Baleen in Museum Collections: Its Sources, Uses, and Identification

Abstract

An investigation of baleen was initiated in order to identify an unknown material used to wrap Japanese sword hilts in the collection of the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore. This paper focuses on the sources, structure, identification, and working properties of baleen and compares it to horn and other similar materials. Primary uses of baleen are described as they pertain to Inuit, early European and American, and Japanese cultures. Methods used to identify the unknown material are described, and the difficulty of distinguishing between horn and baleen is illustrated. The condition of baleen artifacts and factors that contribute to their state of preservation are discussed. The paper concludes with various conservation techniques used to repair baleen artifacts in addition to those that make use of its strength and flexibility as a repair material.

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