AIC's 45th Annual Meeting

Masks representing immortal mythical creatures of the forest are part of female initiation ritual known as the "Festa da Moça Nova” of Ticuna Indians who are currently settlemented between Brazil, Peru and Colombia. This ritual, documented since the nineteenth century, persists in some communities today with few variations. The masks are produced exclusively by men and its use is unique in the rite of passage of girls to adulthood. The masks and the girls share a metamorphic process where at the end of the ritual, both start a new life cycle. However, the ephemerality of these objects is daily witnessed. The preservation of these materials is a race against time, where conservators seek to prolong the life of objects that are produced for a ritual and are often discarded after its use. From the standpoint of its patrimony, we can acknowledge the Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE) from University of São Paulo (USP) as the holder of one of the largest, most meaningful and best preserved collections of the Brazilian indigenous cultural heritage. From 1942 to 1965, the ethnographer-photographer Harald Schultz distinguished as one of the greatest collectors of the indigenous ethnological heritage. The collection of Ticunas's masks and costumes consists of six hundred ninety-one barkclothes objects collected between 1955-1960. During his expeditions, Harald Schultz also recorded their field experiences in photos and films and his production is still of great importance to understand the continuity of processes and cultural resistance. Plant materials which are modified to provide raw materials for the manufacture of objects and the ways in which these objects were used can be elucidated with the information recorded during these expeditions. These photos and videos help us understand the biography of these objects that are lying inside of our storage areas. This poster explores the research project that is currently ongoing at MAE/USP. We identifed three types of barkcloth used for making objects in this collection. These materials have different degradation processes. Some masks have preserved its flexibility and integrity, while others has rigidity, brittle fibers, and losses. To understand the relationship between its composition and intrinsic factors of degradation of these objects, the barkclothes was rated by their conservation status and by the results of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and pH analysis. We also present here treatments that are carried out such as cleaning, humidification, reshaping and infilling of losses. These actions are performed for several reasons - some have an actively deteriorating process, others need to be prepared for exhibitions, transport and research. This project also involves the cooperation of an interdisciplinary team to conduct collaborative work with the Ticuna. Through these collaborations, we were able to come up with more effective preservation strategies and we strengthened our relationships with the originators of collections. Join efforts to understand the perspectives of indigenous groups on the conservation of its heritage is one of the objectives of this project.