The sculpture is a painted plaster cast with a metal armature which appeared to be corroding, possibly caused by an ingress of moisture. This caused the plaster to crack, and some areas of the painted surface were lifting and flaking away. 

The conservation treatment focused on removing discolored previous restoration, stabilizing the lifting paint and filling areas of loss. X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis was carried out to determine if the paint contained lead as a pigment. Testing confirmed that it did, and the necessary PPE was worn during treatment. Lifting paint was consolidated using a low concentration of Paraloid B-72 in solvent with gentle pressure to re-adhere the paint to the plaster substrate. The losses were then filled and retouched to blend with the original paint surface, and fills provided the added benefit of further stabilizing the flaking paint.