Ethnographic Materials

Object Description:

These objects are distinctly different, but the materials are very similar as are their condition issues.  Consisting of native tanned hide, glass bead (threaded with sinew), rawhide, porcupine quill, and textile elements, these moccasins illustrate several treatment challenges associated with ethnographic objects.  

• Firstly, they display "use wear", meaning damages, repairs, and wear from their life as a functional object within their cultural context.  This wear is important to their history and should not be changed.  
• Secondly, they exhibit collection or exhibition related damage, including warping and deformation of the hide from water exposure and improper storage conditions.  This likely happened after they were collected, and was causing structure damage which endangered the delicate decorative materials and hindered visual interpretation, and so should be alleviated.  
• Thirdly, they are composite objects, meaning they are composed of many dissimilar materials (like many functional objects) and therefore they have many specific and conflicting preservation needs.