In Prague, on 24 August 2022, the Extraordinary General Assembly of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) approved the proposal for the new museum definition. Following the adoption, ICOM now defines museum thus: “A museum is a not-for-profit, permanent institution in the service of society that researches, collects, conserves, interprets, and exhibits tangible and intangible heritage. Open to the public, accessible and inclusive, museums foster diversity and sustainability. They operate and communicate ethically, professionally, and with the participation of communities, offering varied experiences for education, enjoyment, reflection, and knowledge sharing.”
However, from the definition above it is clear that a museum is an institution that cares for (and conserves) the collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary.
Considering the poor funding of Museums in Nigeria, one would wonder how the commission manages its modus operandi despite the prevailing circumstances. Conservation is an important part of the museum and considering the huge cost involved in conserving our artifacts, monuments, and sites, one will question how conservators carry out their operations.
Let’s reflect on these:
S. O. Alonge, the royal photographer to Oba Akenzua ll of the Benin Empire, was able to preserve photo collections via the traditional form of conservation through centuries.
Chief Ogiamen’s House stood the test of time through centuries because the palace was conserved using traditional methods.
This article will focus on the impact of traditional methods of conservation on our cultural properties.
What then is conservation?
Conservation is the sum total of all the methods and techniques used by the conservator to preserve and elongate the life of an object.
Conservation is also the collection of strategies, principles, methods, and actions for preserving the integrity of objects, monuments, and sites.
There are two main types of conservation, namely, curative and preventive.
Curative conservation
This is sometimes called Direct Conservation; it means any action directly taken on the object, site, or monument to salvage or cut down on deterioration, it includes intervention on the object like restoration, stabilization, consolidation, repair, chemical reinforcement, and using tools and equipment.
Preventive conservation
This is also referred to as Indirect Conservation; it is a combination of strategies for the preservation of the physical aesthetic, authenticity, and integrity of heritage resources which concentrates on fighting the cause of decay through the use of good practices and healthy organization procedures to recreate and maintain a favorable environment that prevents decay. Preventive conservation is divided into two, modern and traditional.
Modern methods of preventive conservation involve the use of modern technology, strategy, principles, and machine to preserve our cultural properties. It also involves object digitization and 3D rendering to keep the aesthetic properties of the object intact.
Traditional methods of preventive conservation. This type is as old as man. Man saw the need to invent means of overcoming the challenges of deterioration he faced in his environment, and he decided to sourced for materials like oil, herbs, water, smoke, etc to conserve his objects/properties.
For the purpose of this paper, we will be looking at the traditional method of preservation used by our indigenous communities to preserve their collections.
For Africans, objects were part of their living culture. “The objects embody the songs, dances, history, and spiritual values of the people who created them and they were made to be used” (Hill, 2008, p.236). Preserving the physical integrity of an object had been assumed to coincide with the preservation of the overall meaning and purpose of the object.
Our indigenous artists were very creative, skillful, and patient in the process of preserving artworks. Dyes, paints, preservatives, and tanning technologies represented the collective knowledge of the people involved in the process of creation and preservation from the killing of animal/gathering of raw materials to the wearing of garments/masks and grafting of basket. Community members developed their own methods for preserving valuable objects while keeping them as active parts of their lives. It, therefore, proved that the skill of preservation was not limited to a particular individual but rather was open to all who became interested in keeping safe works of art, preservation thus became part of their heritage.
The material of an artwork must always be considered when choosing a treatment to suit an individual artifact. Objects are made from the following materials; Bones, Brass/Bronze, Clay/Terracotta, Fibres, Iron, Ivory, Mud, Shell, Stone, Wood, etc.
Practical traditional approaches
a) Bones Objects – washed with black soap and water and sundried to keep them dust free.
b) Brass/Bronze – Scouring powder makes them shine, and the palm kernel oil served as an anti-rust and lubricant, thus preventing corrosion.
c) Clay/Terracotta – cleaning clay/terracotta objects with white kaolin clay and water served as a sealant, and sealing the cracks and breakages;
d) Fibres – fibres that were sundried and brushed got laundering, scoured, and bleached;
e) Iron – cleaning of iron with palm kernel oil prevents oxidation by air thus preventing rust and also served as an anti-oxidant;
f) Ivory – the washing of ivory with black soap and water, and at times sand-papered resulting in scouring the dirty layer resulting to shinning.
g) Mud – Cleaning of the mud shrines with charcoal and the use of mud-solution (paste) served as a sealant and adds more coating (layers) to the object. Cow dung is applied occasionally for its offensive smell to drive away termites attacking objects, this is achieved when they are placed on the mud structure;
h) Shells – objects fashioned out of shells were also washed with black soap and water which gave them shine.
i) Stone – objects carved out of stone and washed in black soap and water look polished.
j) Wood – the wood when dusted and cleaned, got polish and shine to it.
This goes to show that objects were well preserved by those that were directly involved in their custodial and the result is a better-looking object with longevity. This further explains the role played by individuals in maintaining the artifacts as traditional methods of preservation.
The cleaning substances and materials were derived from their natural, immediate environment and provided their expected results. The objects were cleaned within period of three to six months after which the process was repeated (Agbontaen-Eghafona, 2001). Items used to care for the objects were available locally and did not require special training in conservation prior to their usage. This is not true as youngsters are expected to learn through socialization which is an informal method of learning in those days. Agbontaen-Eghafona (2001, p.331) also noted that “the knowledge of their usage was not only known to custodians of the cultural objects but also to the general populace interested in caring for the objects in their care.”
Conclusion
The above statement shows that Africans had methods of caring for different genres of objects, in some cases; there were multiple ways of caring for an individual object.
Recommendation
In light of the paucity of funds for the museum, it is advised that the traditional method of conservation be applied wholly or in combination with the modern method in as much as they are not harmful to the objects.
*Osin is the Principal Conservator, National Museum, Benin City.
