CMA Exhibition Feature : Ethical and Philosophical Issues

Special Exhibitions

Conserving the Past for the Future


Conserving the Past for the Future
	About the Exhibition
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The hole in this bowl is intentional. Bowl New Mexico, Mimbres Valley, about 1000-1200 Pottery Charles W. Harkness Endowment Fund 1930.49 Familiarity with objects and their cultural context is paramount in deciding what, if any, treatment should be performed. Restoration can often hide or remove evidence of how an object was originally used. The hole in the base of this Native American bowl was made intentionally as part of a burial ritual. In this ritual the bowl was "pierced" as a symbolic killing of the vessel and placed over the deceased's head to help free his or her spirit. Repairing or hiding this "damage" would thus be inappropriate.

Ethical and Philosophical Issues

Conservation of works of art requires extensive training and special skills. It places in the hands of the conservator cultural holdings of great value and historical significance. To be worthy of this trust requires a strong sense of moral responsibility.

Deciding how or even whether or not to treat an art object is frequently the most challenging part of a conservation project.

Based on extensive knowledge of the object and its historical context, the conservator, in close consultation with the curator, must make an informed judgement and determine if the outcome of a treatment appropriately balances considerations of aesthetics, historical accuracy, and the physical integrity of the artwork. The objects presented in this section of the exhibition present a range of these issues.

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