An animal skin (unidentified) had been inflated and stretched round a circular wooden platform to form a buoy. The skin was very dry and brittle and intensely folded, but otherwise in good condition. It was softened by immersion for 10 days in a bavon solution. To retain its shape while drying, a metereological ball was carefully inserted inside and inflated. It had been intended to remove the balloon, but this could not be done safely so it was left inside. A small split was repaired using fine nylon tissue and pliantex diluted with genklene. A gap in the wooden handle was filled with epoxy putty, then painted. The rope was sisal. Photographs, microphotographs of fibres, references.