THE CONSERVATION OF A PRESERVED HUMAN HEAD

Abstract

Large ethnographical collections sometimes contain examples of preserved human heads. There are those from the Maori of New Zealand, the well-known Jivaro Indian shrunken heads, and others from Papua-New Guinea. The article describes the preservation process as practised in Western Papua by the tribal craftsman, and then the problems of conservation in the museum laboratory. The latter include the cleaning of the skin, and the painted areas of the face, with the non-ionic surface-active agent Lissapol N in distilled water, followed by consolidation of the painted surface with an application of 2 % soluble nylon in industrial methylated spirit. Clay and fibre within the head were consolidated with a 5 % solution of the polymethacrylic ester Bedacryl 122X (I.C.I.) in xylene; and the fibre ear ornaments, after cleaning with Lissapol N, were consolidated with a 5 % solution of soluble nylon in industrial methylated spirit. The specimen was fitted with a specially made polythene cover, and stored in an individual box.     

THE CONSERVATION OF NON-METALLIC SEALS

Abstract

The conservation of non-metallic seals is an aspect of archival conservation which is all too often neglected.The authors show the most usual causes and forms of damage together with various methods of treatment. Among the aspects discussed are composition and manufacture; cleaning and repair of single and double-faced seals made of beeswax, shellac and other thermoplastic compounds; the conservation and repair of papered seals, together with seals and wafers applied en placard to documents; and methods of packing and storage used in the University of Glasgow Archives.     

THE CONSERVATION OF PYRITIC STONE ANTIQUITIES

Abstract

The occurrence and identification of ‘fossil disease’ in stone artifacts is described, together with details of techniques for the stabilization and consolidation of the specimens.     

SOME ASPECTS OF THE CONSERVATION OF WAX MODELS

Abstract

During the Italian Renaissance wax was used to produce polychrome relief portraits on a miniature scale. This use of wax as a material for finished sculpture was subsequently adapted to the production of tableaux, of anatomical models, of life-size wax-works and of wax dolls. This article gives a brief account of the techniques of this type of sculpture and describes problems of conservation and restoration. Methods of repairing, cleaning and restoration are discussed, and the article concludes with a full account of the restoration work carried out on an allegorical tableau by Gaetano Zumbo and on two 17th-century ecclesiastical dolls.     

CORROSION AND CONSERVATION OF A SILVER VISCERAL VESSEL FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY

Abstract

Two different cleaning methods were found necessary to remove silver chloride corrosion products from different areas of a silver canopic vessel containing about 6% of copper. Two possible mechanisms of silver corrosion which could have led to the differing silver chloride corrosion products are put forward.     

ON THE CONSERVATION OF THE BAPTISTERY DOORS IN FLORENCE

Abstract

The causes of deterioration of the gilded bronze doors of the Baptistery in Florence have been examined and the mechanism of corrosion discussed. An apparatus for thermal conditioning has been proposed and tested either on the north door of the Baptistery, or on samples exposed to the urban atmosphere in Milan and by laboratory tests on an electrochemical model. The effectiveness of the proposed apparatus has been verified by weight losses, by assessing soluble salts, by visual observations, by local chemical microanalyses, by morphological examinations with a scanning electron microscope equipped with an X-spectrometer and by X-ray diffraction.     

THE CONSERVATION OF TAPESTRIES FOR MUSEUM DISPLAY

Abstract

A broad outline of the considerations which arise with regard to the conservation of a museum collection of tapestries is given in this paper. The various types of damage to, and deterioration of, tapestries is discussed.

Various methods of washing and dry cleaning, and the equipment necessary for these procedures, are reviewed, and a caution is included as to the necessity of testing all dyes for colour fastness in both water and any solvent used for dry cleaning. The equipment, materials and techniques of repair are discussed; three methods of repair being currently used in museums and specialist workshops — re-weaving, stitching on to a backing and the use of synthetic resins for impregnation and adhesion to a woven support. It is suggested in conclusion that the optimum method of repair in museums is stitching on to a backing. More research must be undertaken into the use of synthetic resins, and re-weaving usually alters the original appearance of the tapestry.

Finally, the need for specialised conservation staff in a museum with a tapestry collection is emphasised.     

THE CONSERVATION AND TECHNIQUE OF THE HERLIN ALTARPIECE (1466)

Abstract

The restoration of the Hedin altar in Rothenburg o.d.T., dated 1466, is described. The polychromed sculptures were cleaned and loose paint was fixed. Methods and materials used in the restoration of the paintings, the areas polychromed in various techniques and the brocade reliefs are mentioned. The altar was protected from direct sunlight. The construction of the shrine and the technique of carving are extensively discussed. Sculptures made from one piece of lime wood were hollowed out and closed with a plank. Traces of rough finishing are visible. Shrine and predella were polychromed after a preliminary assembly of the sculptures. The various techniques used in the undisfigured polychromy are described as they are observed with the unaided eye. It can be shown that the working methods were rational. The fabrication of relief brocades and the various patterns used are discussed in detail. The treatment of the various paintings on the wings, the predella and the reverse of the shrine is reported. The question is raised to what extent the painter Herlin can also have been responsible for the polychromy.     

SOME ASPECTS OF THE CONSERVATION OF WORKS OF ART IN BUILDINGS OF NEW CONCRETE

Abstract

This paper deals with the materials used in conservation treatments in the first half of the twentieth century for the preservation and consolidation of wooden art objects from the Saxony region in Germany. The use of such materials must be seen as early attempts to find a conservation treatment for wood. The documentation of conservation treatments provides a reference to the application of oils and oil–resin mixtures. The results from the chemical analysis of samples of historic preservatives from the beginning to the middle of the twentieth century (so-called 'Puckelin') carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis confirm the use of tung oil as a drying oil, whereas the use of linseed oil cannot be excluded. Colophony and, probably, amber varnish were used as resinous constituents. There are indications that a conservation material dating from the second half of the twentieth century most likely contained rapeseed oil.     

NOTE ON THE TECHNIQUE AND CONSERVATION OF SOME THANG-KA PAINTINGS

Abstract

The article is a concise report on the art historical as well as technical aspects of thang-ka paintings. It also describes briefly the traditional methods and materials employed in the execution of these paintings. The artists’ materials described in the literature are compared with actual findings as a result of analysis of pigments, binding media and other materials involved in the execution of the thang-ka paintings. An outline of the causes of deterioration of thang-kas is also mentioned. Finally, an extensive account is given of the method of treatment carried out in the author's laboratory.     

THE ACETONE/ROSIN METHOD FOR CONSERVATION OF WATERLOGGED WOOD

Abstract

The problem of conservation of sound waterlogged oak and in particular the limitations of polyethylene glycol impregnation are briefly considered. Development of a new process involving dehydration with acetone and impregnation with rosin is described. Results pertaining to the experimental evaluation of the procedure are presented and suggest good success in its use. Applications of the process in the conservation of soft- and heavily waterlogged woods are described.     

THE DISCOVERY AND CONSERVATION OF AN ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LINEN TUNIC

Abstract

The archaeological evidence for dating a linen tunic found amongst other pieces from the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, UCL, is weighed against the evidence from Carbon-14 dating. An account of the structure, conservation and mounting of the tunic is then given.     

NOTES ON THE CONSERVATION OF SCULPTURE,STONE, MARBLE AND TERRACOTTA

Abstract

Sulphuration is the main destroyer of marble, producing imaginary (not true) patina. Other reasons for the discoloration of marbles are discussed. Magnesium silicate saturated with de-ionized water is a safe and simple cleaner. Sintolite is advocated as an adhesive for marble rather than the general more fluid epoxy resins. Solid polyvinyl acetate is strongly advocated as the basis for sma1l repairs to internaIly housed marble. The consolidation of marble is discussed and a method for internal exhibits recommended. Conservation of unbaked clay is touched upon, and a method for the repair of terracotta suggested together with a process for the reproduction of a glazed frieze using a latex mould and epoxy-reinforced plaster casts. A few remarks are made concerning the dangers of cleaning alabaster with water. The commentary is of a general nature and is not intended as a strict blueprint for any particular object.     

THE CONSERVATION AND TECHNIQUE OF SILVER BANGLES DISCOVERED AT ROJDI,INDIA

Abstract

The treatment of two silver bangles found at Rojdi and dated c. 2000 b.c. is described. The bangles were separated by removing the hard incrustations with a 20% sodium hexametaphosphate solution and 15% acetic acid. Silver chloride was removed with a 25% solution of 0.88 ammonia and a 20% aqueous solution of ammonium thiosulphate.

Silver sulphide was removed in a 20% formic acid bath. Polyvinyl acetate was used for consolidation, and a coating of polymethyl methacrylate was applied. The silver was found to contain copper and lead. The causes of embrittlement and the manufacturing technique are discussed.     

FINDING THE FALLEN: CONSERVATION AND THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Abstract

This study concerns a group of objects excavated in First World War trenches in France and Belgium and brought for conservation to the Institute of Archaeology, University College London. These objects were associated with unidentified human remains thought to be of soldiers killed in battles between 1914 and 1918. The contribution of the Institute to this project was to investigate the objects in relation to their context in an attempt to identify the human remains with which they were associated. The experience of working on sensitive material in a very particular context is discussed, and how this influenced the conservation context in which the decision-making process happened is described. It also addresses how some conservation boundaries were crossed, in order to contribute to a better understanding of life during the First World War, and discusses how material culture is valued differently in different contexts (and how this will influence conservation decisions). It concludes that neither object meaning nor conservation decisions can be viewed objectively and that conservation has to be viewed as a social process governed by economic, political, religious, social and cultural dynamics, rather than a primarily technical process.     

THE RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION PROJECT OF BOROBUDUR TEMPLE,INDONESIA PLANNING - RESEARCH - DESIGN

Abstract

A survey is given of the environment of the monument, including its geographical and geological setting and meteorological data collected near the monument. The construction of Borobudur and the origin and consequences of damaging factors such as uneven settlements are discussed. Preliminary research required e.g. drilling programmes, soil mechanical studies, stone deterioration studies and investigations into the manufacture of concrete for foundations from local sources. The technical solutions proposed for the safeguarding programme are described in detail. Cost estimates, the organisation of the restoration project and landscaping and site development are mentioned. The duration of the project is estimated at six years. The complex and multi-disciplinary nature of the project requiring systematic planning both in the research and preparatory phases and in the implementation is stressed. Disciplines involved include amongst others: airphoto analysis, archaeology, architecture, chemistry, conservation techniques, geology, geophysics, hydrology, impermeabilization technology, landscape planning, microbiology, petrography, physics, soil mechanics, surveying and terrestrial photogrammetry.     

CHRISTIAN SACRED ART: A CONSERVATION CHALLENGE

Abstract

Christian sacred art is not only an artistic and aesthetic phenomenon, but can also be seen as a manifestation of the divine, the objects becoming a presence of what they represent. A substantial proportion of this kind of art remains dispersed in churches and ecclesiastic treasuries without any special provision for its care and much is still in ceremonial use, continuing to be handled and moved. Recording by inventory and transfer to museums are only recent developments. Portugal has developed various strategies for the preservation of these collections, including the creation of Diocesan Sacred Art Commissions, diocesan museum networks where small museums and museological treasuries are maintained separately but have a common technical staff, a Secure Church Programme and temporary exhibitions, which play a role in conservation, promotion and public awareness. Although not conventional conservation, these actions have helped us to keep the memory of the past alive and let us carry it into the future.     

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE EARLY REPORTS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES

No abstract available for this article.