The Chapel
Christian Collectables
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The ChapelChristian Collectables
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Many of the older religious statues are made of a material called chalkware. It's similar to plaster. Solid chalkware statues are relatively heavy for their size and they're easily chipped or broken. Many larger statues and shrines that look on the surface like chalkware actually have a hollow metal base onto which the chalkware is applied. These statues are also easily chipped, but less subject to breaking. Even solid chalkware statues often have metal reinforcing rods that run up the center.
Many older statues and shrines are coated with thick layers of soot, grime, and nicotine. When you find an older statue with an allover yellow or amber cast, you can be relatively certain it was exposed to many years of a smoke-filled environment, which was a typical environment until recently.
You'll find both painted and unpainted chalkware statues and shrines. The general methods for cleaning them are the same. The operative words are gently and slowly.
Chalkware dissolves in water so never clean chalkware by soaking it, running water over it, or saturating it with a spray cleaner. You will end up with mush. You may not be able to remove all the dirt from a chalkware figure. That's ok. Most collectors accept and appreciate this sign of age--and many collectors choose not to clean chalkware at all. If you do want to clean a chalkware figure:
Remove loose dirt, dust, and grime by wiping the figure lightly with a soft dry cloth. A terrycloth face cloth works well.
Remove embedded dirt, dust, and grime from corners and other recessed areas by brushing lightly with a soft paintbrush or Q-tip.
If the figure is coated with thick grime, soot, or nicotine, you can remove some of it by wiping lightly with a soft damp cloth. The paint used on chalkware figures is water-based, so it dissolves easily. Both painted and unpainted figures often have a very thin surface glaze. If you wipe too hard or for too long, you'll remove the glaze and begin to see dull areas or remove paint. Stop Wiping!!
Some folks use a solution of water and mild soap to dampen the soft cloth they use for cleaning. I personally don't recommend that except for small patches of thickly built up grime. You can't really rinse with clear water after wiping down with soapy water, and the soap film that remains tends to attract new dust.
Chalkware repairs fall into two categories: paint and patch. If your chalkware statue is scuffed or has only minor chips or flakes, you can hide its flaws with touch up paint. If your chalkware statue has large chunks missing or a broken nose (the most commonly damaged area), you can patch or sculpt with a repair mixture.
The suggestions offered below are homebrew techniques and materials found by trial-and-error. The quality and durability of your results will depend on your skills and experience as well as the extent and location of the damage. Any repaired statue is likely to re-break at the point of the repair if it's rough-handled.
DecoArt offers a wide range of paint colors in its Americana series. These are water-based acrylic paints that dry to a matte finish and provide a good match for older chalkware. The paints come in 2 oz bottles with flip-tops.
Start with a small section that isn't prominent.
Gently brush away any loose or flaking paint.
Mix or blend the color you need--and let your test color dry to be sure it's a good match.
Apply the paint lightly, using several thin coats to build up an area if necessary--and leave ample drying time between coats.
Keep touch-ups to a minimum. Don't repaint an entire robe or cloak if you only need to touch-up a small section.
When you need to make extensive repairs to broken or chipped chalkware, proceed slowly and in stages. Chalkware is very porous and absorbent, so it needs time to dry thoroughly.
To re-attach broken pieces, use Elmer's White Glue. Be sure to support both pieces adequately while they dry. You may also want to use a wooden toothpick to "drill" a few small holes into the chalkware so that the glue has more surface area.
To patch small chips, try toothpaste. The finished surface will have a slight glaze you can paint over, but toothpaste is only for small areas. If your statue has small chips at its base, consider just touching them up with paint instead of trying to fill them at all.
To patch large areas or sculpt missing features, make a "plaster" by mixing Elmer's White Glue and Baking Soda. You'll need to experiment to get the right consistency for your repair job. You can use this mix to fill chipped or gouged areas, or to sculpt missing features such as noses and fingers. Use a wooden toothpick for defining details. You may want to "drill" a few small holes in the original statue before you apply the mix so that it seeps into those holes for a better grip. Let your repair dry for at least a week before attempting to paint. And please remember that the repaired area is likely to be fragile. If you push too hard on the fingers or nose you created, don't be surprised if they fall off.
Copyright 1997 Barbara Spear
