Restorative art and the Canon of Beauty In the past, mortuary science students were taught to review and consider of the Canon of Beauty that was established in the fourth century by the Greek sculptor Polykleitos. The principles of the Canon of Beauty, or the aesthetic canon, were a set of mathematical calculations that represented the standard of human proportions that were considered the most pleasing to the eye. These were included in mortuary education as a way to teach human proportions and guide restoration. Some educational programs required the students to use these dimensions to totally design and create a face, so these proportions served as the foundation for those exercises. Restorative arts tips and techniques The following list includes a summary of the 2014 NFDA Conference presentation by Wallace P. Hooker (2014): 1. The first rule for a case involving any amount of restoration is to find a known feature and work with it. 2. For drying and treating open sores and wounds use a cauterizing chemical before embalming such as Dodge Dryene, SynGel, or mix the two to a gel-like consistency. 3. For facial suturing try dental floss with a hidden stitch. ○ Dodge has a great adhesive called Tech Bond that is faster and neater than suturing and will adhere to moist tissue. 4. For delicate areas of the face needing tissue building or subdural bleaching, or if you are using a cauterant, try using diabetic syringes. 5. When using Inr Seel to recreate sunken checks, use the Inr Seel applicator and overfill the area between the jaw and cheek on each side. 6. For extremely emaciated bodies, remember to be careful not to overdo it. The families have watched the downward progression for maybe months or years, so be careful not to turn back the clock too far. 7. To speed the softening of restorative waxes and make application simpler, use a handheld hair blow dryer. 8. For filling larger facial deficits, cover the missing area with mortuary putty, such as Dodge Inr Seal, and sculpt to shape. 9. For nonfacial surface dicing, scrapes, cancers, skin slip, or other possible sources of leakage, first cauterize the area with a product such as Dryene. ○ Let it dry then cover with a product called DodgeSeal, which is a new product that works very Changing presentations and personalization for viewing The recent interest and demand for cosmetic surgery to improve appearance does not end with death. An NBC news documentary, entitled, Final Touch: A Cosmetic Lift for Your Funeral , interviewed several embalmers and restorative artists. The report found that many people are consulting funeral professionals to plan restorative procedures to enhance their appearance at their funeral. Some of the requests include smoothing lines, plumping lips, and even lifting sagging areas for the funeral (Mapes, 2008). “People used to say, just throw me in a pine box and bury me in the back yard,” says Mark Duffey, president and CEO of Everest Funeral, a national funeral planning and concierge service. “But that’s all changing. Now people want to be remembered. A funeral is their last major event, and they want to look good for it. I’ve even had people say, ‘I want you to get rid of my wrinkles and make me look younger’” (ibid.). Restorative artists and embalmers have always tried to restore a life-like appearance. The difference today is the number of people who are preplanning their final touches, which is a new phenomenon in the funeral industry. “I’ve had people mention that they want their breasts to look
well for sealing orifices, punctures, bullet holes, incisions, and deep wounds. 10. An electric tissue reducer or electric iron should be in every prep room. It works great in reducing swelling of the lips and eyelids. 11. Treating swollen eyes ○ For severe cases, it may be necessary to remove the vitreous humor. ○ Channel the upper eyelid, following the curvature of the skull, to create channeling to relieve the swelling. ○ Coat with massage cream and manipulate the fluid from the deep tissue. ○ After physically manipulating as much fluid as possible from the tissue, use the electric tissue dryer and if time allows, insert Webril® toweling into channels to wick the moisture away. 12. For ease of suturing, complete the following: ○ If you are right-handed, suture from right to left, or if left-handed suture from left to right. 13. If preparing for the final stages of substantial facial restoration, dress the remains and casket them to eliminate the chance of damaging extensive restorative efforts while handling the body. 14. Autopsy cases ○ Use mortuary putty over the cranial separation before replacing the scalp; manipulate the putty through the scalp and fill or hide the deficit. ○ Use tissue gatherers to assist holding suture lines together while suturing. 15. Donor/harvested cases: ○ Embalm on the bottom of the body pouch. ○ Always open the harvest sites of the upper arm and leg bones and treat the tissue in these sites with a strong cauterizing material, cover with cotton and wrap with plastic while you embalm. ○ If the skin was harvested, treat the area with cauterizing material and cover with plastic. ○ Try to ligate any severed arteries. ○ If time allows, let the body set for 12 hours, remove the cotton and plastic, retreat with more cauterizing material, then dry the tissue. ○ Use plastic garments before dressing the body. (See earlier product disclaimer) perky when they’re dead,” says David Temrowski, funeral director of Temrowski and Sons Funeral Home in Warren, Michigan. “Or they’ll say, ‘Can you get these wrinkles out?’ It’s all in humor, but I think people do think more about what they’re going to look like when they’re dead and lying in a casket” (ibid.). A 2014 ABC News report, Lifelike Embalming Positions a New Funeral Trend , noted that funeral plans are becoming more extravagant (ABC, 2014). The trend calls for individuals to be embalmed and presented for viewing in ways that are personalized and accurately celebrate their life. Rather than the traditional casket-viewing and burial, some choose to have loved ones posed in ways that show their hobbies and personalities. ABC News tells the story of an 83-year-old party girl who was embalmed to look as if she was sitting at a party with a glass of champagne. Her “set” included a bright feather boa, patterned outfit, decorative benches, and décor (ibid.). Other stories included a man who was an avid boxer during life, posed standing like a boxer in the ring, complete with a hood and boxing gloves (ibid.). Other examples showed
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