Conservation
The ring nose is a lost wax hollow casting. The casting is made of a gold alloy containing a fair amount of copper, tumbaga. The surface was acid etched to remove copper and make it appear more gold, a technique called depletion gilding. Etched dendritic patterns are visible in the better preserved areas of the surface. The surface was grimy and was gently cleaned prior to installation in the Ancient Americas gold exhibition (opened May 9, 2015).
Date | Description | Narrative |
---|---|---|
4/16/2015 | Treatment | Minor cleaning for exhibition |