Different climates present different conservation challenges. Tropical conditions are among the most challenging of all. Although collectors care about their artefacts as much as museums do, they do not usually have the facilities to treat them as they deserve. With Practical Conservation, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia aims to bring the expertise of its conservators to a wider audience. This easy-to-read book explains how far collectors can go in looking after their own collections.

Whatever the setting or the type of artefact, prevention is better than cure. The techniques that have been outlined in Practical Conservation are a combination of common sense and acquired conservation knowledge. The approach is aimed specially at collectables that are housed in a tropical climate. There are many books on conservation available, but most are relevant to temperate surroundings. With Asia becoming home to an increasing number of collections, it is more essential than ever for owners in this part of the world to understand their artefacts and learn how to care for them.