By Shin Maekawa

A challenge in protecting and displaying environmentally sensitive objects is preventing deterioration caused by the presence of oxygen. This volume describes the design and construction of an oxygen-free, hermetically sealed display and storage case developed by the GCI for the long-term protection of such objects. The case was originally designed as a collaborative project between the Egyptian Antiquities Organization and the GCI to conserve the Royal Mummy Collection at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

Seven chapters cover the protection of cultural objects from environmental deterioration by reducing exposure to oxygen and by using inert gases for biodeterioration control. Also included are details on how the design and construction of the oxygen-free case have been adapted for other applications—specifically, for the original documents of the Constitution of India in New Delhi and for the mummy collections at the Egyptian Museum and at the Museu Víctor Balaguer in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain.

Shin Maekawa is a senior scientist at the Getty Conservation Institute.

Research in Conservation series
100 pages, 8-1/2 x 11 inches
45 b/w illustrations
ISBN 0-89236-529-3, paper, $30.00.

To order this publication, go to the Getty Bookstore.