Useful Tips To Care For Your Antique Pottery

Pottery has a long and illustrious history in the Philippines, with native Filipinos creating beautiful pieces for over 3,500 years. Not only are antique collectors always on the lookout for traditional pottery pieces, but also for interesting and valuable items from abroad. While almost all pottery pieces were crafted with the intention of being used, antiques need to be preserved at all costs. When it comes to caring for your pottery, there are a number of simple guidelines you can follow to wash, store, and display your most prized possessions safely.

Always display your pieces with care

When putting your beloved antique pottery pieces on display, you need to do so with the utmost care. Valuable pieces should, where possible, be displayed in a glass-fronted cabinet where they are out of reach of clumsy adults and curious children. Antique plates can be expertly displayed in specialized plate stands that will allow you to securely display them on a shelf or hang on a wall. Your clean dinner and tea services that are not on display can be carefully wrapped in bubble wrap and packed away. It is also vital to never place antiques in direct sunlight, as doing so may cause them to discolor or fade.

Be gentle during cleaning

Breakable antiques such as porcelain and pottery should always be cleaned with great care. Don’t ever submerge unglazed pieces in water. Instead, soak a soft cloth in soapy water, and gently clean the piece. If your pot or vase only has an unglazed rim, you can submerge it up to a certain level, taking great care not to get the unglazed part wet. Put a folded dishtowel at the bottom of your basin or bucket to protect your valuable pieces while they are being washed. If there is no stubborn dirt on your pieces, you can simply use a paintbrush to gently get rid of any dust. You should never, under any circumstances, put your antiques in a dishwasher, and refrain from using pot scrapers, steel wool and scouring pads to remove any stubborn dirt.

Be extra careful when handling your antiques

Losing a beloved antique due to accidental breakage is nothing short of heart-wrenching. Thankfully it can, for the most part, be avoided with careful handling and cleaning. Always make sure your hands are clean and dry before handling your antiques. Not only can a piece easily slip from wet hands, but greasy fingers can leave permanent marks on unglazed pots, vases, and figurines. When picking up an antique, always do so by its sturdiest part, and always support the base with your free hand. Loose parts, such as covers and lids, must be firmly secured or moved separately to avoid them from getting damaged.

Antique pottery needs to be handled with the greatest of care. Not only is it important to be careful when cleaning your treasured pieces, but it’s important to take care of them when they are put on display and stored away as well.