We think of branches as sturdy things and in an object they are nothing to worry about. Branches are used in a multitude of ways in a great number of ethnographic artifacts. It can be intact or altered by splitting or removing just the outer bark, phloem or pith or leaving just the woody xylem. Each part of the branch has specific anatomical features that have there own vulnerability and they also can help with identification of its species. Our concern is climate change and water problems. All branches are full of starch and some with sugar based mucilage and these make them more responsive to high humidity and more vulnerable to fungal or insect infestations. Its important to know this. It may involve a new approaches at storage and display.
