into practice, since due to its chemical structure silk fibre does not show any paper-creating properties. The basic goal of the research was, therefore, to obtain material built of the same fibre as the historical fabric, but blended within a different structure. The possibilities of using paper for the conservation of silk fabrics are manifold — sheets of paper are glued underneath fabric, and missing parts of the fabric are supplemented with patches and a fluid silk mass on low pressure tables — both methods will make it possible to work on large surfaces of the fabric and to attain its stabilisation. “Dyeing in the paper mass” will enable a quicker selection of a suitable colour foundation reinforcing the original fabric. Application samples have confirmed the excellent properties of the new material, and wet and dry aging tests have proved its excellent parameters. Silk paper has been registered in the Patent Office, and is a legally protected invention.