cotton, shells, cotton thread

An embellished cotton vest, with shell beading to the front and back of the vest. Due to age, the vest had embedded surface dirt and areas of loose shell decoration. The clients wanted to be able to display this vest in their well-lit home, and allow the object to be viewed from both the front and back. We designed a custom-fabricated UV-protective acrylic case, fitting over a base and kimono-style stand. To stabilise and display the vest, we:

• removed embedded dust and stains by a using a series of vacuuming and sponge cleaning techniques

• stabilised loose shell beads and loose edges

• designed custom display case and prepared technical drawings for fabrication by specialist maker

• sewed padded underlying supports and fitted off the object within on the stand