Question Proper way to frame a sealskin

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hangupsinc

Grumbler
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Mar 11, 2005
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Midland, Michigan
Today a customer brought me a painted sealskin that she estimates is over 100 years old. It had previously been framed between two pieces of glass (yikes!). It has been removed from the glass and now I need to know the proper way to mount it.
 
You might go here:
http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=495&parentID=472
choose book and paper, choose leather on the next page, and find someone close-ish by, and ask.

You might also try
http://science.cranbrook.edu/
and/or
http://www.lsa.umich.edu/ummnh/

We mounted a painted almost transparent animal skin (animal unknown) not long ago, using one of the Lascaux adhesives and narrow pass-through hinges of kozo. It was such an irregular shape it took something like thirty hinges to support it where it needed support. But the thing weighed almost nothing; you may need another solution.
 
I recently framed a very old ink drawing on reindeer skin that had a lacing of seal skin around the perimeter. I consulted with Hugh Phibbs on the project. Since the lacing around the perimeter was relatively thick and wouldn't buckle from the paste, I ended up using rice paper hinge strips and wheat paste applying the strips on all four sides float mounted to a smaller rag board then backed to another rag board for borders supported by cross grain polyflute boards behind for rigidity. Shadow box walls, frame and museum glass rounded out the package.

Hugh suggested that the wheat paste be applied liberally and attached a bit wetter than normal so as to have a bit of penetration to the leather for better adherance. This particular piece was fairly thick around the perimeter because of the seal skin lacing.

Also you should use unbuffered materials whenever working with organic materials.
 
My piece was realtively light weight... maybe 18X36 and about 2lbs. I spoke recently with the customer and he said it looked great. Project was completed last summer.

You might want to PM Hugh and consult with him. I sent pictures of the piece to him along with size, weight, etc and he was most helpful.

It sounds like it is thick enough not to show any buckling but I wouldn't take any chances and would get an expert opinion. I also have heard of people mixing wheat paste with Lascaux adhesive to form a stronger bond. You might also consider using unprimed linen canvas as a hinge material since there shouldn't be a problem with tearing of the leather on the original.
 
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