A wire in time saves nine!
- Mar 1
- 3 min read
The best time to check nativity figures for damage and wear, is once the three Kings have visited the crib, and the figures are about to be put away for the year.
This shepherd figure shown left, is sporting a 'make do' and mend feature; a wooden dowel substituted for a flute.
The dowel is a little short, reaching only to the top of the lower hand; Some green (now blackened) florist's putty has served to repeatedly 'stick' the 'stick' back on: and consequently the fingers have broken under the pressure. The new flute will be built around a wire internal support to help strengthen it. Tricky to do, as one has to build the plaster in the small area of space between his chest and hands. The photo shows that his lips are broken because the original flute was connected to the mouth. The new wire will emanate from the mouth, and feed through the hands. This gives it two fixed points for extra support. The plaster will be applied directly to it, and the mouth and replacement flute shaped in situ.
Wired in
The ear on the donkey had broken as it had no internal strength.
The weight of the ear and small area of broken surface means that a thin layer of glue would be insufficient to hold it in place. In fact one should Never use glue on plaster, as it causes further damage!
Any statue part which protrudes or supports weight - should have a strengthening iron (wire) inserted. Once wired in, the new ear will be rebuilt from scratch around the wire.
The wire ties the 'ear' into the head, and the wire helps to anchor the ear in place and keep it attached.
As crib figures are subject to being moved about each year, they often get a little knocked about. The benefit of the wire means that the figure will last so much longer for display, without the need for repeated repairs.
Faulty old repair
Another example of a rebuild being required rather than a repair, is this nativity camel .
On removing the broken camel's shin/ metatarsal, we saw that the leg had been repaired before.
Whoever made the repair possibly had kept the camel upright, rather than tipping the camel on its side to help the plaster settle into the actual broken area. Instead the plaster had missed its target area; and had slid down inside the hollow cast of the shin and away from the area to be joined. It was not possible to see the fault in the cracked leg from the outside. Having to rebuild new parts obviously takes longer than rejoining a simple break, yet rebuilding a new part from scratch ensures a degree of stability and strength.
Keeping cool
Rebuilding new, rather than mending a broken limb or leg, means attention should be given to the shape, size and structure of the limb, so that it matches the style and proportion of the figure. Whilst the sculptor who first made the camel will have modeled it in a pliable clay - which can easily be reshaped over several days; working directly in plaster means that the restorer has perhaps 10 minutes before the plaster sets hard.
Temperature of the surroundings speeds up the set, and working in a cool area is best. This camel's leg was built up in several stages, allowing the plaster to cool between each layer before the final shaping of the anatomy could be modeled.
Not forgetting, that colours also be matched a s closely as possible to complete the look.
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