Sheepskin Torah pages

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Perry

Grumbler in Training
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Aug 7, 2020
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Tempe Arizona
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Miller Frames
Hello everyone on the grumble,
This is my first post, I have been a picture framer for 40 years and my latest project really has me stumped. I am trying to mount seven pages of a 400 year-old Torah on sheepskinand it has many wrinkles in it as you can see in the photos. I am trying to mount it on a Matboard with a foam board backing. Does anyone have any ideas how to eliminate some of the wrinkles and mount it flatter than it is????
Perry Miller
Miller Frames
 

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Nope, that’s pretty much it. Even a good conservator probably couldn’t get them a whole lot flatter. In the words of Vivian Kistler, “we’re framers not magicians 🪄 “
 
25 years ago, about, when I first got into this business, there was a post from a framer who tried dry mounting a sheepskin. It “exploded”. Cost him weeks to somehow put it back together. Either here or on Hitchhikers.
 
Don't do it! Your best bet is to do a sink mount and leave them as they are or find a conservator who specializes in treating sheepskin. They will have to be slowly humidified and then flattened. Given the immense value of the pages, even they may refuse to do it.
 
I may have suggestions, but first...
1. Are these sheepskins written on both sides, like typical book pages?
2. What are the dimensions of each frame?
3. Are the skin substrates sturdy and strong enough to withstand support from the top edge?
4. Have you consulted a professional conservator?
 
Bruce Papier said:
Don't do it! Your best bet is to do a sink mount and leave them as they are or find a conservator who specializes in treating sheepskin. They will have to be slowly humidified and then flattened. Given the immense value of the pages, even they may refuse to do it.
Click to expand...
Thank you for responding. What do you mean by a sink mount? I was planning to use linen tape hinging to mount on the board.
 
Jim Miller said:
I may have suggestions, but first...
1. Are these sheepskins written on both sides, like typical book pages?
2. What are the dimensions of each frame?
3. Are the skin substrates sturdy and strong enough to withstand support from the top edge?
4. Have you consulted a professional conservator?
Click to expand...
Thanks for responding Jim.
There is only writing on one side of the skin. The seven pages are all connected as they are from a scroll on a Torah.
The sheepskin is very sturdy, and I was planning to put some linen hinging in strategic spots across the top And a few more at the bottom to mount on a linen mat board with a backing bored.I was hoping to place hinges in the spots where the pages are not raised up so that it doesn’t create more wrinkles by pushing down on the skin.
The finished size of the artwork is going to be about 30 x 55 and the scroll length is 22 x 48“ long. I have not contacted a conservator.
BTW, Jim, this is the first time I have used any of your Miller fabric mat boards and I was pleased to see that you offer them 40 x 64 instead of 60 inches normally available.
Any suggestions that you have would be greatly appreciated and if you would prefer to speak directly, my number is 480-390-1507.
Thanks,
Perry
 
Also Jim, I did already mount a much smaller version of this and it is the 10 Commandments on sheep skin. The linen hinging worked perfect, and the skin was able to handle the hinge easily.
 
Hi, Perry. So glad that you came here, before proceeding!
Words of wisdom, in the above posts, and this might also help.

B

Post in thread 'Help me flatten Sheepskin!!!!!!'

I know nothing about flattening sheepskin other than they put them in a humidification chamber and wait. What I do know is how long it can take. We sent a badly rippled sheepskin to a conservator and the sheepskin hadn't fully flattened after nearly a year.
 
A sink mount is just putting spacers around the art equal to the thickness of the art and putting the mat over the top. That way, the art rests against the spacers and no other attachment is needed. It, of course, assumes you're using a mat.
 
I would suggest a Mylar sleeve with a conservation mat backing in the sleeve. Just inserting it into a sleeve will flatten it a bit without harming it. As others have said; embrace the wrinkles. Mylar sleeves are available from Talas Online, BCE Mylar and BagsUnlimited. Go with a 4 Mil sleeve, not the wimpy 2 mil sleeves.
 
Thank you everyone.
The client has decided that she should embrace what age has done to this piece and not have it lay flatter.
Phew!!!
So I am going to use linen hinging tape, and only attach it in places where the sheepskin is laying on the matboard instead spots where it is raised up because that would create more wrinkles when pushing it down onto the hinging tape.
I have done this on an accompanying piece of the Ten Commandments and it worked perfectly.
Thank you again!!
 
Perry said:
Thank you everyone.
The client has decided that she should embrace what age has done to this piece and not have it lay flatter.
Phew!!!
So I am going to use linen hinging tape, and only attach it in places where the sheepskin is laying on the matboard instead spots where it is raised up because that would create more wrinkles when pushing it down onto the hinging tape.
I have done this on an accompanying piece of the Ten Commandments and it worked perfectly.
Thank you again!!
Click to expand...
It's possible that the liquid necessary to activate the linen strips, could affect the texture and appearance of the sheepskin.
Granted, it's already wrinkled, but given their potential value, it would be a shame to cause more damage.
Have you considered using folded paper edge supports, or the clear plastic edge strips, sold by LJ?
 
A conservator could humidify and flatten the sheets of vellum and could also hinge them for you. There are a few conservators in Los Angeles with expertise in vellum but in a quick search I could not find one closer to you. (The American Institute for Conservation site is a good place to look). I use Japanese tissue straps or often bookbinding linen cord to hinge vellum all around. With linen cord the edges are feathered and attached with starch paste to the edge of the piece. The vellum expands and contracts and this method allows for movement but also keeps the piece flat - the tabs or cord shrink when the vellum expands and expand when the vellum shrinks. Here is a link to an article from the V&A on the method of mounting vellum using Japanese tissue. It is from 1993 but one of the best descriptions I have found. (I will look for more info for you). http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/journals/conservation-journal/issue-09/the-mounting-of-single-leaf-parchment-and-vellum-objects-for-display-and-storage/?srsltid=AfmBOoo0OgFr_pdhyL4PR4ETf8UhNGUBd8dt8kohiKAVJMF7mSZEXf8h The mounting of single leaf parchment & vellum objects for display and storage - Victoria and Albert Museum
 
My first thought is that it being made from animal skin, unbuffered board should be the mounting base.

A reminder, the 400 year old parchment has never been under pressure as in a closed book in a stable environment. You are also in a very dry climate being in Tempe, Az.

It's origin is most likely from the moist climate of Europe and possibly from a trove of Torah's that were confiscated during WWII. Thus having a hard existence. Many of these scrolls have been cut up into sellable segments and are not as valuable as one might think. Think of the old Gregorian prayer books that have been cut up and framed over the last 40-50 years. A lot of the older framers on this forum remember framing many of these pages over the years. Being cut segments of a scroll, they no longer are religiously "kosher". or of religious importance.

The least invasive method for humidification of a sheet of parchment is to place it in a sealed plastic bag with a source of humidity (usually an inner container or bag of moist paper or a towel) that is not in direct contact with the parchment sheet. After several days in this closed system the parchment will be more flexible and can be placed between 2 sheets of blotter paper over which weights are placed for days, usually 3-5. I use sheets of 1/4" plate glass. My first glass was salvaged from a broken display window. The blotter papers are replaced every day to speed up the process.

To increase the moisture level to higher levels, I used to use a new cellulose sponge that was squeezed out (never really very wet) and wipe the back of the parchment. This softens the parchment even more. This was a technique from the days of wet mounting parchment diplomas to be done in a single day or so.
 
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