Seahorses in a Shadowbox

[hangupsinc]

I have a customer that would like me to mount several preserved seahorses in a shadowbox. What would be the best conservation method? Is sewing my only option?

 

[J Phipps TN]

I can't begin to imagine how one would sew down a seahorse.

I have a customer who just found one, dry it out and just wants me to mount it. (Very tiny)
I'm using silicone, because she could care less if it last 100 years. And to honest, the silicone will probably keep the thing from falling apart as it decays!

We are mounting it with a print she found the next day. It will be a pretty cute way to remember her trip.

This probably didn't help any, but isn't that weird that we both have sea horses to frame.

 

[preservator]

Since seahorses are so covered with protrusions,
you could glue down a bit of cotton ball, beneath
where the beast will go and sew it through that, so that it will not rattle around, or need stitching that is too tight.


Hugh

 

[PaulSF]

How about driving a pin through its heart, like they do with butterflies and moths?

 

[Kit]

Nah, Paul. That's vampires you're thinking of.

Hugh - would a piece of sea sponge work as well as a cotton ball? Seems like it might be more in keeping with the piece and might not be so jarring if bits of it were poking out.

Kit

 

[Framerguy]

Could you tie it to a tiny hitchin' post???

Framerguy

 

[preservator]

Sponge sounds like a good alternative.


Hugh

 

[preservator]

One that makes the sponge good is the fact that both it and seahorse are protein, so it is like
with like.


Hugh

 

[Greg Fremstad]

I have attached seahorses onto a second layer of glass held off the background with FrameSpace. I sanded the little protrusions on the back side flat and bonded it to the glass with silicone. Nori paste will work too.

There is a diagram on the FrameTek web pages showing a cross section of the frame job. FrameSpace tips and ideas.

 

[Rick Granick]

How about acrylic gel medium?

Rick

PS- Framerguy- I had that same thought !
...great minds....

 

[sheritex]

I did a skeleton of a fish that looks like Christ on the cross...I siliconed it on suede matboard and thought i was so smart...except the bone kept shedding on the matboard...had to reopen the shadow box...carefully protect the matboard and spray the bone with acrylic spray...I learned from that...but my pastor was thrilled with it. And it actually looks great. So make sure your seahorse does not flake off onto your mat.
Sherry

 

[Jack Cee]

It depends upon how the seahorse was preserved but it would be well to insure that the work of dermestid beatles will not destroy the mounted specimens. They will find their way into a very secure package unless something is included that will prevent their entrance. You might want to include a few chrystals of mothballs behind the mount.

Jack Cee