Project Summary:

This is a dance bustle created by Nanticoke artist Terry “Dream Wanderer” Sammons. Bustles are wearable objects that are typically part of male dancers’ regalia and are worn attached at the lower back. The bustle was secured with a custom designed mounting system and was determined to be in fair condition. Condition issues included dust and debris consistent with years of display, splits in brittle and curled rabbit skin attachments, and lost beads. There was no evidence of active pest infestation. The artist requested that the bustle was to be treated with only natural (organic) conservation materials. 

The bustle was gently dry cleaned and insecurities in the fur, feathers, hair, and bead work were stabilized with natural materials. After the brittle rabbit skin was humidified, uncurled, and re-positioned, mulberry paper patches were attached with a dilute fish glue to reinforce split areas. Lost beads were replaced with glass beads, which were confirmed to be considered natural materials by the artist in a 2020 interview with Collections Specialist Vivien Makos. Although still a delicate object, the bustle is structurally more stable with cleaner surfaces and visual reintegration.