Hi All
I recently listed an ivory set on the bay which was absolutely filthy when first acquired, cleaning it was essential before photographing and listing. Through bitter experience I knew the red stain is water soluble and immersion in warm water for even a few minutes can result in colour fading, it may be more time consuming but I would advise cleaning each piece individually rather than leaving all the pieces in soak. If the dirt is ‘dry’ as apposed to greasy, try cleaning the nooks and crannies using a stiff artist’s paint brush first and only using water and detergent as a last resort.
I would just like to add that I personally prefer using a cotton bud dipped in mentholated spirits; this removes the grease left by fingers and the accumulated dirt that sticks to it without effecting water soluble dyes, the opposite would be true of spirit based ones but they are rare in my opinion; as recommended above, always experiment with the underside of a base and continually check the cotton bud to see if the dye is being removed.
On a final point I’d like to take up Alan’s (cpe1991) comment that a certain amount of dirt can add to an antique sets character, the link below (hopefully) shows a white Rook and Bishop presently on the Bay, that was thoroughly cleaned using a tooth brush, soap and water, the Knight’s head however was gently rubbed with a dry cloth so as not to remove the dirt, I personally think the dirt (patina in dealer’s parlance) contrasts the carved features and emphasizes it’s 3 dimensional qualities and which made for a more interesting photo. But hey..! each to their own of course.
Tom
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300191561581&indexURL=3&photoDisplayType=2#ebay...
