[Art Collector’s Etiquette] Protect Your 3-D Works! — A Recommended Item for Earthquake Safety

Clear Museum Gel

After experiencing an earthquake in the Kantō region that reached an intensity of 5 — the strongest since the Great East Japan Earthquake — I bought a product calledClear Museum Gel to try, as a way to keep three-dimensional works from toppling over.

“Clear Museum Gel” is an anti-tip adhesive conceived specifically for artworks.
It can be used on a wide range of objects — figures, glass, crystal items, woodwork, ceramics, porcelain, ornaments, vases and more.
*Although it is labeled “for glass & crystal products only,” the instructions note it works with other materials as well.

Clear Museum Gel is reportedly used at institutions such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and the J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles).

Trying It Out

I actually gave it a try.
I tested it on a work from Kohei Nawa’s Pix-Cell series, which uses glass.

After 30–60 minutes I tried rocking it by hand, and it held remarkably firmly.
What I felt, using it, was the reassurance of having taken earthquake precautions.

The Japanese distributor, Sugatsune Kogyo, has uploaded an explanatory video showing how it is actually used.

 

The maker also sells other earthquake-safety products.
Those are worth checking out as well, depending on your needs.

A recommended item for earthquake safety: “Clear Museum Gel.”
Highly recommended for every art collector who displays three-dimensional works!