Departments and Specialisms

The Institute maintains individual training programmes in three prominent objects conservation specialisms, namely Metals Conservation, Ceramics Conservation and Paper Conservation. Each specialism conducts its research, activities and annual training programme from its respective departmental facilities on the Institute’s rural campus. The specialisms of Metals Conservation, Ceramics Conservation and Paper Conservation are conducted as parallel departments - each under the auspices of the Institute.

Although Metals Conservation, Ceramics Conservation and Paper Conservation are independent skills, a valuable synergy nonetheless exists between the three specialisms. In practice, restorers also encounter so-called composite objects, comprised of multiple materials. For these reasons, impassioned practitioners will occasionally further their studies to also qualify in a second or third specialism. If the prospective student of conservation should initially find it difficult to select a specialism, he/she will do well to consider the simple question: “For which material (ceramics, metals or paper) do I instinctively feel the closest affinity?”

Click below to be directed to the respective departments:

|   Metals Conservation | Ceramics Conservation | Paper Conservation |