Earlier this month our objects conservator and one of our mount makers traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC to install our Nabataean Shrine for the first time in 15 years! Objects conservation has been working on conserving the shrine, which consists of 28 stones, for over a year now to get it ready for the exhibition. 

As part of this treatment, a new mounting method was developed to avoid using mortar and to allow the stones to be stacked without risk of damage to fragile surfaces. The installation was complicated by the weight of each stone, some over 300lbs, and the height of the shrine, over 10ft tall! Specialized equipment was used to lift each stone and set it carefully into place. The installation took a full week to complete and the shrine is now ready for its NY debut. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s exhibition, The World between Empires: Art and Identity in the Ancient Middle East runs from March 18-June 23^rd. After the exhibition the shrine will travel back to Cincinnati to go on permanent display.

Credit: East Facade of Shrine II, 2nd Century CE, Temple of Khirbet et-Tannur/Jordan, Nabataean, stone, Museum Purchase, 1939.223