AboutJennifer Pierce Expertise I can answer any questions related to picture framing, art display, or art installation, including very large pieces, canvas stretching, shadow boxing, needlework mounting, and just about any type of dimensional or non-dimensional artwork display. The only questions I cannot answer pertain to fine artwork restoration (e.g. your Van Gogh oil painting is faded and you want it to be restored to the original brilliance--call a reputable museum for that).
Experience I have been in the picture framing business since 1987, with a specialization in hospitality (hotels) and commercial office installations. I have worked on artwork for nearly every major hotel and design firm in the world and have designed some pretty wild installations. Additionally, I have experience with almost every type of conservation technique
Education/Credentials All of my education was acquired in the field.
Question I have a large papyrus painting I purchased about 11 years ago in Egypt. Unfortunately, it has been rolled up in a cardboard poster container and stored in a closet ever since. Is it a lost cause? Now that I finally have a home to present it in, I'd like to frame it and hang it in my living room. Thank you for any suggestions.
Answer First, congratulations on your new home!
Now to your papyrus. I'm assuming that you want to do this yourself (as opposed to handing it off to your framer and crossing your fingers, which of course is an option as well). It sounds like the problem is that it has been rolled for a long time--is that correct? If not, stop reading, come back to me with more info and I'll be able to dig deeper. If so, read on.
You have probably already figured out that it might crack or fall apart altogether if you try to force it out flat. Papyrus is pretty crackly stuff and it doesn't like to flatten back out once it's been curled. You'll have to be really careful to get it flexible enough to where it can be framed. (Prepare yourself to accept that not only may it not be totally flatflatflat, it is not even desirable that it be so. A little bit of waviness makes it look that much more authentic.)
If it's in good shape otherwise, the methods I recommend will be extremely cautious. However, there does sometimes come a point in the life of an artwork where you have nothing to lose, and you can get a little wilder with your solutions. What I mean is, if its condition is already classifiable as "shot", then you can probably take a chance and use a method that's a little bit more daring; there's no such thing as "more ruined." Ruination is absolute.
Assuming the papyrus is in good condition--not cracked, not peeling, not flaking apart--the safest way to flatten it is to relax it under weight.
The first thing I'd do in any case is get it out of that tube and let it hang out, al fresco, on an out-of-the-way table somewhere. Just leaving it out might help it unwind somewhat--at least it would get it started.
With something this delicate, what I might do is place a piece of waxed paper (in a frame shop, I'd use a product called "release paper," but no non-framer would have access to that) over the face, to keep it from sticking, then I'd slowly and carefully lower a piece of clear glass on top of the wax-paper-covered piece. The glass must be larger than the piece. You should be able to see the image pretty well through the glass and waxed paper--this will help you lower the glass on top of it without bending the corners accidentally, and you'll be able to see right away if what you're doing is hurting more than helping. A friend is helpful here; the friend can carefully spread the papyrus flat while you drop the glass on top. (Everybody should wear gloves and eye protection for this step.)
If the glass is too much at first--if the piece starts to make crackly sounds as soon as you try to unroll it flat, or if the glass makes the papyrus go "crunch" or anything like that, stop immediately.
If it were mine, I'd start by lightly unrolling it (letting it wave or curl as needed) and putting a few soft weights on top wherever the piece seems strong enough to take it. Clean bags of rice (or beans or BBs)are good weights. I'd leave it like that for awhile, maybe a week, and see what happens.
If it's still not relaxed I'd take it into the bathroom and leave it there (in a place far from water spray and splash) while I took a shower, or maybe several showers. I wouldn't recommend shooting steam straight on to the piece, such as steam from an iron--papyri from that place and time are typically painted in waterbased paints, of which steam is an enemy. The mild humidity in the bathroom, though, will restore some moisture to the fibers and help it be less prone to cracking.
If you do the moisture, don't do the glass at first. Just do the bags of rice, because they won't trap the moisture like the glass would and cause more trouble. Let the rice relax the piece for another week or however long it takes (it could take less, could take more time) and then, if you want to, you can use the glass to flatten it out even more, remembering that you don't really want it to be completely flat.
If the thing seems to just be beyond hope--it's cracking when you try to unroll it, no matter what you do--I have one glimmer of hope for you. It is called Lamin-All and it is a glue used to mount sheepskin diplomas. The framer paints the back of the diploma with Lamin-All in one direction, lets it dry, then paints it in a crosswise direction (still on the back), and lets it dry again. Then the diploma is mounted under heat in a vacuum press.
The glue is very flexible and soft and it will lend some of its moisture to the piece. It will hold your papyrus together well enough that it will stay together while you try to flatten it, and then you can adhere it to your backing. If you need to go this route, I recommend taking the piece to a VERY experienced framer, one that has done conservation work.
Good luck! And please come back with more info if needed--I'm happy to help.
