This Maria Longworth Vase has been in the objects conservation lab for 5 months and is finally finished! It was suffering from bronze disease, a form of corrosion that eats through the metal. The bright blue/green corrosion, that can be seen on the before picture on the left, had to be slowly and carefully removed mechanically under a microscope to avoid damaging the surface. Once the corrosion was cleared, the object was sealed to create a barrier against moisture that might trigger more corrosion in the future. You can now see this beautiful vase back on view in Gallery 113!

Maria Longworth Nicholas Storer (American, b. 1849, d. 1932); Vase, 1897-1900; metal; Gift of Maria Longworth Storer; 1903.390