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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Ivory Technician

💰 $ - $

ConservationCollectionsRestorationMuseumCultural Heritage

🎯 Role Definition

An Ivory Technician is a conservation technician specializing in the care, stabilization, documentation, and safe handling of ivory and other organic cultural heritage materials. Working in museum conservation labs, private conservation studios, auction houses, or research institutions, the Ivory Technician supports conservators by carrying out condition assessments, treatment implementation under supervision, preventive conservation measures, exhibition and transit preparation, legal and ethical record-keeping (including CITES documentation), and research into materials and methods. This role requires meticulous manual skill, materials science literacy, familiarity with museum standards (TMS, condition reporting), and strict adherence to legal and ethical requirements around regulated materials.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Collections Assistant / Museum Preparator
  • Conservation Intern / Conservation Volunteer
  • Art Handler or Restoration Technician

Advancement To:

  • Conservator (Organic Materials / Ethnographic / Objects)
  • Senior Conservation Technician / Lab Supervisor
  • Collections Manager or Registrar

Lateral Moves:

  • Exhibit Designer / Preparator
  • Conservation Scientist or Analytical Technician
  • Cultural Property Compliance Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conduct detailed condition assessments of ivory objects and related organic materials, producing comprehensive condition reports with annotated photography, microscopic imagery, measurements, and written descriptions that meet museum and conservation standards.
  • Prepare and implement conservation treatment plans under the direction of a conservator, including cleaning, consolidation, gap-filling, mechanical stabilization, and controlled humidification/drying techniques appropriate to ivory and bone.
  • Perform surface cleaning using dry and solvent-based techniques, selecting and testing materials (swabs, gels, poultices) to remove dirt, discolored varnish, and accretions without compromising the object’s integrity.
  • Apply consolidants and reversible adhesives to fragile or delaminating ivory surfaces, documenting materials, concentrations, application methods, and rationale to maintain treatment reversibility and future traceability.
  • Carry out microscopic and photographic documentation (high-resolution, raking light, UV, infrared) before, during, and after treatments to create an archival record suitable for conservation files and publication.
  • Assist with non-destructive analytical sampling and testing (e.g., FTIR, XRF, microscopy) and liaise with conservation scientists to interpret material composition and degradation mechanisms relevant to ivory stabilization.
  • Design, fabricate, and install custom mounts, supports, and handling tools for storage, exhibit display, and safe handling that minimize stress and environmental fluctuation impact on ivory objects.
  • Execute packing and crating for transportation and loans, ensuring shock- and vibration-mitigating materials and container design meet institutional and lender standards and CITES/permit requirements when applicable.
  • Monitor and maintain conservation lab environments and storage areas (temperature, RH, light levels, air quality), using dataloggers and monitoring systems to manage microclimate conditions for organic artifacts.
  • Implement integrated pest management (IPM) protocols and inspect collections for biological activity, treating infestations with safe, institutionally approved methods and documenting all actions.
  • Manage condition and treatment data in collection management systems (e.g., TMS, CollectionSpace, PastPerfect), ensuring accurate object records, treatment histories, and cross-referencing with accession information.
  • Ensure legal, ethical, and regulatory compliance for working with ivory, including CITES documentation, import/export permits, provenance research, and coordination with registrars and legal teams for loans or deaccessioning.
  • Prepare objects for exhibition including environmental and mount considerations, final retouching and aesthetic reintegration where appropriate, and coordination with curators, exhibit designers, and registrars for safe display.
  • Conduct routine preventative conservation measures such as surface dusting with appropriate tools, barrier coatings where permitted, and advising on exhibition lighting and visitor interaction policies to minimize deterioration.
  • Participate in risk assessments, emergency preparedness and response (flood, fire, accident) for collections, including salvage priorities for ivory items and documentation of emergency condition changes.
  • Maintain an organized and safety-compliant conservation laboratory: properly store chemicals, update MSDS/SDS records, maintain solvent cabinets, and follow hazardous material handling protocols.
  • Train and supervise volunteers, interns, and junior technicians in safe handling, documentation, and basic conservation techniques, providing on-the-job mentorship and quality control.
  • Contribute to provenance and ethical research, assisting curators and registrars in verifying origins and compliance with repatriation or restitution inquiries, and preparing documentation to support ethical stewardship.
  • Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams (conservators, curators, scientists, registrars, preparators) to scope conservation priorities, loan conditions, and technical requirements for research projects and exhibitions.
  • Stay current with conservation literature and evolving best practices for organic materials and ivory treatment, attending workshops, conferences, and professional development opportunities to refine technical skillsets and methods.
  • Provide input into collection care budgets, specifying conservation supplies, monitoring equipment, and mount fabrication costs, and support grant applications by providing technical justification for proposed treatments or research.
  • Communicate treatment rationale and condition summaries clearly to stakeholders, including curators, donors, lenders, and the public, preparing technical reports and non-technical summaries as required.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with object photography and digitization projects to enhance online collection access and support remote research queries.
  • Support preventive conservation outreach and training for front-of-house staff on safe handling and visitor interaction policies for delicate ivory pieces.
  • Contribute to departmental documentation so that institutional knowledge of treatment histories and materials is accessible for future conservation decisions.
  • Participate in interdisciplinary research projects that investigate degradation pathways, conservation materials testing, or non-invasive analytical methods applicable to organic heritage objects.
  • Maintain inventory of conservation supplies, order materials, and coordinate with procurement to ensure lab operations run smoothly and sustainably.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Condition assessment and conservation treatment of organic materials (ivory, bone, tortoiseshell, horn) with documented, reversible techniques.
  • Expertise in conservation-grade adhesives, consolidants, solvents, poultices, and safe application methods tailored to ivory.
  • Micro-soldering, mechanical stabilization, and precision manual dexterity for small-scale structural repairs and gap fills.
  • Skilled with non-destructive documentation tools: digital macrophotography, stereomicroscopy, raking light, UV/IR imaging.
  • Competence with analytical techniques and collaboration: XRF, FTIR basics, microscopy interpretation, and sample handling protocols.
  • Knowledge of packing, crating, and transit protocols for loans and travel—vibration isolation, shock monitoring, humidity control.
  • Familiarity with conservation documentation standards and collection management systems (TMS, CollectionSpace, PastPerfect) and digital record-keeping.
  • Experience implementing and monitoring environmental controls (temperature, relative humidity, light meters, dataloggers) and advising on microclimate enclosures.
  • Proficiency with mount and support design, basic wood/foam/fabrication skills, and use of workshop tools to create custom mounts.
  • Regulatory knowledge: CITES, national wildlife laws, customs/permit processes for regulated materials, and ethical provenance considerations.
  • Hazardous materials handling: solvent safety, MSDS/SDS management, and lab safety protocols (PPE, ventilation, waste disposal).
  • Basic training in integrated pest management (IPM) and conservation-safe cleaning and fumigation practices.

Soft Skills

  • Strong attention to detail and meticulous documentation habits; produces clear, reproducible records and photographic evidence.
  • Problem-solving mindset with methodical approach to testing, risk assessment, and conservative decision-making.
  • Excellent communication skills for translating technical conservation information to curators, registrars, and non-technical stakeholders.
  • Collaborative team player who works across departments (curation, registration, exhibits, science) and respects institutional protocols.
  • Time management and project planning skills to balance routine preventive care, scheduled treatments, and urgent intervention requests.
  • Ethical judgment and cultural sensitivity when working with culturally significant objects and communities.
  • Teaching and mentoring ability to train interns and volunteers in safe handling and basic conservation methods.
  • Adaptability to changing project priorities, loan requirements, and emergency response situations.
  • Initiative to identify process improvements, propose lab efficiency upgrades, and contribute to continuous professional development.
  • Professional discretion and confidentiality handling provenance, ownership, and legal matters.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Conservation, Museum Studies, Art History with conservation coursework, Materials Science, Archaeology, or a related field with relevant hands-on training.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree or postgraduate diploma in Conservation of Cultural Heritage (specializing in organic materials) or equivalent professional conservation training/apprenticeship.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Conservation of Cultural Heritage / Object Conservation
  • Materials Science / Analytical Chemistry (applied to heritage)
  • Museum Studies / Collections Management
  • Archaeology / Anthropology

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 2–5 years of professional experience in a conservation lab, museum, or conservation studio working with organic materials; internships and apprenticeships may substitute for part of the range.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of experience with direct conservation treatments on ivory, bone, or comparable organic artifacts, including loan preparation and CITES/regulatory experience.
  • Demonstrable portfolio of treatment reports, condition assessments, and photographic documentation.
  • Practical experience with collection management systems, lab health & safety systems, and cross-disciplinary conservation teams.
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