Materials and processes used in making textiles vary greatly between countries and cultures. A textiles conservator at Te Papa must know about European textiles (clothing, samplers, flags, shoes) made from woven fabrics in cotton, linen, silk, and wool. They must also know how to work with Māori cloaks, piupiu (skirts), and kete (baskets) made from New Zealand’s indigenous fibres, and also with Pacific tapa cloth made from bark.
Fading of colours or fragmentation of fibres can never be undone - so safe ways of storing, handling, and displaying textiles are vital if they are to last for future generations. This is why Te Papa’s textiles are only exhibited for short periods. In long-term exhibitions, the textiles collections are regularly changed, because no matter how carefully they are displayed, this kind of exposure can cause damage over time.
Conservation treatment of textiles can be very time consuming. Treatment of a severely deteriorated cloak or dress can take several months. In treating an item, the main aim of the textiles conservator is to clean the textile, stabilise damage, and support the item in a way that makes any losses as inconspicuous as possible - but not to reweave or patch it.