18th century jacket

This silk jacket from the collection of the Zaans Museum is an interesting example of heritage from this region. After being worn and then passed down through the generations, it was donated to a theatre and used as a costume for the play The Bloom of Zaandijk for several decades. In 1946 it was deemed too damaged to continue being worn in productions, and donated to the museum.

The jacket had splits in the silk, an uneven and torn hem, and discolouration. It also had some old repairs which were very visible. Camouflage treatment disguised the most noticeable splits in the silk, and large holes were supported with an adhesive treatment. The holes and other weak areas were then covered in a protective layer of conservation net. The hem was repaired, making it hang better. The elbow pieces were washed, which made their colour more even and removed creases. The costume was manually cleaned to remove dust, but it was not washed in order to prevent loss of texture and shine from the silk. The old repairs were not removed as these are considered part of the history of the object and tell the story of the different functions it has performed over its life. Since these areas are weaker, they were protected with a layer of conservation net, which also acted as camouflage to even out the colour of the jacket.