Eine haarige Sache

Welche Schäden zeigen Möbel mit Fellbezug und wie werden sie restauriert?

Abstract

A hairy problem
Kinds of damage of furniture with fur coverings and how to restore them
Fur coverings on furniture form a small group of objects in design collections that shows an unusual amount of damage. A survey of the occurring problems has been compiled on the basis of a detailed examination and assessment of damage of all objects with fur covering in the holdings of the Vitra Design Museum. The chairs of the Eames Plywood Group stood out amongst the others due to their particularly serious and complex damage. A special questionnaire in German and English was drafted asking colleagues to identify occurrences of similar problems in their collections. The methods recommended in their replies were compared to relevant conservation literature on fur, leather and plastic foam and discussed with regard to their applicability and long-term durability. The methods most suitable for the conservation of one of the Plywood Chairs were subsequently chosen and applied to the object from the Vitra Design Museum’s collection.