Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/168

142 treated in this manner becomes highly inflamable, and thirdly and most important, the petroleum not only injures any finish there may be on the wood, but darkens the wood itself disagreeably.

A much better and simpler treatment, which can be used without injury to the finish of the object, whether it be the ancient polished surface, or gilding, or polychromy, is the application of cedar oil to the affected parts. This may be put on with a brush in case the area to be treated is large, but when it is possible, a surer method is to inject the oil into the hole itself. So far as has been proved the cedar oil will not injure color, and this method may thus be used not only in caring for polychromed statuettes, but also for paintings on panel.

The care of the gothic polychromed sculpture which is slowly finding its way into our museums is a serious matter. The changes in the degree of humidity in the air, which make the climate in this country so interesting, affect most seriously these lovely objects. The swelling and contracting of the wood loosens the paint, which comes off in little flakes. The process continues even when these particles are back in place and it is sometimes most discouraging to find one's efforts apparently vain. The quality of the adhesive