CONSERVATION GALLERIES

Inside Conservation Gallery 3 at the Museum with copper exhibits

CONSERVATION GALLERIES

GALLERY 3–4, LEVEL −1

These two innovative galleries deal with the historical and contemporary aspects of conservation and are one of the few public spaces devoted to museum conservation anywhere in the world.

Restoring the Past Gallery 3: The Leon Levy Foundation Gallery shows how objects and belongings generally used to be repaired and adapted rather than discarded, as are many items in today’s disposable society. Examples are on display from various ages and cultures including a delftware jug converted to a vase and a Japanese dish in the opposite cabinet showing how a repair with gold lacquer has become an integral part of a new design.

Conserving the Past Gallery 4 showcases the work of modern museum conservators and emphasises the critical role that science and technology play in today’s museums.

Look out for the new family-friendly, special display of a horse's terret harness where you can see hidden materials of this Iron-Age object by selecting the X-ray switches and learn about its history.

Possible dangers to objects through the effects of light and touch, amongst other hazards, are highlighted in various displays in this gallery and you can gain an insight into the highly technical and scientific work of today’s museum conservators through information panels.

There are several interactive activities in the gallery. Try your hand in the conservator’s mock laboratory and see how ultra-violet light can unlock secrets to the past of objects and paintings by showing areas of damage and repair.

Green glass-blown tankard, 11th-12th century, Gallery 3

Example of a glass-blown tankard from Iran or Iraq that was restored in the 1970s in the Restoring the Past gallery.

Iron Age horse's terret - Harnessing the past special display, Gallery 4

Made around 50 BCE–75 CE, this bronze terret was decorated with shining red and blue glass, making it a valuable object that signalled the significance of horses in Iron Age Britain. See it in UV light in the interactive display in the gallery. Terrets were an important part of a horse’s harness, guiding the reins toward the charioteer.

Touch sensitive interactive display in Gallery 4

See the gauge move when you touch the display.

Restoring the Past Gallery 3 displays

Conserving the Past Gallery 4 displays

To understand more about the 2,000-year-old horse's terret, archaeologists worked with scientists at Diamond Light Source, the UK’s national synchrotron.

This complex machine is a circular particle accelerator that produces powerful X-rays to illuminate the elemental building blocks of objects. The results revealed important discoveries about the history of this object, which you can learn about in this display.