The recoloration of blanched sites on historical textiles represents an ethical dilemma in the field
of textile conservation since this method of treatment is typically non-reversible. In this article,
the authors explore the use of woven and non-woven overlays, including mulberry paper, abaca
paper and silk crepeline colored with Lascaux Sirius® Primary Watercolours to reversibly
recolor blanched sites on a surrogate cloth. Undyed materials were assessed for opacity,
evenness, fineness, and strength. Since mulberry and abaca paper had the most suitable
properties, they were selected for further testing. Diluted Lascaux Sirius Watercolours were
applied to the paper overlays. This acrylic paint was easily handled and highly adaptable. When
dry, it has a mat quality with a similar refraction index to that of a textile, allowing for easy
matching of an overlay. Adhesion of the overlays with solutions of Lascaux acrylic adhesives
303hv and 498hv was tested, using solvent and heat reactivation. Contouring of the paper
overlays to the surface of the surrogate cloth with vacuum pressure was also assessed.
Reactivated samples formed readily to the surface of the textile, molding around the textile
fibers; the texture of the cloth was still visible. All overlay treatments are reversible.