18 A cellophane rush seat Art-technological examination and conservation treatment of a Superleggera side chair seat KEYWORDS: Cellophane; chair seat; conservation; rush seat; superleggera. Halfway in the 20th century the material cellophane was used for making chair seats in a similar way as natural rushes and paper are used for making chair seats. These rush seats have often been discarded and replaced with new material when they were degraded and worn. As a result, few cellophane rush seats survive. In this paper the research into the construction and conservation treatment of a cellophane rush seat is discussed. The object involved is a Superleggera side chair, model 699, designed by Gio Ponti and manufactured by Figli di Amedeo Cassina. The research was carried out in the context of a postmaster’s thesis at the University of Amsterdam with assistance of the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency. Art-historical research has been combined with the making of a reproduction of the seat to give insight into possible manufacturing methods and possible original appearance. FTIR analysis revealed that the strands of the seat were made up of genuine cellophane film coated with cellulose nitrate. 5 strips of this coated material have been twisted to make a shear endless coil with which the seat has been braided in much the same way as paper rush seats are braided. The coils of the object in research were worn, discoloured, brittle, some strands were broken and some were missing. To replace missing original material the materials cellophane, polypropylene terephthalate, polypropylene, polyethylene, goldbeaters’ skin and Japanese tissue paper have been tested. As attachment methods the following were tested: stitches with hair silk, splints from nylon and aluminium, and the adhesives Plexisol, Plexigum, Paraloids B72, B67, F10 and Beva 371 and Evacon R in combination with bandages. Tests were executed on an aged mock-up of the seat. This research has given insight into the nature and construction of this cellophane seat. The most severe damage of the object was successfully threated using cellophane and Japanese tissue paper saturated with Paraloid B72 to reconstruct coils and molten Beva 371 in combination with cellophane bandages for attachment. However, the wear, discoloration and embrittlement were deemed untreatable. The treatment therefor will not allow continued use of the chair. Info[at]welmoedkreb.nl
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