Profile

Marianne Webb received an Honour’s degree in Fine Art from the University of Toronto in 1976 and a diploma in Art Conservation from Sir Sanford Fleming College in 1982.  As the Decorative Arts Conservator at the Royal Ontario Museum for over 28 years she carried out scientific examinations of objects, research into materials, techniques of manufacture and deterioration on a wide variety of organic materials.   She was responsible for the conservation of all painted objects including polychrome sculpture, Egyptian coffins, painted furniture and Asian lacquer. During that time she pioneered new conservation treatments and techniques for Asian lacquer and similar materials.

In 1987 she established Webb Conservation Services to bring her skills to the public.  As one of the few specialists in the Conservation of Asian lacquer she has been privileged to work on many wonderful works of art from all over North America and Europe. 
In 1993 and 1995 Marianne was selected as a guest researcher at the Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties which enabled her to study Japanese lacquer techniques and restoration.  Further study was undertaken in 2009.

She received the Samuel H. Kress Publication Fellowship in 1997, awarded by the American Institute of Conservation, to write a manuscript on a conservation subject.  The manuscript was published in 2000 as Lacquer: Technology and Conservation by Butterworth-Heinemann now Elsevier.