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Hidden in plain sight. How ‘disturbing’ features found within two Peruvian textile fragments have turned into a ‘significant guide’ for conservation

Preserving not only the ‘material object’, but preserving the intrinsic values of an object is not a novel concept within the contemporary conservation practice. The challenge of this approach lies in looking beyond what is visible to the naked eye and in determining the unknown and sometimes well disguised aspects and traces of ‘significance’ that are present within the object. Trace elements can be very difficult to assess and to value, especially within textile objects that have served one or more practical purposes during their ‘active life’, before becoming part of a heritage collection. Via two practical cases, this article describes the practical application of the chosen approach to understand and unveil those aspects we really wanted to value and preserve due to their ‘significance’ and how they turned out to be instrumental in the conservation choices.