MeTheNorth
Private
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2021
First I would like to thank the warm welcome I received today, my first day as a raw cadet. I had mentioned earlier that I recently acquired a painted smooth canteen. I have attached 3 photos of the piece. The auctioneer's description was confined to the front of the canteen which is painted with the American Eagle and US shield. When I received it I noticed that the back of the canteen was painted with a blue sky with several clouds and a green field. I noticed the foliage along the horizon and clearly a human face (I assume a Union soldier) sporting a dark kepi. On the right side of the back there appears to be the black wheels of an artillery piece. The canteen is covered with dirt that has taken on the same consistency of the paint, virtually fused to the paint. I scratched a tiny bit of dirt along one of the seams with my thumbnail and it was clear that the dirt was on top of the paint. Naturally I am dying to see all of the painted images but am fearful of botching the paint and ending up with a worthless mess.
So my question is this: Should I have the canteen cleaned by a professional restorer or leave the it as is? Any and all response would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
So my question is this: Should I have the canteen cleaned by a professional restorer or leave the it as is? Any and all response would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.