Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. RE: preserving kumkum powder ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Priya Kapoor Posted: Saturday September 26, 2026 9:34 PM Subject: RE: preserving kumkum powder Message: Greetings, This is regarding your question about karcumin powder. We often use Haldi( curcumin) in our traditional holy traditions. For dry ceremonial kumkum, I would not expect a gum or oil to be an essential component of the traditional material. The basic ritual material is normally a dry powder. Commercial preparations, however, can contain quite different ingredients. For ceremonial application, however, the powder may be slightly moistened or picked up with a damp finger, or mixed into a small amount of liquid/paste for particular applications. That can explain why kumkum sometimes adheres quite well without the dry powder itself having a permanent binder. To consolidate this, use of any adhesive might change colour and composition and make it darker. As lime was used, which is used in many wall paintings in Italy and India called fresco. The role of lime on those paintings is to make colours more stable, vibrant over the time The light issue is particularly important because preserving the red colour may ultimately be more difficult than preserving the physical particles. Curcuminoids undergo photodegradation, so prolonged display lighting could gradually change or diminish the characteristic red. No treatment Very low concentration Klucel G in an appropriate non-aqueous solvent Possibly methylcellulose/hydroxypropyl cellulose systems, depending on substrate Only after testing, consider whether a local consolidation is justified. The consolidation should ideally be delivered beneath/around the powder particles rather than brushed over the entire red area, because coating the surface can dramatically change its optical character. Please let me know if you need more info or discussions on the same, as this is very common case for us in holy books which go through ritual process in Indian culture often ------------------------------ Priya Kapoor Director Delhi India ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 09-23-2026 13:15 From: Susanna Donovan Subject: preserving kumkum powder Hi Laura! What a fascinating topic. Admittedly, I know nothing about this faith, but I wonder what is done with items that are blessed in this way in the culture itself, and if that could inform your approach. If the kumkum powder is meant to be ephemeral once the ceremony is over, I wonder if you might be able to save a sample of the original powder in a vial as evidence and then speak to the members of the faith about how to dispose of the remaining powder respectfully. Photodocumentation of the state of the books with the powder on top could be included on the inside of any housings made for these books. Sue ------------------------------ Sue Donovan Conservator for Special Collections University of Virginia Library Charlottesville, Virginia [email protected] <[email protected]> (434) 924-8102 ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. To unsubscribe from this community discussion, go to https://community.culturalheritage.org/HigherLogic/eGroups/Unsubscribe.aspx?UserKey=d16eaa87-0f69-494b-9f2f-303dbc1222e1&sKey=fab9aa4f27a04c5d876e&GroupKey=757a8f16-505f-4323-8e74-e376757aa9f7.
