Ivory Howdah before and after restoration Ivory Howdah before restoration

Most of the museum objects were in an extremely neglected and damaged condition. They had fungus and were damaged from poor handling and incorrect conservation work. Approximately four thousand objects have been conserved to date by INTACH’s expert conservators. Each object is assessed for damage. It is photographed before, during and after the process. It is measured and weighed and a comprehensive report is prepared. Ivory is easily damaged as it is an organic substance and suffers rapid deterioration when attacked by insects and micro-organisms. The Museum's ivory display was cleaned using a mixture of solvents, the objects were treated for fungus and their broken parts integrated.