Sturgeon Glue (isinglass) (50g)

Sturgeon Glue (Isinglass) from dried sturgeon bladders of the highest quality, blood and rust free. Our sturgeon glue is the same used by art restorers. Sturgeon glue has higher adhesion and lower viscosity than comparable animal glue, such as gelatin or rabbit skin glue.

Ready to use. Sturgeon glue is mainly used for consolidation in restoration and conservation. Traditionally, this type of glue was used as a painting medium for illuminated manuscripts, in tempera paintings, sculpture polychromy or as a bookbinder's glue.

Isinglass is also used to help repair parchment and paintings. Pieces of the best isinglass are soaked overnight to soften and swell the dried material. Next, it is heated slowly in a bain marie (double boiler) at 45° C. while being stirred. A small amount of gum tragacanth, dissolved in water, may be added to the strained isinglass solution to act as an emulsifier.

When repairing paint that is flaking from parchment or wood panels, isinglass can be applied directly to that area which has been pre-wet with a small amount of ethyl alcohol (ethanol). It is typically applied as a very tiny drop that is then guided, with the help of a binocular microscope, under the edges of flaking paint.

It can also be used to coat tissue or goldbeater's skin. Here isinglass is similar to parchment size and other forms of gelatin but it is unique in that as a dried film the adhesive can be reactivated with moisture. For this use the isinglass is heated with a few drops of glycerin or honey. This adhesive is advantageous in situations where minimal use of water is desired for the parchment or painting as the isinglass can be reactivated with an ethanol-water mixture. It also has a greater adhesive strength than many other adhesives used for repair. (Quandt, 1996)

Quandt, Abigail B. (1996) "Recent Developments in the Conservation of Parchment Manuscripts." .

Woods, Chris. (1995) "Conservation Treatments for Parchment Documents," Journal of the Society of Archivists, Vol. 16, Issue 2, pp. 221–239.