Katherine Cuffari and Debra Breslin
Abstract
A multiyear arms and armor treatment project at the Philadelphia Museum of Art introduced the occasional need to remove and replace the rivet fasteners that join plates and straps in historic armor objects. Several systems were employed to modify fasteners over the course of the project, with multiple aims: retaining the required strength of the fastener system; harmonizing the aesthetic of the armor object with minimal visible alteration; and minimizing the risk of mechanical damage during the course of treatment and in the future. The presented solutions were not devised solely by the authors; one was generously shared with the authors by an armor conservator and several were developed in concert with mount makers. Together, this collection of approaches to problems posed by armor fasteners was shared in the 2017 AIC Objects Specialty Group “tips” session.