Antique Plaster Ceiling Light Fixture Medallion - POTTERY HELP, Please

[happydaysantiques]

Hello, everyone.  I'm requesting your expertise on this antique medallion.  It measures 12 5/8" in diameter and appears to be made of plaster and horse hair.  (You can see some of the hair in my last photo of the damage to the underside.)  It has a Pass & Seymour porcelain socket.

I have so many questions. 

Could it be horse hair?

Are the flowers called raised relief?

The great-grandson of the original owner dated it to between 1908 and 1915.  What do you think?

What other keywords can you suggest?

And most important, HOW CAN I CLEAN IT so the flowers really pop?

Thank you so much.  ANY information you can offer is much appreciated.

[md1919]

yes, horsehair was used to reinforce plaster.  time period could be up to the 1920.  plaster is not pottery

[happydaysantiques]

Thank you so much, md1919, for your kind input.  I've posted questions here many times, and you've always been amazingly informative.

I realize my plaster piece isn't pottery.  But if it were, would the flowers be considered "raised relief?"  (I'm looking for the proper keywords.)  Also, do you have any suggestions on how to clean all of those nooks and crannies?  Because it's plaster, the best I could do was gently spritz it with water and wipe it off with a clean cloth, but that wasn't enough to eliminate the aged grime.  I was hoping you Pottery folks would know of another method or product I could try.

[patd3283]

If you are planning on selling it, I would leave it as is for the new owner to clean and restore as they want, other than a light cleaning.

Patd

[happydaysantiques]

Good morning, patd.  Thanks for your suggestion.

Yes, I hope to sell it, but would really like to clean it up a bit more.  There must be something more I can do.

[bnbsellingtime]

I also agree that you should leave cleaning to the buyer. The patina of age may very well be exactly what they are looking for. I would lightly dust it with a very soft new paintbrush or such at the most of it were me.

[happydaysantiques]

Thank you for your input, bnb.  And I want to agree.  The problem is my photos.  They were taken outdoors in full sunlight, where the piece looks quite colorful and not all that dirty.  When it's indoors and installed on a ceiling several feet away, the flowers are quite dull because of the grime.  Ideally, I'd like to remove more of the dirt so they pop indoors; but maybe that's just wishful thinking.  I've attached one more photo below.  It was taken outside, but at a different angle, and you can see how less vibrant the colors are with just a small amount of shade on them.

I realize this is the Pottery board.  So I also posted on the Antiques board earlier today, in the hope that someone over there with more experience than I might have a solution for cleaning painted plaster.  If not, I'll try to explain the sunlight variance in my item description.