Ushak Rug
Creator/ community: Ushak weavers (present day Turkey)
Date: Ca. 1500 - 1700, likely 1600-1700
Culture: Ottoman Empire
Medium: Wool wefts, warps, and pile
Dimensions: H. 116 x W. 77 inches
Collection: Winterthur Museum, Garden, & Library
Accession number: 1959.0936
Work completed: Documentation | Treatment Proposal | Mechanical Cleaning
Wet Cleaning | Preventive Care Plan | Outreach | Treatment Report
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This treatment was carried out collaboratively with fellow WUDPAC student Margaret O'Neil.
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Documentation
Front, before treatment
Front, after treatment
This is an excellent example of a medallion Ushak carpet dating from around the 17th century, created shortly after the classical age of the Ottoman Empire. Relatively few intact examples survive, particularly in museum collections in the United States. With thirty Ushak carpets and carpet fragments, the Winterthur Museum may have one of the largest collections of Ushak carpets outside of Turkey.
Diagram of previous repairs
Numbers indicate patch repairs
X's indicate stitched repairs
This carpet was flagged for conservation primarily to address tears, unraveling edge binding, and overall soiling.
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Extensive documentation of previous repairs was carried out to understand the extent of the historic carpet. Over centuries, this carpet accumulated over seventy repair patches and nearly one hundred areas of repair stitching.
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Analysis of abrasion patterns, previous repairs, and historic photographs revealed two clear patterns of use: pre-aquisition wear down the central long axis (e.g. from hallway traffic) and Winterthur-related wear around the edges. This analysis informed both treatment decisions and preventive care planning.
Diagrams showing pre-acquisition damage and Winterthur Museum related damage
Treatment
1. Before treatment photography and documentation
2. Solubility testing (original media and media used in previous repairs)
3. Temporary stabilization of damaged edges with nylon net
4. Mechanical cleaning with HEPA-filtered vacuum
5. Wet cleaning with solution of 0.2% EcoSurf and 0.5% Sodium Carboxy Methyl Cellulose
6. After treatment photography and documentation
Cleaning
Solubility Testing
Blotter paper and small drops of a wash solution were used to test the solubility of different dyes before wet cleaning. Both original fibers and fibers related to repair patches were tested. In total, eighty-nine areas were evaluated. No areas were soluble, and the treatment proceeded as planned.
Mechanical Cleaning
The carpet had accumulated soiling that needed to be removed before wet cleaning. The front was vacuumed overall with a HEPA filtered vacuum. To minimize handling, the back of the rug was vacuumed while rolling onto a tube for pre-wash storage. Samples of vacuumed dirt were collected and filed. These samples will help the preventive care team monitor dirt accretion over time.
Wash Preparation
A wash solution was prepared of 0.2% EcoSurf, a nonionic surfactant, and 0.5% sodium carboxy methyl cellulose, a soil suspension aid. The carpet was too big to fit in our wash tank, so we worked with the Winterthur facilities team to build a wash tank on the floor out of two-by-fours and plastic sheeting.
Wet Cleaning
Wet cleaning was an all-hands-on-deck and all day affair. The carpet was soaked in deionized water, then the back of the carpet was sponged with the cleaning solution. The rug was rinsed and flipped, then the front was was sponged with the cleaning solution. The carpet was rinsed several times to evacuate as much of the detergent as possible.
Drying
After a final rinse, the wash tank was drained. The wash tank was disassembled to improve air flow and a drying cloth was placed over the carpet. Fans were placed on opposite corners to keep air moving across the carpet over night. The carpet was mostly dry after 12 hours and completely dry within the next day.
Edge Mending
Click images below for more information
A tear in this area created loose weft threads, unraveled edge binding, and poorly secured knots. The brown fabric pictured here is the Kona cotton support fabric, which was attached along its interior edge with herringbone stitches.
The Kona cotton has been trimmed and partially attached along the outer edge with blanket stitches. Loose binding threads were wrapped around pins in order to align them before securing them with blanket stitches.
The loose weft threads were secured with laid and couched stitches, then the outer edge was finished with blanket stitches.
Many areas along the rugs long edges were unraveling. Materials from existing edge bindings were saved by neatly tucking them near the carpet's edge and capturing them while binding the support fabric with blanket stitches.
The resulting edge is more strong and secure while retaining a slightly worn quality that was desired by curators.