e-Conservation Magazine • 16

e-conservationthe online magazine No. 16, October 2010

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The Gap in Conservation

e-conservation

In recent conversations with fresh PhD graduates I have unfortunately noticed an increasing tendency: towards unemployment. To a conservator-restorer or a conservation-scientist, a PhD is synonym of higher specialisation, also a better job and a higher salary. At least that is the illusion that exists before one obtains it.For some, a PhD is a life goal worthy of achievement. For others, it is merely a means to reach an objective, usually to ensure a university position. Independently of the reason why one does it, it is true that there is a life before the PhD and another after it. More and more, life before the PhD is full of expectations while life after it is quite different than one would have imagined, often in a very disappointing way.This is not a problem restricted to conservation, but it's becoming more and more accentuated because PhDs in our field are a fairly recent thing, most being less than 10 years old. Despite that, PhD programs seem to create problems instead of filling the gaps in our training or solving the problems in the field of cultural heritage.Part of the problem is in the academic sphere itself: after all there is definitely a market for training PhD students. It's academic economics and it’s all about demand and supply. When a university creates a PhD program it attracts more students, increases funds and raises status. After all, it is a business like any other and more than ever universities are competing with one another. But the bitter truth is that Academia doesn't really care about their students' career prospects. The goal is to have lots of students in order to help support their facilities and their staff, staff which are required to have a PhD. Even if you do eventually get a university position, you must bring in a new generation of students to keep afloat the department and subsequently your own job, perpetuating the system and thus, the problem.In the last decade several PhD courses have appeared in European Universities, in some countries more than others, in order to offer the three different levels of European tertiary education and to be one of the exclusive “few” to do so. When PhD students graduate some are absorbed by Academia to complement their staff, normally as post-doctorates with scholarships, while others are left “on their own”. At the end of the day, PhDs are low-paid and treated as merely temporary workers during the years they spend training for faculty positions that are virtually inexistent.What is the result of the current scenario? Unturn any stone and you will find many unemployed Doctorate graduates, others surviving on public funding, or going from post-doc to post-doc anywhere they can. Many resigning themselves and settle for lower job positions, which in the present economical climate are also hard to find. Opposed to Academia, other fields have the Industry which absorbs a great part of PhD graduates. However, this is practically non-existent in conservation and clearly insufficient to absorb many of the hundreds of highly skilled Doctors that are being trained every year.On the other side, politics are a great part of the problem. When government funding is common knowledge and widely available, students often consider pursuing a PhD because it ensures an income for at least a few years. But in fact this is all part of a bigger scheme that starts by attracting students to undergraduate conservation-restoration courses, often lured in by the highly publicized popular idea that if there is cultural heritage in need of conservation it is because there's a lack of professionals to conserve or restore it. Far from the truth, these new generations, attracted by a real interest in heritage, will later join the increasingly large mass of skilful but unemployed professionals. This is equally true for conservation-scientists who often specialize in heritage during their PhD thesis. It may be a much needed area of input, but while the training programs are increasing I don't see a higher number of positions being filled or even on offer for that matter.When will this paradigm change? Is it likely that this will only happen when the system is already near a state of absolute collapse? Right now, it simply doesn't pay to get a PhD.

Rui BordaloEditor-in-Chief

PROFILE

Location� e Metropolitan Museum of Art

ExhibitionPicasso in � e Metropolitan Museum of Art

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NEWS & VIEWS 6

ARTICLES

CASE STUDY

39

Pot Healer, I Need You

By Daniel Cull

REVIEWS

SEM and Microanalysis in the Study of Historical Technology,

Materials and Conservation

September 9-10, 2010, London, UK

Review by Ana Bidarra

Western Association for Art Conservation (WAAC) Annual Meeting

September 15 - 18, 2010, Portland, Oregon

Review by Daniel Cull

NEWS

Devastating Flood in Ladakh, India

A Support Program by Tibet Heritage Fund

By Andre Alexander

UPCOMING EVENTS

November 2010

Identification of Ivory Book Covers and Comparison to Ivory

Portrait Miniatures

By Josie Wornoff

Microbial Study of Egyptian Mummies

An Assessment of Enzyme Activity, Fungicides and Some

Mummification Materials for the Inhibition of Microbial Deterioration

by Abdelrazek Elnaggar, Ahmed Sahab, Siham Ismail, Gamal Mahgoub and

Mohammed Abdelhady

Study of the painting Virgin Mary and Child with the Infant

St. John the Baptist

The Hidden Flora of Leonardo da Vinci’s Painting Workshop

By Miklós Szentkirályi

"The Annunciation" by Cola Petruccioli (1380)

The Restoration of the Transferred Wall Painting

By Ildikó Jeszeniczky

EVENTS

9

50

INDEX

20

24

13

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17

60

new

s &

vie

ws

POT HEALER, I NEED YOU

Conservators, and conservation, ap-

pear in numerous fictional books,

films, and TV shows [2], I'd like to

suggest that studying fiction is a

fascinating, albeit underutilized,

approach to a range of conservation

studies, not least because our por-

trayal within the fictional realm feeds

directly into the public consciousness,

and perception, of our profession. I

recently read the Philip K. Dick (PKD)

novel "Galactic Pot Healer" (GPH)

[3], and was struck by how it can be

read in contrast with contemporary

museum based futurism, and as a

work of conservation (pot-healing)

theory. Museum futurists predict that

a continuing desire for 'the real' will

maintain a central significance in the

museum project for conservation [4].

PKD, however, offers a different pre-

diction. In GPH our protagonist, a

healer of pots named Joe Fernwright,

inhabits a world in which ceramics

have been replaced by plastic, and

where all the ceramics in museums

have been ‘healed’. PKD reveals the

utopic vision of classical conserva-

tion theory to be a dystopia in which

conservators are all but obsolete,

and Joe passes his time playing

"the game" and craving illegal ci-

garettes.

"I like to build universes that do fall apart [...] objects, customs, habits, and ways of life

must perish so that the authentic human being can live." (Philip K. Dick).[1]

By Daniel Cull

In what's called 'soft' science fiction it is the story

that holds more value than scientific gizmo's.

However, as scientists, it can be fun to consider

what improvements to our field the writers of

our fictional selves have dreamt up; and consider

whether they could, as with the needle-less in-

jection from Star Trek, become reality. GPH fea-

tures several intriguing challenges for conser-

vation scientists, including; self focusing magni-

e-conservation

Book cover. Photo by Chris Drumm, Some rights reserved.

fying glasses, heat needles that bond the ceram-

ic on the molecular level (I'm pretty sure that's

non-reversible!), and replacing the ceramic con-

servators sand-box with an anti-gravity machine

and storage boxes that if dropped gently slow

their rate of descent before landing safely on

the ground. Notwithstanding such leaps in tech-

nology, I suspect conservators can take more

from the story than these tools. Back in the Com-

munal North American Citizen's Republic, Joe's

routine existence is interrupted when he receives

a message: "Pot healer, I need you. And I will pay"

[3, p.12]. As his curiosity is awakened he discovers

that on another planet the Glimmung "intended

to raise the ancient cathedral Heldscalla, and to

do so [...] needed a wide span of skills" [3, p. 25];

amongst them a pot-healer. As the plot develops

Joe undergoes a variety of adventures and strug-

gles, he gives all his savings away, has a run in

with the Quietude Authority Police, travels to a

different planet, falls in love, challenges the ap-

parent precognition of the 'Book of the Kalends',

and undergoes an epic struggle to raise the cathe-

dral, before finally coming to a decision regarding

his future as a pot-healer. As a conservator it is

possible to read Joe's personal and spiritually

gnostic journey through the prism of investigative

cleaning, the methodical uncovering of layers to

reveal new realities below. As our reality becomes

increasingly fluid and fleeting the book provides

an intriguing metaphor for contemporary read-

ings of authenticity.

The final section of the novel offers an interest-

ing challenge to museum futurists, and conser-

vation theorists. PKD posits a post-enlightenment,

experiential, reading of material culture, which

contrasts with how the conservation object has

traditionally been seen as "an object of the En-

lightenment, an object that can be known through

scientific analysis" [5]. In our world such distinc-

tions are already becoming blurred with the ad-

vent of replicas, copies, fakes, forgeries, virtual

collections, and simulations. Moreover, develop-

ments in ethnographic and contemporary art con-

servation have led the conservation process to

increasingly be concerned with meanings, and

authenticity, and not solely the materiality of

objects. It has been suggested we "confront the

thingness of objects when they stop working for

us [...] when their flow within the circuits of pro-

duction and distribution, consumption and exhi-

bition, has been arrested, however momentarily"

[6]. This being the case the focus of conservation

cannot solely be the object, but, also must be the

mechanism of its flow. By making his first pot Joe

seeks to (re)create his traditional material cul-

ture, and satisfy his desire for cultural meaning.

Perhaps too this illustrates the authors own ap-

proach to personal and cultural authenticity, cre-

ating worlds in which things do fall apart; worlds

in which maybe conservation does, after all, have

a role to play:

“He appraised what he had done, and, within it,

what he would do, what later pots would be like,

the future of them lying before him. And his justi-

fication, in a sense, for leaving Glimmung and

all the others. Mali, the most of all. Mali whom

he loved.

The pot was awful.” [3, p. 144]

Notes:

1. Quoted in: Vincent Bzdek. Philip K. Dick's

Future is Now. The Washington Post, Sunday

July 28, 2002, URL.

2. Rebecca A. Rushfield. Conservation Fiction

(or Fiction that Acknowledges the Existence

of Conservation and Conservators), URL, and

Canadian Association for Conservation.

Conservation in Film and Fiction, URL.

VIEWS

e-conservation 7

VIEWS

The News section is publishing diverse

information on cultural heritage topics, such

as on-site conservation projects reports,

conferences, lectures, talks or workshops

reviews, but also course reviews and any other

kind of appropriate announcements. If you are

involved in interesting projects and you want

to share your experience with everybody else,

please send us your news or announcements.

For more details, such as deadlines and

publication guidelines, please visit

www.e-conservationline.com

8 e-conservation

DANIEL CULLConservatorThe Musical Instrument Museum

Daniel Cull is from the West Country of the British

Isles. He trained at the Institute of Archaeology,

University College London, where he received a

BSc in Archaeology, MA in Principles of conserva-

tion, and an MSc in Conservation for Archaeology

and Museums. He was later awarded an Andrew

W. Mellon Fellowship at the National Museum of

the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution,

Washington, DC. He currently works as a conser-

vator at the Musical Instrument Museum and as

a collaborator with e-conservation magazine.

Website: http://dancull.wordpress.com

Contact: [email protected]

3. Philip K. Dick, Galactic Pot-healer, Berkley,

1969.

4. Center for the Future of Museums, Museums

and Society 2034: Trends and Potential Fu-

tures. Version 1.0. Center for the Future of

Museums/American Association of Museums.

December 2008, URL [pdf].

5. Pip Laurenson. Authenticity, Change and Loss

in the Conservation of Time-Based Media In-

stallations. Tate Papers. Autumn 2006, URL.

6. Bill Brown. Thing Theory. Critical Inquiry, Vol.

28, No. 1. Things (Autumn, 2001). pp. 4.

Review by Ana Bidarra

On 9th and 10th September 2010, the Department

of Conservation and Scientific Research at the

British Museum, in association with Hitachi High

Technologies Europe, hosted a conference on the

application of scanning electron microscopy and

microanalysis (SEM-EDX) to the study of materials,

manufacturing methods and deterioration pro-

cesses of objects from ancient to contemporary

cultures. The conference was attended by over

150 delegates representing 22 countries (includ-

ing North, Central and South America, China,

Japan, Iran and most European countries). There

were 28 oral presentations and 45 posters divided

in 2 sessions over the 2-days conference.

The presentations focused on several areas of study,

from broader applications of SEM and microana-

lysis techniques, to specific case studies, techno-

logical advances and limitations. The conference

started with a presentation from Alexander Ball

entitled How “non-destructive” is variable pres-

sure SEM?, introducing some basic concepts of

variable pressure SEM focusing on the alterations

caused by the technique due to the effects of rapid

decompression, beam interactions between the

samples and imaging gas and the contamination

from the vacuum system. These effects can cause

cracking, contaminations, dehydration, radiation

damages, etc. It was an alert call, particularly

directed to the recent possibilities of analysing

entire objects, since modern equipments have

bigger vacuum chambers. The first session ended

with two presentations on the study of parchment

biodegradation and on the study of glass beads

from urns found in 1970 in an excavation in Carth-

age, followed by the first poster session.

The second session began with a practical approach

on the use of SEM in the study of surface materials

at high magnification. Ineke Joosten focused on

the parameters that could influence the image such

as scan rotation, magnification, beam voltage,

type of detector and pressure in the vacuum cham-

ber. In the second presentation, Caroline Cart-

wright introduced a very interesting application

of SEM to the study of the organic cores from the

Iron Age Snettisham (Norfolk) torc hoard, from

around 70 BC. The study added important new in-

formation regarding the manufacture of these ob-

jects. The last session was on the study of the Bedford

Lemere Collection, particularly the deterioration of

glass plate negatives from mid to late 19th century.

September 9-10, 2010

London, UK

Organisers:The British Museum and

Hitachi High Technologies Europe

http://www.britishmuseum.org/...

SEM AND MICROANALYSIS IN THE STUDY OFHISTORICAL TECHNOLOGY, MATERIALS AND CONSERVATION

REVIEWS

e-conservation 9

The afternoon session focused on four different

themes: smalt pigment quantitative EDX analysis;

medieval window flashed glass composition, struc-

ture and manufacturing processes; organic re-

mains preserved by metal corrosion products;

and a multi-analytical study of the pigments in

17th century Portuguese tiles (“azulejos”). The

first presentation, by Marika Spring, introduced

several examples of SEM-EDX analysis on smalt

samples from a number of paintings in the Na-

tional Gallery ranging in date and geographical

origin. The variations in arsenic content as well

as possible effects of arsenic on the properties

of the glass were discussed. The effect of various

factors such as pressure, beam gas and working

distance on the degree of beam skirting and on

quantitative analysis were also focused.

The poster session continued during the tea break.

In the last session of the day the speakers brought

into discussion very distinct topics, such as the

investigation of medieval opaque glasses and

enamels, analyses of chrome-yellow and chrome-

orange dyestuffs used for domestic and imported

cotton fabrics “Touzan” (a vertically stripped Ja-

panese fabric) in the 19th century, and the study

of inscriptions, filing and polishing marks on the

bronze weapons from the Qin Terracotta Army in

China.

The first day ended with a reception at the Addis

Gallery, in the British Museum.

The second day started with a presentation by

Shirley Northover, focused on the application of

electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) in archae-

ology. EBSD patterns are characteristic of the struc-

ture and local crystallography orientation of the

material under the beam. By systematically col-

lecting and analysing these patterns, maps can

be built up revealing the distribution of present

phases, showing grain sizes and shapes, and giving

information on the deformation levels of the sur-

face. Hector Lozano spoke on the re-discovery of

Mexican feathered textile, a very peculiar tech-

nique, of which only six known textiles still exist,

all of them from the 17th and 18th centuries. In

this case SEM was used to identify the materials

present in the feathered yarns particularly the

identification of the birds from which the feath-

ers were obtained. The next communication was

on the study of raw materials used in the produc-

tion of Chinese porcelain and stoneware bodies,

and the last one of the session was on the role of

SEM-based charcoal identification on reconstruct-

ing vegetation changes in the last 40,000 years in

Western Cape (South Africa). The afternoon presen-

tations were followed by the second poster session.

The sixth session began with a presentation from

Diane Johnson on the subsurface analysis by ap-

plication of a focused ion beam scanning electron

microscope (FIBSEM) to samples of geological

(fossils and meteorites) and historical import-

ance. Next, Alicia Perea talked on gold usage and

the analysis of wear marks and/or deterioration in

site condition of gold artefacts and how difficult

it could be to differentiate one from the other.

Carol Pottasch presented a study on a rediscovered

Dutch painter, Adriaen Coorte (works dating from

10 e-conservation

“Quantitative EDX analysis of smalt pigment in the variable pressure SEM”, by Marika Spring.

REVIEWS

1683-1705) and the use of arsenic pigments in his

still lifes. The last presentation – by Eddy Faber -

focused on the study of Middle Minoan polychrome

ware production and the relations between pot-

tery production and the palaces, and how the

polychrome ware played an important role in the

(re)affirmation of both the potters and those who

consume the craft goods as well as the different

strategies for teaching and learning craft skills

in middle Minoan society.

After lunch the afternoon began with a commu-

nication on non-invasive sample preparation with

cross-section polishing, followed by a presenta-

tion on the Viking filigree, granulation and tool

mark analysis. Next was a presentation by Mar-

tina Raedel on the application of environmental

scanning electron microscope (ESEM) equipped

with EDX to the study of different types of mate-

rials such as gold mosaics and medieval church

windows, but also to study the effectiveness of

corrosion protection systems for historical iron

and cast iron monuments and the microbial in-

festation of historical marble sculptures. The last

communication focused on the study of pre-Colum-

bian gold beads from Panama and was presented

by Ainslie Harrison. Over 2000 beads were exam-

ined, including 223 beads from recent excavations

in El Caño, from 2008 and 2009 field seasons. All

e-conservation 11

of the beads were examined for type, evidence of

manufacture, alloy composition, fabrications tech-

nique and shape. Specific features of interest,

such as flanges, circumferential grooves, chisel

marks and visible joins, were also noted for each

bead. By correlating the analytical data and ex-

ternal features of these beads, a larger picture of

the bead manufacturing processes in pre-Columbian

Panama was revealed.

The conference ended with three presentations.

Aviva Burnstock spoke about The use of SEM imag-

ing techniques for examination of paintings, show-

ing examples of the application of SEM for ques-

tions related to the surface and underlying material

structure of paintings dating from the 14th to the

20th centuries. The examples focused in features

such as surface whitening, efflorescence and

changes in the surface that resulted from selected

treatments. The second communication entitled

Metallurgy through the eyes of the SEM, by Nigel

Meeks, illustrated how SEM-EDX has been essen-

tial in revealing the materials, metallurgy, con-

struction and finishing of antiquities, from the

earliest refining of gold in Lydia, to the produc-

tion of complex multi-component jewellery in Eu-

rope and to the gold metallurgy of Central and

South America. The last presentation was a re-

view of the conference and on the future of SEM:

REVIEWS

“Current examination of organic remains preserved by metal corrosion products”, by Andrea Fischer. A view during the poster session.

12 e-conservation

REVIEWS

SEM 2010, a synopsis and a look to future direc-

tions, by Chris Jones from Hitachi.

During the two days conference the high standard

on the selection of communications and posters

was clear and it was possible to understand how

broad the application of SEM and microanalysis

techniques can be. The limitations of these tech-

niques were addressed as well as the progresses

and the more recent applications and innovations

in analysis and equipments.

Archetype Publications, in association with the

British Museum, will be publishing the conference

proceedings.

ANA BIDARRAConservator-restorer

Contact: [email protected]

Ana Bidarra has a Degree in Conservation-Resto-

ration and a Master Degree in GeoSciences on

white structured pigments for restoration. Cur-

rently she is a PhD candidate researching the

compositional and technological aspects of gold

leaf from Portuguese baroque altarpieces. She

works as conservator-restorer in private practice

since 1999.

“Inscriptions, filing and polishing marks on the bronze weapons from the Qin Terracotta Army in China”, by Xiuzhen Janice Li.

FREE

CONSERVATION

RESOURCES

Art Conservation Research

conservationresearch.blogspot.com

13e-conservation

REVIEWS

The Western Association for Art Conservation

(WAAC) recently held our annual meeting in the

city of Portland, Oregon. The meeting was spon-

sored by the University of Oregon (UO), and hosted

by the UO White Stag Block, and the AIA/Center

for Architecture. The conference was jam packed

with events including: three days of lectures, an

angels project with the Oregon Nikkei legacy Cen-

ter, a workshop on Digital Imaging Techniques for

Conservation and Education, presented by Cultural

Heritage Imaging, a silent auction to benefit the

Metropolitan Youth Symphony, a tour of the Gamb-

lin paint factory, and several receptions. There

was barely time to see the sights of the city, or

the Portland Art Museum which had graciously

extended free entry to participants, and of course

Powell's - possibly the world’s largest bookshop.

I came away from Portland with a couple of new

books, an awesome notebook from the silent auc-

tion, and a few new ideas and techniques to apply

professionally.

After opening addresses and announcements, Dr.

Tami Lasseter-Clare gave the first lecture entitled

'Uncovering Mysteries of a Chinese Burial Relic',

demonstrating the use of a variety of analytical

techniques (X-radiography, XRF, FTIR) to investi-

gate the originality, and potential dates, of various

parts of a presumed Han dynasty bronze Money

Tree, from the collections of the Portland Art

Museum. Marie Svoboda gave the second lecture

entitled 'Exploring 19th Century Restorations:

the study of Four Apulian Vases from Berlin', this

was one of my favourite lectures, covering an

important topic in the conservation field; our

own history. The lecture described a collaborative

project between Berlin's Antikensammlung and

LA's J. Paul Getty Museum to study and treat a

group of ceramic artefacts. Part of this study shed

light on the original conservator, and it was fun

to see the research and experiments that went

into discovering the methods and extent of his

work; most intriguing was the use of fired clay

blanks as a filling method. The presentation fin-

ished with the dilemma now faced by the conser-

vators; to reveal the historical artefact or to retain

the conservation work. I would argue that the

conservation evidence should be retained in at

least some cases.

After the break, Chris White gave an excellent

talk on 'Brass and Wood Screws in American Fur-

niture'. It was interesting to learn about the chro-

nology of screw production as they changed from

all handmade screws prior to 1780 to modern style

screws post 1845, into the standardization of

screw in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Chris also announced that Arlen Heginbotham at

the Getty is developing an online database of

screws and is looking for beta testers. In the next

lecture William Hoffman presented 'Silver Tarnish-

ing Properties of Gloves Used in Conservation',

WESTERN ASSOCIATION FOR ART CONSERVATION (WAAC) ANNUAL MEETING

Review by Daniel Cull

September 15 - 18, 2010

Portland, Oregon

http://cool.conservation-us.org/waac/

using Oddy testing, Beilstein tests, Azide tests,

as well as FTIR and ATR the potential to tarnish

or transfer residue onto silver objects was meas-

ured. The results did not end up with a clear cut

"best choice" glove, but demonstrated instead

that in different ways each of the gloves had a

negative effect. The WAAC business meeting was

the final point of business prior to lunch.

After lunch Kyle Jansson reviewed the current

state of the cultural heritage field in a lecture

entitled 'Finding Cures for the Common Heritage

Flu'. He presented the findings of recent consulta-

tions, unfortunately I think he identified more ill-

nesses than he did cures! Up next Jan Cavanaugh

discussed 'Art Conservation at the Jordon Schnitzer

Mueum of Art', describing how addressing environ-

mental concerns during an expansion of the mu-

seum was required for grants funding to address

the long term conservation efforts. After the break

the final round of lectures for the day began, with

Anya McDavis-Conway talking about 'The New Mex-

ico History Museum: Before and After Opening'. I

could totally relate to this, currently being involved

in opening a museum myself. It was interesting

to see the storage solutions that had been chosen,

including aluminium pallets to keep objects off of

the floor, and purpose built custom saddle mounts.

Yosi Pozeilov’s 'iPad, a New Tool for Condition Re-

porting at LACMA', was a fun final lecture for the

day that outlined how the iPad could be utilized as

a tool for conservation. Its major bonus is that it

is truly handheld and simulates the methods that

we use already.

Yoonjo Lee opened the second day with 'Parafilm

M Fills for a Mexican Lacquered Gourd vessel', this

introduced me to an approach that I'd never even

considered - although it was first published by

Marianne Webb in 1998, brilliantly innovative and

strikingly simple, just the sort of treatments I most

admire. This was followed by another fantastic

14 e-conservation

REVIEWS

paper from LACMA, this one entitled 'Nip, Tuck,

and Fill: Producing Digitally Printed Textile Infills

for a Group of Pre-Coumbian Textiles at LACMA',

presented by Lynn Bathke, with a section by Yosi

Pozeilov. During the break, examples of the prin-

ted fabric and photographs were available, I was

totally excited by this application of photoshop

to conservation. The printed fabrics were produced

in collaboration with CadFabulous, an LA based

company using a Mimaki TX4 dye-sublimation

printer, and I can honestly say they looked excel-

lent.

After the break, we were treated to two lectures

concerning salt desalination; the first, 'Desalina-

tion of Archaeological Ceramics: Measuring Progress

and Success' was presented by Chris White, in

which he presented his work around a normalized

rate equation for calculating the relative saltiness

of objects and the progress of desalination. He

outlined how current experimental results are

used to define an end point of the treatment, at

which an object is declared stable, but that we

still don't have enough results to know what

stable means. In the second paper, 'Detecting

and Identifying Testing Salts in Desalination',

Nancy Odegaard discussed the use of EM Quant

test strips as a method for semi-quantitative de-

termination of chlorides, nitrates, and sulfate

The popular 'Crow with LED Eyes' from the silent auction looks out across the conference hall. Photo by Daniel Cull, Some rights reserved.

REVIEWS

15e-conservation

ions in the bath solutions. This appears to be a

cheap and useful analytical method. The last pa-

per in this session was by Linda Lin who discussed

a 'Technical study and conservation of two Japan-

ese masks: Investigating their attributes as a pair

and stabilizing fragile matte paint', which treated

us to several examples of these fascinating masks.

After lunch there was one lecture, given by Chris

Stavroudis on 'The Modular Cleaning Program in

Practice Application to Acrylic Paintings', this is

a computer program that assists (but does not

lead) the conservator in formulating cleaning

systems. The system was developed as an off shoot

of Richard Wolbers gels cleaning project. I'm led

to believe that these systems are very effective,

but, I have never had cause to use either. The

early finish was to allow a brilliant tour, and re-

ception, at the Gamblin paint factory, led by Ro-

bert Gamblin who runs the 'conservation colors'

section of the company. It's always fascinating to

see where the products we have on the shelves in

our labs come from!

The last day of lectures saw a change of venue, and

focus. Art DeMuro began the day with 'White Stag

Building Project' a discussion of the restoration

of the building in which we had spent the last

two days. It was fascinating to see how the beau-

tiful building we had been meeting in had previ-

ously been a burnt out shell, the previous owner

having attempted to burn it down to claim the in-

surance money. This project included clever re-

uses of unusable parts of the building as artwork,

or unique furniture. The second paper of the day

'Developing Art and Object Conservation Recom-

mendations Compatible with Historic Interiors: A

Case Study' was presented by Jil Johnson, and

asked important questions about how we define

Robert Gamblin giving a tour of the Gamblin Paint Factory. Photo by Daniel Cull, Some rights reserved.

REVIEWS

16 e-conservation

the words we use, such as conservation and res-

toration, and how the different fields may use

the same words, but with different emphasis and

meaning. Next up was Tom Fuller who discussed

the 'Conservation of Chinese Alters at Kam Wah

Chung & Co.' .This lecture ran over, at the request

of the audience, and then a discussion ensued.

This site seemed to be a favourite for many at-

tendees, and the presentation was certainly a fa-

vourite of mine, and was probably most in-tune

with the ethnographic approaches I most enjoy.

After the break Brooke Masek gave a fascinating

lecture entitled 'In Pursuit of the Ideal: The Res-

toration of the Sante-Chapelle', demonstrating

how the restoration approach was both led, and

influenced, the formation of French national iden-

tity. Exploring the 19th Century ideals of restora-

tion, and how they were realized, or ignored, in

reality by their practitioners. This was followed by

Jonathan Fisher's discussion of 'The Putti Project:

Conservation of Two Zinc Fountain Sculptures',

which discussed the challenges faced in the con-

servation of two sculptures that formed part of a

water feature.

After lunch, Dr. Tami Lasseter-Clare gave another

lecture, this time on 'Understanding Performance

Properties and Limitations of Coatings for Metals'.

This was an interesting lecture and raised the con-

cern of how conservators might continue should

products we use be banned, an issue we as a pro-

fession should really be considering more widely.

The next paper was one of the most significant,

in my opinion, of the whole conference. 'Breaking

Through the Glass Ceiling: Exhibiting Art Under

Natural Light at LACMA' was presented by Mark Gil-

berg, and co-authored with Charlotte Eng and Frank

Preusser. The lecture presented a case study of the

successes and failures of a diffused natural light-

ing system, in a building designed by renowned

architect Renzo Piano. The authors suggested,

and I agree, that natural lighting is becoming

more common in the museum environment, and it

is imperative that conservators begin to share

their experiences with such lighting systems, and

mitigating the worst effects of light damage un-

der such circumstances. After the final break of

the conference Mary Slater presented 'Building

as Art: Preserving the National Maritime Museum'

which was co-authored by Paul Nachsheim, Jason

Wright, Mark McMillan, Katharine Untch, and

David Wessel, the Museum building was originally

designed to look like an Ocean Liner and was a

Works Progress Administration (WPA) project, and

a team of artists decorated it throughout. The

restoration project included both in-situ restora-

tion, replacement of materials with non-corrosive

but visually similar alternatives, and removal of

parts of the building for lab based conservation:

a wonderful project, for a wonderful building.

The final paper of the conference was 'Conserva-

tion and Beyond: The Fire Restoration of the Gov-

ernor's Ceremonial Suite in the Oregon State Capitol'

by Peter Miejer, this paper discussed the collab-

orative efforts to conserve this building, work-

ing with conservators, preservation architects,

design architects, owners, insurance represent-

atives, and not least the politicians who would

use the building. This paper really highlighted

the challenges and achievements of working in a

cross-disciplinary manner that was the focus of

this final day.

After three days of papers, and other activities, the

conference closed by thanking all the presenters,

attendees, and the outgoing WAAC President Marie

Laibinis Craft for organizing the conference. This

brief review can barely shed light on the high

standard of the papers, and the discussions that

took place. I certainly took some new ideas away

from the conference, and that, I think, is the lit-

mus test of a quality conference.

By Andre AlexanderPhotos by friends of Leh, August 5-7, 2010

DEVASTATING FLOOD IN LADAKH, INDIA

NEWS

A Support Program by Tibet Heritage Fund

e-conservation 17

On August 5, Ladakh experienced exceptionally

heavy rain, referred to as cloudburst. This trig-

gered flashfloods and mud slides, hitting lower

Leh, Choklamsar, Sabu, Shey, Basgo, Nyemo, Skor-

buchen, Dhar Hanu and other villages, causing

untold destruction and so far about 200 confirmed

deaths. More than 200 buildings were completely

destroyed, and further 800 were damaged build-

ings. According to official count, 1188 households

have been affected across Ladakh. No one can re-

call similar heavy rain or a similar catastrophe in

living memory.

Leh's historic old town has not been affected,

and neither have most temples and monasteries.

Indeed, everywhere it was more recent buildings

and settlements that have been affected, suggest-

ing that in the ancient past, people have been more

careful about where to build. Especially hard hit

was the Tibetan refugee settlement at Choglamsar,

established in the 1960s.

For over a week, Leh was cut of from the rest of

Ladakh, as roads and bridges were also washed

away. There was no electricity and telephony, and

even the airport was damaged and closed for one

day. The Indian army quickly rebuilt bridges, cleared

the airport runway and the major roads. Eventu-

ally, electricity supply and the telephone systems

were restored. Many houses were filled to the

brink with hardening mud. Volunteers from all

sectors of Ladakhi life, Buddhist, Muslims, sol-

diers, monks and tourist helped to dig out these

houses, sometimes making terrible discoveries

inside.

Help is coming from abroad and from other parts

of India, but in an uncoordinated fashion. The

government and Indian donors are building one-

or two-room shelters, from pre-cast concrete slabs

that are brought up. These are not at all suitable to

the climate of Ladakh and the life-style of its peo-

ple, the coming winter will be very grim in a con-

crete box. Some local Ladakhi NGOs advocate to

build such shelters from concrete-enforced com-

pressed bricks, but manufacture of such special-

ized materials is slow, and winter is approaching.

Chumikchan Cowshed damage.

Detail of damaged modern concrete-frame building at new bus-stand, Leh.

18

NEWS

e-conservation

THF is helping to prevent collapse of damaged

historic buildings in Leh, mainly on the edge of

the historic old town, and has assessed buildings

for their safety, advising whether families can re-

turn to their houses or not. Certainly, next spring

the government and all concerned bodies will have

to take a lot of precautions to prevent the cata-

strophe from recurring. Most Ladakhis blame the

climate change, saying historically it has never

rained much in Ladakh (12th century wall-paint-

ings in simple buildings with flat mud roofs seem

to bear witness to this). Flood diversion channels

can be built, drainage improved, and protective

walls raised above settlements. Some building

locations may have to be abandoned. But to bring

everyone over the winter, THF is proposing an al-

ternative to building comparatively expensive

shelters (between 2000-4000 Euro) that may not

be suited to the local climate, and that may only

be needed for six months.

We found that it only takes two skilled masons and

some helpers to make at least one room in each

of the damaged buildings safe for the family to

stay over winter. No expenses for new building ma-

terials are necessary, as everything from a tradi-

tional Ladakhi building can be recycled - including

the mud bricks for the walls.

Donations to support this program can be sent to:THF non-profit account in Germany

Account holder: Tibet Heritage Fund

Bank name: Berliner Volksbank

Account Nr. 7104 19 2003

BLZ 100 900 00

SWIFT/BIC BEVODEBB

IBAN: DE03 1009 0000 7104 1920 03

Volunteers at work cleaning the debris from the new bus-stand area.

Panoramic view of the damage suffered at lower Leh from the mudslide.

Are you reading this?So is everybody else...

e-conservationline

For advertisingand other information on publicity,

please contact

[email protected]

and request a copy of our mediakit.

even

tsThe events in this section are linked to the

original homepage of the organisers or to the

calendar of events at www.conservationevents.com.

Click on "Read more..." to find out more details

about each event.

EuroMed2010Digital Cultural Heritage and Digital Libraries

Date: 8-13 November Read more...

Place: Limassol, Cyprus

The EuroMed2010 joint event will focus on inter-

disciplinary and multi-disciplinary research con-

cerning both cutting edge Cultural Heritage

Informatics and use of technology for the rep-

resentation, documentation, preservation, ar-

chiving and communication of CH knowledge.

The main goal is to illustrate the programs un-

derway, whether organised by public bodies or

by private foundations in order to promote a

common approach to the tasks of recording,

documenting, protecting and managing World

Cultural Heritage.

29th Dyes in History and Archaeology Meeting

Date: 11-12 November Read more...

Place: Lisbon, Portugal

Dyes in History and Archaeology (DHA), an in-

ternational group of experts with multi­discip-

linary backgrounds, has met every year since

1982 to discuss chemical, analytical, biological,

historical, and technological aspects of natural

and synthetic dyestuffs. The conference will fo-

cus on all issues concerning dyes, namely their

production, diverse properties, and historical

implications. The topics presented will be of in-

terest to conservators, curators, art historians,

craftsmen, artists and scientists.

Nove

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0

Colours, Early Textiles Study Group (ETSG) Meeting

In/Visible TownsArchaeology and Cultural Heritage in Urban Areas

15th Workshop - International Conference on Cultural Her-

itage and New Technologies

Date: 15-17 November Read more...

Place: Vienna, Austria

The conference will focus on the special challenge pre-

sented by archaeology in an urban environment that has

become a motor, an impulse-giver, for development and

innovation – in project design, excavation philosophy

and technology.

Date: 19-20 November Read more...

Place: Euston, London

From status statements to mourning dress, colours

have played a crucial part in textiles through time and

across cultures. Colours can be dramatically combined

or worn separately. Specific colours can identify the

owner, his or her allegiances, state of mind and state of

purse. Conference papers will examine textiles from

various areas, dating up to 1600.

e-conservation

Nove

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0

SMARTDoc HeritageHeritage Recording & Information Management in

the Digital Age

Date: 19-20 November Read more...

Place: Philadelphia, USA

Digital tools and media offer a myriad of new opportuni-

ties for collecting, analyzing and disseminating informa-

tion about heritage sites. Issues regarding the proper,

innovative and research-focused uses of digital media

in heritage conservation are an urgent topic in the global

heritage conservation field.

7th International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation

And the Workshop on Documentation and Conservation of

Stone Deterioration in Heritage Places

Date: 7-12 December Read more...

Place: Petra, Jordan

The Workshop will focus on documentation and conserva-

tion of stone. Organized jointly with by the ICOMOS Sci-

entific Committees of Heritage Documentation (CIPA,

Stone Committee (ISCS), and ICAHM) the workshop is

aimed at gathering a multidisciplinary group of heritage

documentation and conservation specialists around the

issue of the use of advanced recording techniques for

identifying, maping, and understanding weathering

forms and processes affecting the significance and

integrity of cultural heritage surfaces.

CALL FOR PAPERS: 2nd International Conference on Salt Weathering of Buildings and Stone Sculptures

Date: 24-25 Septembe Read more...

Place: Austin, Texas, USA

The conference organised by the Building Materials La-

boratory of the University of Cyprus follows a very suc-

cessful first meeting that was held in Copenhagen, Den-

mark in October 2008. It will take place in Limassol, at

the newly renovated 5-star Grand Resort, between 19-22

October 2011. The meeting is open to both practitioners

and researchers and it is anticipated to address general

salt-related problems and decay mechanisms, the key

parameters controlling salt crystallisation and new con-

servation approaches and materials.

The deadline for abstract submission is 17 December 2010.

For more information, please visit the conference web-

site or send an email to [email protected].

Works of Art and Conservation Science Today

NODEM10Nordic Digital Excellence in Museums

From Place to Presence. Digital media breaking boundaries

between inside, outside and virtual spaces, in heritage

institutions

Date: 24-26 November Read more...

Place: Copenhagen, Denmark

NODEM is a bi-annual conference that explores the role

of digital media in museums. One of the most striking

features of digital media in museums today is their po-

tential for linking and integrating resources, spaces and

users in an abundance of ways. Museums can share con-

tent and gain exposure as well as work across online and

onsite, users can contribute to knowledge production

and choose between different exhibition platforms, and

experiences and knowledge can be mediated through a

variety of channels.

Date: 26-28 November Read more...

Place: Thessaloniki, Greece

The central aim of the Symposium is to bring together

renowned scientists and experts from all over the

world, who will present the state-of-the-art in

conservation science and practice, and exchange views

on key issues related to the preservation of our cultural

heritage. The Symposium will address major fields of

conservation science including modern diagnostic

techniques, materials for conservation, paintings,

metals and ceramics, pigments and dyes, textiles,

wood, paper and manuscripts. Basic theme in one of

the main panels will be the Education/Curriculum of

Conservation Science today.

The symposium will be held in the facilities of Byzantine

Culture and Archaeological museums and the University

Ecclesiastical Academy, according to the program.

Nove

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21e-conservation

e-conservation magazine offers the possibility to publish bilingual articles in the html version. Articles inEnglish may also be published in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian, at authors request.

arti

cles

AREAS OF PUBLISHING

Conservation TreatmentMural Painting

Painting

Stone

Sculpture

Textiles

Paper / Documents

Photography

Metals

Tile / Ceramic / Glass

Furniture

Music instruments

Ethnographic assets

Archeological objects

Conservation ScienceScientific research

Material studies and characterisation

Analytical techniques

Technology development

Biodeterioration

State-of-the-art

Reviews

Preventive ConservationTheoretic principles

Case studies

Documentation in ConservationStandardisation

Documentation methods

Data management

Conservation TheoryEthics

Conservation History

Art History, Iconography,

Iconology, Chemistry, Physics,

Biology, Photography, Cultural

Management, Museology,

Computer Science, Legislation

and Juridical Processes,

Conservation Policies

and any other field applied to

Conservation and Restoration

of works of art.

Find out more: www.e-conservationline.com

e-conservation

Ivory has been used in the creation of objects since the beginning of civilization, due to its prized durability and appearance. Early uses included weaponry, musical instruments, religious pieces, personal artifacts, decorative items, artistic pieces, and occasionally, book covers. Three small books from the Library and Archives Canada study collection were suspected to have ivory covers. Various identification tests were administered on the book covers, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis confirmed their elephant ivory composition. However, related literature and other existing examples of ivory covered books are rare. In contrast, the use of ivory in portrait miniatures is extensively researched. Library and Archives Canada has over 130 portrait miniatures, and has successfully treated many of these. Comparison between the history, processing, and risks of deterioration of these two applications of ivory revealed many similarities. From this, similar conservation techniques of portrait miniatures are proposed for use on ivory book covers.

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS AND COMPARISON TO

IVORY PORTRAIT MINIATURES

by Josie Wornoff

Introduction

The cover material of four small books (Figure 1)

was the subject of a research project at Library

and Archives Canada (LAC). Three of the books

appeared to be produced of ivory or an ivory sub-

stitute, and the fourth resembled tortoiseshell or

horn. Information was gathered on the history

and characteristics of ivory and ivory substitutes,

while identification tests were administered to

determine the exact compositions of the book

covers.

Extensive research revealed that there is very

little mention of ivory book covers in literature.

Though these ivory book covers are quite rare,

there are currently over 130 portrait miniatures

in the LAC collection. Since the history of ivory

use, ivory processing, and risks of deterioration

are very similar between ivory book covers and

ivory portrait miniatures, similar conservation

recommendations are proposed for use on ivory

book covers.

Identification of Ivory

There are many methods of testing for ivory, yet

there is no test that is reliable, simple, and inex-

pensive [1]. In fact, reliability is limited because

most tests can only prove that a substance is not

ivory, and cannot avoid a destructive aspect in

order to provide this diagnosis [1].

Testing methods

Preliminary examination revealed certain mor-

phological characteristics that aided in material

identification. For example, the size of the covers

indicated that they could not be composed of

smaller proteinaceous materials such as antler

or horn [2]. Photography under various lighting

conditions also revealed important details, such

as ivory grain patterns under transmitted light.

Lamellae grain patterns are present in longitudi-

nal cuts in ivory tusks, whereas Lines of Shreger

are present in cross-sections which provide dis-

tinction from mammoth ivory [1].

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

Figure 1. For referral purposes, from left to right: Book 3, Book 1, Book 2, and Book 4.

25e-conservation

Ultraviolet light was also used to distinguish blue-

purple fluorescing ivory [3], from darker and dull

synthetic materials [4]. The three small ivory

books each fluoresced a bright colour, while the

added resins revealed a green colour. Book 4 fluo-

resced a dull, mottled colour, but identification

guidelines for tortoiseshell or horn were incon-

clusive (Figure 2).

Many polymer imitations of ivory will melt or burn

under heated conditions [3]. A hot needle was

applied to the surface of each cover, leaving only

a small black dot on the first three books, indi-

cating true ivory [4]. However, Book 4 became

very soft with heat, and the needle entered read-

ily, disfiguring the surface (Figure 3). Similarly,

a small shaving of each book cover was held in a

flame to perform a burn test. A shaving of cellu-

loid or other substitute will burn rapidly and com-

pletely, often releasing the odor of camphor which

was used to increase strength and decrease flam-

mability of cellulose nitrate [5]. The shaving of the

ivory substances smelled vaguely of bone, but the

odour of the brown book was distinctively burn-

ing plastic.

A chemical test that would have been more conclu-

sive is the diphenylamine spot test. A blue-violet

stain will appear within seconds if cellulose nitrate

JOSIE WORNOFF

Figure 2. Ivory fluorescence during ultraviolet light testing.

Figure 3. Hot needle test on Book 4.

Figure 4. FT-IR spectroscopy testing at CCI on Book 1.

26 e-conservation

is present, and any other colour or no colour change

indicates cellulose nitrate is not present [6]. This

test would have been successful in determining

that the brown book was in fact cellulose nitrate,

but not aid in identifying the other books.

Scientific Analysis

Finally, a conclusive test was administered. Scott

Williams, Senior Conservation Scientist at the Ca-

nadian Conservation Institute (CCI), performed

Fourier Transform Near Infrared Reflectance Spec-

troscopy testing on the four books as well as an

elephant ivory sample [7] (Figure 4). A LabSpec

Pro NIR spectrometer (Analytical Spectral Devices)

with a bifurcated fibre optic reflection probe was

used to gather spectra from each material [7]. The

characterization of the material is determined by

its molecular interaction with the infrared radia-

tion which originates a characteristic spectrum

[8].The spectra were then arranged on graphs in

comparison with the spectra of reference materi-

als of known compositions [7].

From the gathered spectra, it is evident that Book

1, Book 2 and Book 3 are each pure elephant ivory

(Figure 5). Every spectrum of each book (except

Book 4) is very closely related to the sample spec-

tra of a known elephant tusk. However, Book 4 did

not closely compare to the elephant tusk sample

at all. However, it did relate closely to sample spec-

tra from cellulose nitrate (Figure 6) Therefore, it

was concluded with certainty that Book 1, Book 2,

and Book 3 are made of true elephant ivory, and

Book 4 is made of cellulose nitrate.

History of Ivory Use

Early man utilized as much of mammoths as pos-

sible, beginning the tradition of ivory use in both

utilitarian and decorative objects [3]. Early uses

included weaponry, musical instruments, religious

pieces, personal artifacts, decorative items, artistic

pieces, and parts for games [3]. Ivory became as-

sociated with gold and silver as a luxurious com-

modity, used especially for decorating objects of

value [1].

Figure 5. Spectra of Book 1, Book 2, and Book 3 compared to sample ivory (red) (Graph: Scott Williams).

Covers and embellishments for all books have spectra similar to elephant ivory (red trace).

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

27e-conservation

Along with its ability to outlast other common ma-

terials such as paper, cloth, and wood, ivory is

also prized for its clean beauty, smoothness, and

ability to show a bright gloss [1]. The ivory book

covers feature these aesthetic qualities, but the

relatively good condition indicates that they were

likely on display as revered religious objects in

accordance with historical fashionable use.

Ivory Use in Book Covers

The use of ivory in book covers has rarely been fo-

cused on in the past; however, it is occasionally

mentioned in literature regarding general ivory

use. The three books are each comprised of two

pieces of thin ivory to serve as book covers, and

on Book 2, a third piece for a spine. However, a

more common practice throughout history was

to repurpose two plaques or the two pieces of a

diptych to enclose written material.

An early use of ivory books is mentioned in the 275

C.E. Roman history Scriptores Historiae Augustae

[9]. Ivory panels were used to record names and

deeds of emperors, which was a tradition that ex-

tended to the later Roman and Byzantine courts.

This confirms the continued early use of ivory

books on ceremonial occasions, and indicates

that the book format was likely two tablets hinged

together.

In the Early Middle Ages, ivory continued to be

highly revered and was used sparingly for impor-

tant commissions, which included the covers of

imperial manuscripts [10]. Many of the ivory ob-

jects made in the Late Roman and Early Medieval

periods, including consular diptychs and ivory

book covers, have survived above ground to the

present day. This unique preservation is due to a

combination of the material’s durability and the

traditions sanctioned by church and state through-

out history [10].

In addition to ceremonial recognition and imperial

documentation, ivory was very commonly used to

emphasize the importance of religious imagery

Figure 6. Spectra of Book 4 compared to cellulose nitrate (red) and ivory (grey) (Graph: Scott Williams).

The spectra of the cover and cross are nearly identical to each other and to that of a reference sample of cellulose nitrate (red trace), but differ from ivory (grey trace) and tortoiseshell (pink trace). Cellulose nitrate was commonly used to simulate tortoiseshell.

JOSIE WORNOFF

28 e-conservation

and texts. The Carolingian period marked a revival

of ivory carving [10], particularly in ecclesiastical

furniture, reliquaries, and book covers [1]. Char-

lemagne sought to recreate the glory and culture of

ancient civilizations by having scribes and artists

copy classical texts and illustrations, including

many books of lavish miniatures and gold and/or

ivory covers [10]. After the Carolingian revival,

ivory continued to be used for making fine book

covers for treatises of special merit or religious

manuscripts [1].

A less figurative and more decorative design be-

came more common in the later years. This is more

representative of the simple, elegant designs of

the three deaccessioned books, as they are from

the late 19th century. Book 1 has four fleur-de-lis

additions on the front and back, and an ink em-

blem on the center medallion. Book 2 has a simple

yet beautiful oval medallion and surrounding en-

graving, while Book 3 includes an asymmetrical

center addition.

Ivory Use in Portrait Miniatures

The use of ivory in books seems to have not expe-

rienced a specific period of use, but rather was in

use periodically throughout history. In contrast,

portrait miniatures were very popular during a

400 year time period. Both ivory objects are in-

tended to show a kind of devotion; these particu-

lar books to display religious beliefs, and the por-

trait miniatures to commemorate a loved one or

important figure. The books were likely on display

in a home when they were not in use as a Catholic

missal to celebrate Mass throughout the year, how-

ever, the miniatures were often more personal than

for display.

Notably, early portrait miniatures were derived

from illuminated manuscripts. From the 1460s,

handwritten books had to compete with printed

books, so miniaturists continued to illustrate books

but also offered patrons independent miniatures

[11]. In the 1520s, individual portraits in mini-

ature size were first produced at French and Eng-

lish courts on a portable piece of parchment or

vellum [11]. This transfer of art technique relied

on an understanding of the close association be-

tween the materials and techniques of the illumi-

nated book and the early miniature on parchment

[12]. It is interesting to consider the implication

on portrait miniatures had an early ivory book been

present and considered for the same transfer of

application.

Instead, small scale portrait images were painted

in a range of materials, styles, and techniques,

from water-based paints on paper or card supports,

to fired enamels on gold or copper supports, and

oil paints on metal, stone, glass and tortoiseshell

[12]. However, the most significant early methods

of painting portraits were on parchment or vellum,

called limnings, becoming known as portrait mini-

atures in the 18th century when they began to be

painted on ivory [12].

The first watercolour portraits on ivory tablets

were attributed to the Venetian artist Rosalba

Carriera [13]. These were initially used as bases

or lids for boxes [13], much like the repurposing

of diptychs and plaques for early ivory books.

Carriera gathered fame throughout Europe for

the beauty of the ivory visible through the trans-

parent paint in flesh coloured areas [13]. By 1710,

artists internationally faced pressure to conform

to this new fashion despite the difficulty of paint-

ing watercolour on the unabsorbent ivory [13].

After the introduction of ivory as a support for por-

trait miniatures, parchment use began to decline

until it stopped entirely [12]. The popularity of the

portrait miniature was decreasing by 1839 with the

introduction of the daguerreotype, a few decades

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

29e-conservation

before these books were produced in Europe. How-

ever, it is likely that the materials and techniques

from portrait miniatures remained readily avail-

able to adapt to the production of these ivory

book covers.

Ivory Processing

Due to the lack of published information on ivory

books, it is only possible to infer how the covers

were formed. However, there are many resources

on the general processing of ivory, as well as tech-

niques used to make ivory leaves for miniatures.

First the brownish outer bark-like layer is removed

[1], followed by the seasoning, cutting, smooth-

ing, and forming of ivory into a sheet.

Ivory is hygroscopic, like wood [14]. Therefore,

seasoning is required to allow for natural shrink-

age; weight losses of up to 4% have been recorded

[1]. Without controlled drying, ivory will likely

crack or warp [15]. However, it is an otherwise

ideal material to process due to its dense, virtu-

ally grainless and evenly textured nature [10].

Many tools and techniques have been used to cut

ivory throughout history. Many cutting and carv-

ing tools were employed, including: saws, shears,

rasps, files, drills, punches, chisels, picks, scrapers,

and a variety of knives and similar cutting instru-

ments. For flat sections, the broad surfaces were

cut radially to show the edges of the ivory’s lamel-

lae, or tangentially to create a finer looking ivory

with less noticeable grain [15].

During the popularity of portrait miniatures, ivory

sheets were available for purchase in pre-cut sheets

called leaves [16]. These leaves were cut length-

wise from the elephant’s tusk [16]. The ivory book

covers are each around 1 mm thick, slightly thick-

er than most portrait miniature leaves, yet quite

similar (Figures 7 and 8).

Figures 6-8. Sampling in Coptic fragments codes from the National Archaeological Museum. From up to down: 15064; 15065 and 1976/130/11. Photos by José Baztan.

Figure 7. Verso of a portrait miniature revealing the longitu-

dinal lamellae of ivory.

Figure 8. Characteristic ivory longitudinal grain patterns in Book 1.

JOSIE WORNOFF

30 e-conservation

Ancient carvers managed to hand cut ivory into

a thin veneer cylinder, which was cut into pieces

and subsequently softened and mounted upon the

curved faces and hands of sculptures [1]. Medieval

book covers may have been made this way as there

are some early surviving ivory book covers as large

as 30 cm square [1].

The size of leaves was limited by the diameter of

tusks, until technology developed for the produc-

tion of larger sheets of ivory in the early 19th cen-

tury [16]. Ivory was spiral cut with a reciprocating

saw into a scroll, steamed until soft, then subjected

to hydraulic pressure to flatten to a desired size

[16]. The resulting ivory had an increased flexibility,

a finer polish, and less grain patterns [17], but the

surface was often wavy and needed to be laid down

on stiff card before painting could begin [16].

Miniaturists were traditionally concerned about

the permanence and stability of their ivory leaves

[16]. Veneer cut ivory proved undesirable as the

ivory was prone to shattering into thin, parallel

segments [16]. Therefore, miniaturists continued

to cut leaves in the traditional manner, just as they

continued to use the same materials and techniques

since the 18th century [16]. Since watercolour paint

did not readily adhere to the ivory material, mini-

ature leaves required the extra steps of degreasing,

whitening, and scraping [18].

Risks for Deterioration of Ivory

The most common instances of ivory deterioration

are warping, cracking and complications arising

from added materials. Ivory is a relatively stable

material, but only in a constant environment [19].

It is an anisotropic material, and is therefore sus-

ceptive to warping and cracking on exposure to

heat or moisture [3]. Thin artifacts such as mini-

atures and book covers are especially vulnerable,

as even moisture and heat from hands may be

damaging [3].

Warping

The risk of warping is increased when the ivory is

mounted on stiff backing cards, restricting natural

Figure 9. Severe warp of a portrait miniature at LAC.

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

31e-conservation

movement [12]. Ivory should be allowed to expand

or contract with changes in temperature, which

will be at a different rate than of the paper [1]. The

front of the ivory sheet shrinks laterally, while the

back is restrained by the glue and paper [20]. Warp-

ing often occurs parallel to the grain [20] in an

even, concave curvature [21].

Many miniatures have a slight warp, but it is often

considered acceptable if it is not too extreme [21]

(Figure 9). The ivory covers on Book 2 are moder-

ately warped, similar to portrait miniatures with

restricting backing cards (Figure 10). A sign of

unstable warping is irregular buckling caused by

stresses between the ivory and an unevenly at-

taching backing [21]. This will eventually cause

cracking and splitting [1].

Cracking

Often there is insufficient room within the frame

of a miniature to allow the ivory to react to atmos-

pheric conditions, causing the ivory to warp and

crack [22]. This is seen on Book 3, as the metal

casing is restricting movement of the ivory book

covers, worsening the warp into a more uneven,

unstable buckling. The fabrication of these three

books is inherently faulty, as the covers cannot

stay adhered to the board as well as clasped for a

long amount of time. Either the ivory piece lifts

from the front cover and stays clasped, or the ivory

stays attached but the clasp breaks off. This is

evident on Book 1 and Book 2, respectively (Fig-

ure 11).

Added materials

Ivory book covers are essentially a combination of

materials, so there are often anticipated problems

with added materials. Metals provide a great aes-

thetic contrast with ivory; however, the materials

react differently to environmental conditions. Sud-

den changes in temperature expand metal more

than the brittle ivory, putting an undue mechan-

ical pressure on the area [4]. Galvanic currents

are formed between materials with diverse elec-

Figure 10. Moderate warp of Book 2.

JOSIE WORNOFF

32 e-conservation

trical potential, which weakens the ivory creating

cracks [4]. This often occurs at the point of con-

tact between the ivory and the metal, as seen in

Book 3 where cracks have occurred and Book 2 has

even broken off into pieces at the areas in contact

with the metal hinges (Figure 12).

Paint films suffer crazing, cracking and peeling

due to improper preparation of the paint or the

ivory support [12]. Watercolour paint is very sus-

ceptible to any moisture, including relative humid-

ity, cleaning solutions, and general water staining

[12]. None of the books have painting on them,

though Book 1 has an intricate ink design on the

center medallion.

Conservation

The unique problems associated with ivory require

specialized conservation. Much of the damage on

the ivory book covers is similar to that of portrait

miniatures and more general ivory objects. Treat-

ments for portrait miniatures may be adapted to

ivory book covers, specifically focused on basic

cleaning, minimizing warp, and repairing cracks

and losses.

Figure 11. The completely detached ivory cover of Book 1.

Figure 12. The broken edge on Book 2 due to stress of previous clasp.

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

33e-conservation

Cleaning

Basic cleaning of portrait miniatures should be

done with a soft brush, cloth, or leather [21].

Water and mild soap cannot be applied on thin films

of ivory as they are particularly susceptible to

water damage [3] and may cause condensation,

water damage, or mould [12]. The ivory is quite

dirty on all three books, especially in recessed areas.

Dry clean methods such as a stiff brush should be

used to enter all depressions to remove surface

dirt while leaving the natural patina. A dry, soft

cloth may also be used to rub the exterior to ex-

tract the natural oils of the ivory.

The preservation of original frames and cases are

an important aspect of the conservation of mini-

ature portraits. If a frame requires cleaning, a

damp swab may be applied locally after removal

of miniature, or it may be polished with a soft

flannel cloth or Hagerty Jewelry Cloth [23]. The

metal clasps on Book 1 and Book 3 and the frame

on Book 3 may benefit from polishing with these

techniques.

Aged ivory develops a yellowish patina which is

natural to the object and should not be removed

[14]. However, removal of water stains and aged

varnish may be desired for aesthetic purposes on

portrait miniatures. Acetone may be used to dis-

solve aged adhesive or varnish, and a scalpel to

mechanically remove the rest [23]. The appearance

of water damage can be minimized by coloured

pencils [23]. Book 3 appears to have a discoloured

Figure 13. Adhesive staining overall on Book 3.

JOSIE WORNOFF

34 e-conservation

varnish applied over the ivory, distracting from the

natural beauty of the underlying ivory. Acetone

swab could be used to remove varnish, however it

is likely too risky to attempt removal of the var-

nish as the ivory is inset into the metal frames

(Figure 13).

Warping

The removal of backings from portrait miniatures

often reduces the pressure that is causing them

to warp [24]. Miniatures are placed face down

and a thin scalpel blade is used to peel away the

backing, ensuring it is secure on a curved support.

Adhesives may require softening with a damp blot-

ter [23], less than 50% ethanol in water [20], or

10% Laponite solution through a tissue [23]. In

miniatures, the backing cards are an addition to

facilitate painting of the ivory. In books, the back-

ings are the book board, an integral part of the

structure and intention of the object. Thus des-

pite warping, it is not advisable to remove the

ivory from the card, nor reline the ivory.

The warping of ivory is a serious issue for portrait

miniatures as it affects the delicate paint layer and

may escalate until the ivory exceed the dimensions

of its case [22]. Ivory pieces can be placed in a

chamber conditioned with silica gel at 65-70%

RH for 10 minutes up to 2-5 hours, then clamped

between Plexiglas® sheets [23]. This successfully

relaxes ivory to a more flattened state.

In addition, a Gore-Tex® humidifying system has

been adapted from paper conservation to flatten

miniatures on ivory [24]. The miniature is placed

concave side down, between layers of Gore-Tex®,

silicon paper, blotting paper, and plastic [25]. Gore-

Tex® allows a controlled amount of moisture to

pass through the ivory, and if necessary, increased

weighting will gradually flatten the ivory in 4-8

hours [26].

Though the silica gel and Gore-Tex® methods do

reduce irregular distortions, it is often not pos-

sible or wise to attempt to completely flatten the

miniature [24]. A safe alternative to attempting

to force the ivory flat is simply to accept some

distortion [24]. In fact, specialized sink mats can

be made with 2-ply rag board [23] or Plastazone,

which allow responses to changes in environment

from the portrait miniatures [24].

Though there is a significant warp in the ivory of

these books, flattening treatment is not recom-

mended. There are too many mixed materials in

the books to attempt flattening. Each of these

materials would respond differently to the mois-

ture introduced in flattening treatments. Further-

more, Book 1 and Book 2 exhibit natural curving

which do not conform to the text block, nor should

it be forced. Book 3 shows restrained buckling

that is caused by various pressures exerted from

the metal framing, adhesive and varnish. If these

pieces were detached, they would benefit from a

relaxing treatment from either silica gel chamber

or a Gore-Tex® procedure.

Cracking

Ivory cracks and losses are the result of former

stresses and distortions, meaning pieces may not

align and will be difficult to successfully repair

[19]. Thus, they should be treated in the early

stages as soon as possible to avoid increased dam-

age [24]. Unfortunately, very extreme warping

and cracking of ivory is essentially irreversible [3].

Prior to treatment of ivory cracks, individual pieces

must be flattened first [20], with the backing pa-

per removed [24].

Experimentation to find the ideal adhesive for

treating ivory resulted in nearly every material

being used in the past [27]. Mowilith DMC2 is

currently recommended based on CCI test results,

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

35e-conservation

and is the one favoured at the Victoria & Albert

Museum (V&A) for ivory miniatures [24]. Cracks

are repaired with a thin Japanese paper and Mo-

wilith DMC2 from the back of the miniature [24].

If this is not strong enough, another highly suc-

cessful method is the local application of cyano-

acrylate adhesive (IKG) in small dots along the

crack [23].

Any remaining gaps may be filled with a high melt-

ing point microcrystalline wax toned with pigments

and softened with solvent [20]. Other methods

include cellulose powder mixed with Klucel L in

ethanol, or filling larger areas with highly burn-

ished pieces of paper [22]. Coloured Polyfilla, a

water-miscible cellulose filler, can also be used due

to its ease of workability and low strength which

allows ivory movement [28]. A wax and resin mix-

ture has also proven very successful, and can easily

be toned with coloured pencils [23].

The only cracking present is on Book 3 where the

pin for the clasp is attached (Figure 14). Since the

pin remains inside the ivory, and the ivory is se-

cured together by the metal frames, the crack is

fairly stable. It is best to discretely adhere cracks

from the back, so access would need to be great-

er than that of these attached backs. If possible,

Mowilith DMC2 and Japanese paper could be ap-

plied, and if this was too weak to adhere the nat-

ural break, dots of cyanoacrylate applied from the

back would also work.

Book 2 has a moderate area of loss on its back cover

where the clasp had originally attached. The book

is not at high risk of becoming more cracked; the

previous damage was due to the metal addition

which is now gone. If desired for aesthetic pur-

poses, the loss could be successfully filled by a wax

and resin mixture, tinted with a yellow tone to match

the patina [23]. If the books were to be used to be

read, or looked through often, the covers would

need to be more stable. But as such, they continue

to display the intended beauty of ivory in a unique

manner.

Preservation Recommendations

Similar to ivory miniatures, the books should be

wrapped in stiff, acid-free tissue and placed in

sturdy boxes [29]. The detaching covers of Book

1 and Book 2 may continue to be stored around

the books, to prevent any irregular warping. Spe-

cialized sink mats should be made, to accommod-

ate both the curve of the ivory’s warp and the depth

of the books. Conditions should be maintained at

the optimal level for any ivory object; temperature

between 19-25ºC, relative humidity between 45-

55% RH with no more than a 5% change in a 24

hour period, and illumination levels below 150

lux with the ultraviolet light (UV) restricted to

50 lux and 30 µW per lumen at most for portrait

miniatures [3]. The fragile books should be handled

with cotton gloves and supported by a padded

block [3].

Conclusion

Indeed, these ivory books are quite unique, yet at

the same time are closely related to ivory portrait

miniatures. The history of the use of ivory in the

two objects overlaps as miniatures got their start

Figure 14. Crack in the cover of Book 3.

JOSIE WORNOFF

36 e-conservation

from illuminated manuscripts, though declined

in popularity by the time these books were made.

Cutting and veneering techniques were much

the same, as well as consequent risks of deteri-

oration.

Similarities in history of ivory use, ivory processing,

and risks of deterioration led to a comparison of

conservation techniques. Though the book covers

are in poor condition, it is due to the inherent vice

of the ivory book structure. Thus, conservation

treatment may not yield lasting effects, so admin-

istering preventive conservation practices in or-

der to prevent further damage would be a more

appropriate approach.

Through research on the history of ivory use in

book covers, it is evident that there has been a

long tradition which may have ended around the

time of these three examples. They are thus in a

stable enough condition to display the delicate

and beautiful craftsmanship of ivory in the unique

form of book covers. Furthermore, this comparison

has revealed the impact that the growing know-

ledge of portrait miniatures in Canada is begin-

ning to have on other areas of conservation.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Library and Archives

Canada as well as the following people for their

invaluable assistance: Anne Maheux and Genevieve

Samson at LAC for all their support; Scott Williams

and Tom Stone at the Canadian Conservation In-

stitute for examining and analyzing the ivory ma-

terials; Gayle McIntyre at Fleming College for her

encouragement and feedback; Alan Derbyshire

at the Victoria and Albert Museum for the use of

his photographs; Maria Bedynski at LAC for shar-

ing her expertise in portrait miniatures; and es-

pecially Lynn Curry at LAC for her inspiration and

mentorship throughout this entire project.

References

[1] B. Burack, Ivory and its Uses, Charles E. Tuttle Company, Rutland, Vermont, USA, 1984

[2] O. Krzyszkowska, Ivory and Related Materials: an Illustrated Guide, Institute of Classical Studies, London, 1990

[3] I. M. Godfrey, “Ivory, Bone and Related Materials”, D. Gilroy and I. M. Godfrey (eds.) A Practical Guide to the Conservation and Care of Collections, Western Australian Museum, Perth, 1998, pp. 47-52

[4] G. Matthaes, The Art Collector's Illustrated Hand- book, Museo d'Arte e Scienza, Milan, 1997 [5] J. Thornton, The Structure of Ivory and Ivory Substitutes, A.I.C. Preprints of Ninth Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, 1981, pp. 173-181

[6] S. Williams, “The Diphenylamine Spot Test for Cel- lulose Nitrate in Museum Objects”, CCI Notes 17/2, Canadian Conservation Institute, Ottawa, 1994, URL (accessed October 2009)

[7] S. Williams, CCI 120102: Near Infrared Spectroscopic Analysis of Ivory Book Covers, Canadian Conserva- tion Institute, Ottawa, 2009, unpublished report

[8] E. O. Espinoza, and M.-J. Mann, Identification Guide for Ivory and Ivory Substitutes, Washington D.C., World Wildlife Fund and The Conservation Founda- tion, 1991, URL (accessed September 2009)

[9] C.L. Connor, The Color of Ivory: Polychromy on Byzantine Ivories, Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 1997

[10] R.H. Randall Jr., Masterpieces of Ivory from the Walters Art Gallery, Hudson Hills Press in associ- ation with the Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, 1985

[11] "Watercolour on Ivory", Victoria and Albert Museum, URL (accessed November 2009)

[12] C. Aiken, “Literature that Addresses the Charac- terization and the Conservation of Portrait Mini- atures”, Reviews in Conservation 1, 2000, pp. 3-9

[13] J. Murrell, "Portrait Miniatures on Ivory: Problems of Technique and Style", Traitement des supports.

IDENTIFICATION OF IVORY BOOK COVERS

37e-conservation

Travaux interdisciplinaires: journées sur la conser- vation, restauration des biens culturels, 1989, pp. 169-176

[14] “Care of Ivory, Bone, Horn and Antler”, CCI Notes 6/1, Canadian Conservation Institute, Ottawa, 1988, URL (acessed September 2009)

[15] C. Holtzapffel and J. C. Thompson, Working Horn, Ivory & Tortoiseshell, Portland, The Caber Press, 2000

[16] C. Aiken, "Ivory and the Art of Miniature Painting", Looking for Eulabee Dix: The Illustrated Biography of an American Miniaturist, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, 1997, pp. 285-293

[17] J.H. Pratt, “Improvement in Ivory Covered Books”, U.S. Patent No. 42,507 of April 26, 1864, United States Patent Office, New York, 1864

[18] E. Cristoferi and C. Fiori, "Polishing Treatments on Ivory Materials in the National Museum Ravenna", Studies in Conservation 37, 1992, pp. 259

[19] P.E. Guldbeck and A. B. MacLeish, Care of Antiques and Historical Collections, Rowman Altamira, 1996

[20] K. Eirk, and W. Wiebold, Objects of Affection: The Conservation of Portrait Miniatures, National Museum of American Art, unpublished report

[21] M.T. Simpson and M. Huntley (eds.), "Paintings: Miniatures", Sotheby’s Caring for Antiques: a guide to handling, cleaning, display and restoration, Markham, Canada Octopus Publishing Group Ca- nada, 1992, pp. 110-13

[22] A. Derbyshire, “Restoration of miniatures on ivory. Sauvegarde et conservation des photographies, dessins, imprimés et manuscrits”, Actes des journées internationales d études de l’ARSAG, Paris, 30 sept. - 4 oct. 1991 (Paris, ARSAG, 1991) pp.147-151

[23] C. Aiken and M. Bedynski, LAC Portrait Miniature Project Condition Reports, Ottawa, Library and Archives Canada, 2007, unpublished report

[24] A. Derbyshire, N. Frayling and C. Rönnerstam, “Developments in the Field of Portrait Miniature Conservation”, Restauratorenblätter 21, 2000, pp. 53-59

[25] M. Trojan-Bedynski and G. Gignac, “Portrait Mini- atures: History, Materials, Techniques and Conser- vation”, 30th Canadian Association for Conserva- tion Annual Conference, Quebec City, May 26-30, 2004, Library and Archives Canada, 2004

[26] A. Derbyshire, “The Use of Gore-tex in the Flat- tening of Miniatures on Ivory”, Paper Conservation News 63, 1992

[27] C. Snow and T. Weisser, “The Examination and Treat- ment of Ivory and Related Materials”, Adhesives and Consolidants, The International Institute for Conser- vation of Historic and Artistic Works, London, 1984

[28] F. Minney, "The Conservation and Reconstruction of a Late Bronze Age Ivory Inlaid Box from Pales- tine", The Conservator, vol. 15, 1991, pp. 3-7

[29] Victoria and Albert Museum, “The Care of Ivory”, Technical Notes on the Care of Art Objects, no. 6, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1971

JOSIE WORNOFFPaper Conservator

Contact: [email protected]

Josie Wornoff is an emerging paper conservator

from Keene, Ontario, Canada. She began her post-

secondary education with an Honours Bachelor

of Arts at University of Toronto, majoring in Art

History and English. During this time she held

many volunteer and paid positions at various cul-

tural institutions across Ontario, and spent two

summers abroad studying art history in Italy and

Mexico. Josie then completed the Collections Con-

servation and Management program at Sir Sand-

ford Fleming College. This concluded with a four

month internship at Library and Archives Canada

Preservation Centre, specializing in the conser-

vation of books and art on paper. Josie recently

completed a project conserving a large collection

of fire damaged art and artifacts for a private con-

servation business in Florida. Currently, she is

preserving books through digitization initiatives

at Internet Archive Canada in Toronto.

JOSIE WORNOFF

38 e-conservation

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

An Assessment of Enzyme Activity, Fungicides and Some Mummification Materials for the Inhibition of Microbial Deterioration

by Abdelrazek Elnaggar, Ahmed Sahab, Siham Ismail, Gamal Mahgoub and Mohammed Abdelhady

Fungal and bacterial strains were isolated from some Egyptian mummies (from the Ismailia

Museum, Ismailiaa, Egypt; the El-Dokki Agriculture Museum in Cairo, Egypt and human

mummies in storage at the Ehnasia Museum in Beni-Sweif, Egypt). The biological samples

were taken from indoor air of the mummy chamber as well as from the linen bandages and

some deteriorated mummies from museum storage. Seven species of fungi were isolated and

identified as Alternaria tenuis (9.5%), Aspergillus humicola (23.8%), Aspergillus niger

(23.8%), Chaetomella horrida (9.5%), Chaetomium globosum (14.28%), Hormodendrum

viride (14.28%) and Penicillium corylophilum (4.9%). It is obvious from the morphological

properties and biochemical activity of the microorganisms that they were able to decompose

proteins, cellulose, fats and starch, the fundamental contents of a mummy's body. The most

prominent bacteria isolated were Halococcus morrhuae (30.76%), Streptococcus pyogenes

(23.07%), Micrococcus Kristinae (15.38%), Micrococcus cinereus (15.38%) and Halobacterium

pharaonis (13.38).

Results show that A. niger, A. humicola, H. viride, and P. corylophilum were very sensitive

to the mummification material of natron salt. The growth of P. corylophilum was completely

inhibited at all concentrations of benlate and thymol while A. niger and H. viride were

completely inhibited at all thymol concentrations and at 100 ppm of benlate fungicide. The

growth of H. viride was completely inhibited at 5 % of cedar oil.

The fungal isolates of A. niger, H. viride, and P. corylophilum were found to produce various

amounts of extracellular enzymes (Avicelase, CMCase and cellobiase).These enzymes play an

important role in deteriorating linen bandages as well as the mummy’s body.

Research Aims

The objectives of the present investigation are to

study the fungal colonization and exoenzymatic

activities of some deteriorated Egyptian mummies,

and the effect of mummification materials on the

fungal growth to determine the efficiency of these

materials in the mummification process. Further-

more, another important aim is to study the effect

of some fungicides in preservation of mummies

from fungal attack.

Introduction

Biodeterioration is considered a great factor in the

decomposition of the Egyptian mummies, because

fungi and bacteria grow and feed with many of

their constituent products, such as protein, fats,

starch and cellulose, which represent a stable sub-

strate to microbial growth. There are a number of

abiotic and biotic factors such as pollution, light,

humidity, temperature, microorganisms, insects,

etc., that have deteriorating effects on museum

materials [1]. Among these, biological agents

such as actinomycetes, fungi, bacteria etc., may

cause massive damage to museum objects [2].

Studies on indoor aeromycoflora have attracted

the attention of several aerobiologists [2-5].

Martinez et al. [6] isolated a total of 469 fungal

colonies from 12 mummies that presented deteri-

oration attributed to colonizing fungi. Among

the isolated fungi Penicillium, Cladosporium and

Aspergillus were found. Most of these fungi have

the ability to produce various enzymes (cellulases,

amylases, proteases, keratinases, etc.). Cellulase

enzymes degrade cellulose found in linen band-

ages to double sugars and endoglaconases en-

zymes cut the cellulose chain in a random fashion

whereas, exogluconases enzymes successively

remove single cellobiose or glucose units from

the non-reducing end of the cellulose chain [7,

8]. Many fungi are able to cause zoonotic super-

ficial infections as a consequence of invading

keratinize tissues of skin, hair, and nails [9, 10].

Materials and methods

Samples

Biological samples were taken from a linen-wrapped

mummy, from the air of mummy chambers and

from deteriorated Egyptian mummies preserved

in museum storage as follows: human mummy

no. 2520 and 2519 from the Ismailia Museum (Is-

mailiaa, Egypt); animal mummies No. 35 and 93

from the El-Dokki Agriculture Museum (Cairo, Egypt)

and human mummies in storage at Ehnasia Museum

(Beni-Sweif, Egypt, see figures 1,2). Sampling of

Figure 2. Isolation of biological samples from a mummy at Ehnasia Museum (Beni-Sweif, Egypt).

40 e-conservation

ABDELRAZEK ELNAGGAR et al.

Figure 1. A human mummy at Ehnasia Museum, Beni-Sweif, Egypt.

air spora surrounding the above mummies was

done using the plate exposure method [11].

Isolation and identification of fungal strains

Swaps from linen bandages wrapped mummies

were transferred aseptically to potato dextrose

agar plates [12] which were used for the cultiva-

tion of bacteria and moulds. The Petri dishes were

incubated at 28 ± 2 °C for 7 days for fungi and 3

days for bacterial counts. Fungal isolates were

later microscopically analyzed and identified [13-

15]. The scheme of Buchanan and Gibon [16] was

employed in the identification of bacterial isol-

ates. The frequency occurrence of each genus

was expressed as the percentage of samples con-

taining a given organism.

Effect of some materials of mummification on fungal growth

Each of the following mummification materials -

natron, myrrh, juniperus, Cinnamomium camphora,

Arabic gum, cassia, mastic resin, and beeswax -

was separately examined for its effect on the visual

growth of some selected fungi isolated from the

mummies using PDA plates. 1 ml of spore suspen-

sion (approximately 106/ ml) of 7 days old culture

was placed in a Petri dish and poured by PDA me-

dium. After solidification 0.2 g of the mummific-

ation material was put in the centre of the dish

plate (1 cm diameter) and was fumigated by UV

light. Dishes were incubated at 28 ± 2°C for 7 days.

The developed colonies of various fungal growths

were visually determined using the following

scale: + (10% growth), ++ (50% growth), +++

(75% growth) and ++++ (100 % growth).

Effect of some fungicides on the linear growth of fungi

Three kinds of fungicides recommended for use in

archaeological field were tested in this experiment

at different concentrations in order to ascertain

their effect on the growth of fungi and their in-

habitation effect. Table 1 shows the fungicides,

their chemical name and composition, and the con-

centrations used based on the active ingredient.

41e-conservation

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

Fungicide Chemical name Chemical composition

Active ingredients(%)

Concentrations

Thymol Thyme camphor

Isopropyl-metacresol

(CH3)2 CHC6 H3 (CH3) OH

100

025 ppm50 ppm

100 ppm200 ppm

Benlate Benomyl

Methyl-1- ( Bytyl carbamyl) - 2-benzimidazole

carbamateC15H18N4O3

50

6.25 ppm12.5 ppm50 ppm

100 ppm

Cedar oil Cedar camphorCedrol

C15H26O 100

00.5 %

1 %2.5 %5 %

Table 1. Characteristics of the fungicides used.

The fungicide was added to PDA medium after ster-

ilization, while still warm. Incubation was carried

out at 28 ± 2°C for 7 days.

Enzymatic activity of fungal isolates

For studying the enzymatic activity (such as Avi-

celase and endoglucanase) of the isolated fungal

strains, three isolates of the tested fungi were

screened for their abilities to produce extracellu-

lar enzymes in liquid media with the use of some

buffers (0.05 M Citrate-phosphate buffer, PH = 4.8

and 0.02 M Acetate buffer, PH = 5) which contains

0.02 % sodium azide. Two kinds of reagents have

been used (Arsenomolybdate reagent (A), Somogyi

copper reagent (B).

Growth medium and substances

Mandels and Weber's medium [17] was prepared,

containing (g/L): 1.4 (NH4)2 SO4; 2.0 KH2PO4; 0.3

urea; 3.0 CaCl2; 0.3 Mg SO4.7H2O; 0.005 FeSO4;

0.0014 ZnSO4; 0.0016 MnSO4; 0.002 COCl2; pro-

tease peptone (1%); tween 80 (0.1%) and Avicel

(1%) with final pH of 5.0. The medium was sup-

plemented individually by cellulose, protein, fats

and starch as carbon sources instead of Avicel.

Growth in liquid culture

Erlenmeyer flasks containing 50 ml of Mandels and

Weber's medium with adequate carbon source were

inoculated by 5% (v/v) inoculums of the tested

fungi (Aspergillus niger (4), Hormodendrum viride

and Penicillium corylophilum). The flasks were

then incubated at 28± 2°C for 5, 7 and 20 days.

After each incubation period the content of each

flask was filtered. Culture filtrates were subjected

to enzyme assay.

Enzyme preparation

Extracellular enzymes were prepared by filtrating

the culture through filter paper (Wattman no. 1)

while intracellular enzymes were obtained by

grinding the washed, cold mycelium with sand in a

minimum volume of citrate-phosphate buffer (0.05

M, PH 4.8 ), then centrifuging the mixture and

using the supernatant as the enzymes’ solution.

Enzyme assays

Avicelase (1,4-β-D-glucan cellobiohyrolase) was

measured according to Seddler and Khan [18]

using Avicel cellulose as substrate, while endoglu-

canase (1,4-β-D-glucanhydrolase) was assayed

as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMCase ) according

to the method of Mandels and Weber, the result-

ing reducing sugar, in both cases was measured by

Somogyi reagent [19] using glucose as standard.

β-Glucosidase was performed by a modification of

Bergham and Petterson method [20] where 0.5

ml of enzyme solution was incubated with 0.5 ml

of 0.4 % cellobiose in 0.5 ml citrate-phosphate

buffer at ph 4.8 for 30 min at 50 °C. The reaction

was stopped by heating the mixture in a boiling

water bath for 5 min. The enzyme activity was de-

termined by measuring the concentration of the

released glucose using glucose – oxidase kit (Bio-

analytical Laboratories- Palm City, U.S.A), and an

enzyme unit is considered the necessary amount

of enzyme to liberate one µmol of the reducing

sugar under assays conditions specified above.

Results and discussionSurvey of fungal and bacterial isolates

Seven species were isolated and identified using

optical microscopy as: Alternaria tenuis, Aspergil-

lus niger, Aspergillus humicola, Chaetomella hor-

rida, Chaetomium globosum, Hormodendrum viride

and Penicillium corylophilum. The frequent occur-

rence was found to be ranging from 4.7% for Peni-

cillium corylophilum to 23.8% for Aspergillus niger

and Aspergillus humicola. The other species could

be arranged based on the frequency of their occur-

42 e-conservation

ABDELRAZEK ELNAGGAR et al.

rence as follows: Chaetomium globosum and Hor-

modendrum viride (14.28%) and Alternaria tenuis

and Chaetomella horrida (9.5%). There are many

reports dealing with the microbial levels, such as

Abdel-Kareem et al. [21], Cook and Rayner [22],

Darwish and Sahab [23].

Five bacterial species belonging to four genera

were identified and classified as: Halococcus mor-

rhuae (30.76%), Streptococcus pyogenes (23.07%),

Micrococcus Kristinae, Micrococcus cinereus and

Halobacterium pharaonis (15.38%).

Effect of some mummification materials on visual fungal growth

The data in Table 2 shows that the mummification

materials have different ability to inhibit the my-

celial growth of the tested fungal isolates. The

five strains of A. niger, H. viride, P. corylophilum

and A. humicola were very sensitive to natron salt

and relatively sensitive to a Cinnnamomum cam-

phora extract (figure 3). The natron salts had a

large effect on the growth of the fungal isolates

because it inhibited the fungal growth on a large

area, as the NaCl present in natron salt is an his-

toric preservation material. On the other hand,

the same fungal isolates were less affected by

myrrh and beeswax extracts and the mummifica-

tion materials of Juniperus, Arabic gum and cassia

extracts were found to have no effect on the tested

fungal growth.

Enzymatic activity

Enzyme activity of cellulase production in fungal

strains was measured with different substrates

43e-conservation

Fungal species Aspergillus niger (strain no.)H. viride P. corylophilum A. humicola

Strain no. 1 2 3 4 5

Natron + + + ++ + + ++ +

Myrrh +++ ++ ++ +++ +++ ++ ++ ++

Juniperus ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++

Cinnamomum camphora +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++++ ++ ++

Arabic gum ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++

Cassia ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++

Mistic resin ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ +++ ++++ ++++

Beeswax +++ +++ +++ +++ +++ ++ ++ +++

control ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++ ++++

Legend: + (10% fungal growth), ++ (50% fungal growth), +++ (75% fungal growth), ++++ (100 % fungal growth).

Table 2. Effect of some mummification materials on visual fungal growth of some fungal isolates after 15 days.

Figure 3. From left to right: Effect of myrrh on the growth of Aspergillus humicola, effect of cinnamomium camphora on the growth of Aspergillus humicola, and effect of cinnamomium camphora on the growth of Aspergillus niger.

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

from 0.009 to 0.399 U/ml for P. corylophilum after

5 and 20 days respectively (Table 3). The highest

activity of Avicelase was recorded for cellulose

following casein substrates.

b) CMCase enzymeTable 4 showed that all the tested fungi produced

different values of extracellular CMCase ranging

from 0.103 to 0.643 U/ml for A. niger, from 0.013

to 2.050 U/ml for H. viride and from 0.010 to 1.136

U/ml for P. corylophilum. The highest activity of

MCase was recorded for cellulose and casein sub-

strates. Many authors [24, 25, 26, and 27] reported

that all tested fungi had the ability to decom-

pose cellulosic materials and produce cellulase

enzymes.

(cellulose, protein, fats, and starch) to know the

ability of these fungi to produce these enzymes

that react with the mummy’s skin and wrappings

causing its decomposition. The results shown in

Tables 3-5 reveal that all the tested fungi produced

various amounts of extracellular enzymes (Avice-

lase, CMCase and cellobiase). The value of enzyme

production depended on the fungal species and

age of the culture. The ability of these fungi to

decompose casein, cellulose, oil and starch has

also been confirmed by other researchers.

a) Avicelase enzymeThe tested fungi showed feeble Avicelase activity

ranging from 0.041 U/ml to 0.115 U/ml for A. ni-

ger, from 0.001 to 0.143 U/ml for H. viride and

44 e-conservation

Table 3. Effect of some substrates on Avicelase activity of some fungal strains isolated from mummies and incubated for 5, 7 and 20 days at 28± 2°C.

Fungal strain A. niger H. viride P. corylophilum

Incubation period/day

5 7 20 5 7 20 5 7 20

Casein 0.027 0.114 0.115 0.093 0.05 0.105 0.027 0.114 0.046

Cellulose 0.021 nd 0.08 0.109 nd 0.143 0.1197 nd 0.399

Oil 0.014 0.06 nd 0.0147 0.018 0.022 0.009 0.029 0.057

Starch 0.021 0.024 0.032 0.001 0.007 0.014 0.0143 0.056 0.013

Nd: not determined

Table 4: Effect of some substrates on CMCase activity of some fungal strains isolated from mummyies and incubated for 5, 7 and 20 days at 28± 2°C.

Fungal strain A. niger H. viride P. corylophilum

Incubation period/day

5 7 20 5 7 20 5 7 20

Casein 0.311 0.321 0.643 0.643 0.571 0.06 0.122 0.322 0.099

Cellulose 0.321 nd 1.210 0.205 nd 0.296 0.928 nd 1.136

Oil 0.45 0.024 nd 0.09 0.013 0.013 0.01 0.028 nd

Starch 0.103 0.123 0.139 0.043 0.43 0.69 0.013 0.095 0.114

Nd: not determined

ABDELRAZEK ELNAGGAR et al.

45e-conservation

c) Cellobiase enzyme

Table 5 shows that the highest cellobiase activity

(7.861 U/ml) was obtained from the culture fil-

trate of A. niger after 5 days on starch substrate

and the lower level (4.690 U/ml) on casein. In

H. viride culture filtrate the highest value (3.703

U/ml) was shown on cellulose substrate and the

lowest level (0.105 U/ml) on oil substrate after

5 days incubation period. High level of cellobiase

activity (5.740 U/ml) was obtained in culture fil-

trate of P. corylophilum after 20 days on casein

substrate and lower cellobiase (0.020 U/ml) was

showed on oil after 20 days. The production of

cellobiase from different fungi was reported by

several authors [25, 28, 29, 30].

Effect of some fungicides on the linear growth of some fungi

Table 6 shows the effect of some fungicides as

agar amendment on the mycelial linear growth

(A. niger, H. viride and P. corylophilum). Data in-

dicate that the antifungal activity of benlate, thy-

mol and cedar oil against fungal growth increased

with the growth in fungicide concentration. The

linear growth of P. corylophilum was completely

inhibited at all concentrations of benlate and

thymol while the growth of A. niger and H. viride

was also completely inhibited at all concentrations

of thymol and benlate at 100 ppm. The growth of

H. viride was completely inhibited at 5% of cedar

Table 5: Effect of some substrates on cellobiase activity of some fungal strains isolated from mummies and incubated for 5, 7 and 20 days at 28± 2°C.

Fungal strain A. niger H. viride P. corylophilum

Incubation period/day

5 7 20 5 7 20 5 7 20

Casein 4.69 5.556 5.69 0.279 0.393 3.703 0.228 0.831 5.74

Cellulose 4.843 nd 6.389 0.293 nd 3.703 0.243 nd 1.179

Oil 4.89 6.482 6.945 0.105 0.115 0.122 0.064 0.064 0.02

Starch 7.861 5.556 5.463 0.125 0.209 0.293 1.389 2.778 4.877

Nd: not determined

Fungi Benlate fungicide concentration (ppm) Mean

Aspergillus niger

0 6.25 12.5 50.0 100.0

45.1

Hormodendrum viride

100.0 70.0 33.3 22.2 0.0

62.4

Penicillium corylophilum

100.0 80.0 72.1 60.0 0.0

20.0100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Aspergillus niger

Thymol concentration (ppm)

Hormodendrum viride

0 25 50 100 200

Penicillium corylophilum

100.0 75.5 63.6 42.6 0.0 56.3

100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0

100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 20.0

Table 6. Effect of some fungicides on the linear fungal growth of some fungi isolated from mummies.

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

oil. These results are in total agreement with those

reported by other researches on several fungi [31].

Cleaning procedures

Removal of microbial stains and growths over the

mummies has been carried out using scalpels and

soft brushes accompanied with an extraction sys-

tem, to reduce the spore's contamination in the

working area (figure 4). Cleaning started from the

middle to the edges to easily collect the fungal

growths and dirt particles without the spread of

the microbial contamination (figure 5). Isopropyl

alcohol has been used to sterilize the cleaning

equipment and the surrounding environments

during and after cleaning (figures 6-7). White free

acid papers have been place below the mummy

to better collect the fungal conidia. Benlate fun-

gicide (200 ppm) has been applied on the mummy's

wrapping using a sprayer. After cleaning, mum-

mies were covered by polyethylene to protect them

from further contamination. For health and safety

issues, the conservator must wear a mask, coat,

goggles and gloves during cleaning to avoid in-

halation of the microbial contaminants (figure 8).

Conclusion

After isolation of the microbial species from Egyp-

tian mummies, experimental studies confirmed

the efficiency of some of mummification materi-

als on the inhibition of fungal growth, indicating

that mummification materials may also function

as biocides. The study indicates the ability of the

Fungi Cedar oil concentration (%) Mean

Aspergillus niger

0 0.5 1.0 2.5 5.0

81.3

Hormodendrum viride

100.0 100.0 75.5 70.8 60.0

60.0

Penicillium corylophilum

100.0 100.0 80.2 20.0 0.0

78.7100.0 85.6 76.8 65.9 65.0

Figure 6. Sterilization of the surrounding air during cleaning.

Figure 4. Mummy's head wrappings during cleaning.

Figure 5. Mummy's wrappings after cleaning.

46 e-conservation

ABDELRAZEK ELNAGGAR et al.

isolated fungal strains from the Egyptian mummies

to produce various amounts of extracellular en-

zymes (Avicelase, CMCase and cellobiase) which

may lead to the decomposition of the mummy

materials. Benlate, thymol and cedar oil show an

ability to inhibit fungal growth. The authors would

like to recommend creating better preventive con-

servation procedures in order to preserve the mum-

mies from future damage.

References

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[3] P.H. Gregory, Microbiology of the Atmosphere,

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[5] K. Zielinska-Jankiewicz, A. Kozajda, M. Pio-

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J. Méndez-Tovar, “Effectiveness of imazalil to

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men’” (article in Spanish), Revista Iberoamer-

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[7] R. A. Zabel, and J. J. Morrell, Wood microbio-

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[8] T. Reinikainen, K. Henriksson, M. Siika-aho,

O. Teleman and K. Poutanen, “Low-level en-

doglucanase contamination in a Trichoderma

Figure 7. Collecting and removal of dirt particles and fungal growths from a mummy.

Figure 8. The necessary tools for conservator' health and safety (masks, gloves, goggles).

47e-conservation

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

reesei cellobiohydrolase II preparation affects

its enzymatic activity on β-glucan”, Enzyme and

Microbial Technology 17(10), 1995, pp. 888-892,

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[10] I. Weitzman, and R. C. Summerbell, “The

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8(2), 1995, pp. 240-259, URL

[11] M. F. Madelin, and A.H. Linton, “Microbio-

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(eds.), Microorganisms: Form, Function and

Environment, Edward Arnold, London, 1972,

pp. 529-537

[12] O. N. Allen, Experiment on soil bacteriology,

Burgess Publishing, Minneapolis, 1961

[13] C. Thom, and K.B. Raper, A Manual of Asper-

gilli, The Williams and Wikins Company, Bal-

timore, 1945

[14] C. J. Gilman, A manual of soil fungi, Iowa

State College Press, Ames, 1957

[15] H. L. Barnett, and B. B. Hunter, Illustrated

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[16] R. E. Buchanan, and N. E. Gibons, Bergey’s

Manual of determinative bacteriology, The

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[17] M. Mandels, and J. Weber, “The production

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[18] J. N. Saddler and A. W. Khan, “Cellulolytic

enzyme system of Acetivibrio cellulolyticus”,

Canadian Journal of Microbiology 27(3), 1981,

pp. 288–294, doi:10.1139/m81-045, URL

[19] M. Somogyi, “Notes on sugar determination”,

The Journal of Biological Chemistry 195, 1952,

pp. 19-23

[20] L. E. R. Berghem, and L. G. Petterson, “The

mechanism of enzymatic cellulose degradation.

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choderma viride active on highly ordered cel-

lulose”, European Journal of Biochemistry

37(1), 1974, pp. 21-30

[21] O.M.A. Abdel-Kareem, J. Szostak-Kotowa,

W. Barabasz, I. Pasmionka, and A. Galus,

“Fungal Biodeterioration of Ancient Egyptian

Textiles, Part I: Survaying Study for the Most

Dominant Fungi on Ancient Egyptian Textiles”,

in Drobnousreoje W Środowisku Występowanie,

Aktywność i Znaczenie, Wyd. AR Kraków, 1997,

pp. 279-290

[22] R. C. Cook, and A. D. M. Rayner, Ecology of

Sarotrophic Fungi, Longman, London, 1984,

pp. 415

[23] S.S. Darwish and A. F. Sahab, "Indoor air-

borne moulds in archaeological museum and

deterioration of Egyptian mummy", Interna-

tional Conference on Chemistry, Green and

Sustainable Chemistry in Developing Countries

(Chem05), 3-5 March 2008, Faculty of Science,

Chemistry Deptartment, Cairo University, pp.

371-385

[24] S. M. Fagan, and C. L. Fergus, “Extracellular

enzymes of some additional fungi associated

with mushroom culture”, Mycopathologia 87,

1984, pp. 67-70, doi: 10.1007/BF00436631, URL

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[25] K.H. Domsch, W. Gams, and T.H. Anderson

(eds), Compendium of Soil Fungi, Vol. 1, IHW-

Verlag, Eching, Germany, 1993

[26] S. A. Ismail, Biochemical studies on Micro-

bial β-Galactosidases, PhD Thesis, Chemistry

Deptartment, Faculty of Science, Cairo Uni-

versity (Egypt), 1994

[27] S.A. Ismail, A. F. Sahab, and S.S. Darwish,

“Effect of some cultural conditions, pesticides

and consolidators on growth and enzme activity

of Trichoderma viride”, Modelling, Measurement

and Control – C: Chemistry, Geology, Environ-

ment and Bioengineering 66 (5-6), 2005

[28] C. Marinescu, and V. I. Popa, "On the biosyn-

thesis and characterization of cellulosic en-

zymes. II. Cellulase production enhancement

in different biosynthesis conditions”, Cellulose

Chemistry and Technology 34, 2000, pp. 35-49

[29] M. Rocha, N. Cordeiro, A.C.F. Cunha Queda,

and R. Capela, “Microbiological and chemical

characterization during composting of cattle

manure and forestry wastes – a case study

in Madeira Island”, in F. C. Jr. Michel, R. F.

Rynk, and H. A. J. Hoitink (eds.), Proceedings

of the 2002 International Symposium “Com

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[30] S. Y. Sahaba, Physiological studies on micro-

organisms isolated from deteriorated from old

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ture, Ain Shams University (Egypt), 1988

[31] A. H. A. Ellil, and E. F. Sharaf, “Growth, Mor-

phological Alterations and Adaptation of

Some Plant Pathogenic Fungi to Benlate and

Zineb. A New Look”, Journal of Biological Sci-

ences 3(3), 2003, pp. 271-281

ABDELRAZEK ELNAGGARConservation-educatorContact: [email protected]

Abdelrazek Elnaggar is a conservator of organic

objects, currently Assistant Lecturer at the Con-

servation Department of the Faculty of Archaeology

at Fayoum University, Egypt. He got a Bachelor’s

degree (2000) in Conservation and Restoration

of Monuments and Works of Art from the Cairo

University and a Master’s degree (2006) in Conser-

vation of Egyptian mummies from Cairo University.

He had a scholarship (2007/2008) in laser cleaning

of ancient Egyptian Leather at IESL-FORTH in Greece

and received a postgraduate diploma in compara-

tive studied on cleaning techniques in relation to

Laser cleaning conservation (2008/2009 UK).

He has an ongoing PhD thesis focusing on the

laser applications to conservation of Egyptian

monuments, including collaborative projects in

UK with Liverpool University, Natural History

Museum, Petrie museum, Imperial College, and

UCL, in Italy with Politecnico di Milano, and the

Supreme Council of Antiquities (Egypt).

AHMED SAHABDepartment of Plant Path., National Research

Centre, Dokki, Cairo

SIHAM ISMAILDepartment of Chemistry of Natural Microbial

Products, National Research Centre, Dokki

GAMAL MAHGOUBConservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology,

Fayoum University, Alfayoum, Egypt

MOHAMMED ABDELHADY

Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology,

Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

49e-conservation

MICROBIAL STUDY OF EGYPTIAN MUMMIES

STUDY OF THE PAINTING VIRGIN MARY AND CHILD WITH THE INFANT ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST

The Hidden Flora of Leonardo da Vinci’s Painting Workshop

By Miklós Szentkirályi

Article translated by Barbara and Stevin John Davidson and originally published in the Proceedings of the 8th International Seminar on Restoration, that took place in September 24-26, 2008 in Handlová, The Slovak Republic, organized by the Chamber of Restorers.

case

stu

dy

Restoration of any damaged artwork should remind us of a flower garden grown with plenty of love.

In both cases it is crucial to consider what has already blossomed and 'what has still to live'.

This idea guided me through the process of restoration of this unusually damaged panel painting.

Virgin Mary and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist. Painting before conservation-restoration.

e-conservation 51

THE HIDDEN FLORA OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S PAINTING WORKSHOP

The painting in study, representing the Virgin Mary

with Child Jesus and young St. John the Baptist

from the collection of Szépművészeti Museum in

Budapest, was never exhibited due to its advanced

deterioration state and only a few people have

undertaken its study. The support, made of a thin

poplar panel, had caused countless vertical cracks

to appear on the surface that interfered with the

integrity of the painting’s composition. The paint-

ing was covered with several layers of darkened

varnish resulting in the alteration of the colour

scheme that was only partially perceivable and

the image could hardly be recognised. On a few

areas the polychromy detached and the colour

layer was flaking. Extensive over paintings were

the characteristic sign of the advanced stage of

damage of the painting’s surface. Large lacunas

in the area of the sky, grazes and detachments

on the face and neck of Virgin Mary and loss of

colour on her cloths were critical. These damages

were symptoms of a work of art which was not

cared for and left to decay.

MIKLÓS SZENTKIRÁLYI

Aspect of the painting after cleaning.

The poor state of conservation of Mary's portrait. Aspect after conservation-restoration treatment.

52 e-conservation

After the preliminary tests, the outstanding paint-

ing technique of this artwork became visible, with

its rich colour scheme and true depiction of the

background landscape. But unexpected mistakes

and insufficiencies were also revealed.

Based on the research done by the conservator-

restorers a proposal for the treatment of the paint-

ing was developed which was accepted by the

consultants.

The extent of the cleaning and the complete un-

covering of the original allowed a better under-

standing of the spiritual strength of Leonardo da

Vinci (1452-1519) workshop’s creation. Observing

this rediscovered artwork brings to mind a resem-

blance hard not to notice with both variations of

the Madonna of the rocks, which can be found in

the National Gallery, London and in the Louvre

Museum, Paris, with their beautiful colour harmo-

nies, mysterious play of lights and shades, rocks

and flowers.

The composition of the painting is closed with a

half circle area in the upper part. The landscape

contains a monolith rock towering into the sky,

a beech forest, a grove and a water pothole. Virgin

Mary is kneeling, raising her hands in a protec-

tive way over her Child and the young St. John the

Baptist, who are carelessly playing in the fore-

ground decorated with rich flora and vegetation.

Above: Network of fine cracks on the surface of Child’s portrait (left). Aspect after retouching (right).

Below: Detail of the rich background of the painting.

e-conservation 53

THE HIDDEN FLORA OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S PAINTING WORKSHOP

In background, behind the rock, there is a river

valley with a city disappearing in a bluish mist.

Over the city there is a scaffold with gallows. Fur-

ther in the back, bluish towers and hills, outlined

according to the principles of air perspective, lose

themselves and blend with the clear blue sky.

After the Madonna by Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio

(1467-1516), the painting at the Museum of Fine

Arts in Budapest is the closest to Leonardo’s cre-

ation. After analysing it in individual details, it

became clear that it can not be the work of the

great master, although it is likely that he saw the

painting during its creation and perhaps even cor-

rected it, since the basic idea of the composition

belongs to him. In fact, a drawing from Leonardo’s

sketchbook served as template for the creation

of Mary’s figure [1], which could only be seen by

an artist from Leonardo’s closest circle. Who this

artist was is subject to future research, once the

painting’s known history requires more answers.

Above right: Detail of the rich background of the painting.

Below: Detail of Child Jesus and the young St. John the Baptist playing in the rich decorated foreground.

54 e-conservation

MIKLÓS SZENTKIRÁLYI

The only known fact is that count János Pálffy

bought it in London in 1862. It was probably then

when the panel was parqueted. In 1912 the count

offered it as a gift to the Szépművészeti Museum.

For a long time, the painting was considered to

be the work of Leonardo’s pupil Gian Giacomo

Caprotti da Oreno, known as Salai (1480-1524),

although there is no evidence for this assump-

tion. Bernhard Berenson, who was the first re-

cognised researcher of Italian fine art from the

14th to 16th century, considered (twice, in 1932

and 1936) the painting to be the creation of one

of Leonardo’s pupils whose work was also influ-

enced by the Flemish art.

Despite the fact that the painting was examined

by specialists, we are still only uncovering analo-

gies and stylistic analyses. The clarification of the

authorship will certainly be an important aspect in

the study of the artwork and of the conservation-

restoration documentation done by the present

author and his colleagues: conservator-restorer

Ágnes Dicső, who has participated to the conser-

vation treatment and conservator-restorer Èva

Galambos, who has performed the samples ana-

lysis of the painting.

A number of people were also involved in the sty-

listic analysis of the painting and in the identifi-

cation of the drawings and paintings from Le-

onardo’s workshop. Nadia Righi [2] has proved

that the figure of Mary copies the shapes of the

drawing found on the bottom of a page from Le-

onardo’s sketchbook [1]. On the same page, as

an independent drawing, is also pictured Child

Jesus. This figure is similar with that of the Jesus

from the painting, except his mirrored position.

Another similitude as a mirrored projection seams

to be Mary’s profile to a Madonna (The Madonna

Litta) from the Hermitage Museum in St. Peters-

burg. Furthermore, on the drawing template [3]

of that painting an earlobe is recognizable behind

the curls of her hair, which is similar to the one of

our painting. It is also very likely that the concept

of the composition of the young St. John the

Baptist, looking from behind Mary’s right side,

Drawings from Leonardo's sketchbook served as a template for the creation of Mary’s figure.

e-conservation 55

THE HIDDEN FLORA OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S PAINTING WORKSHOP

is derived from one of Leonardo’s templates, as

well as the plants pictured in the front.

Before cleaning, a stratigraphic analysis was per-

formed in order to study the paint layer structure.

Mary’s face and hair were well preserved and due

to their similarity to those of the sketch we im-

mediately observed the under drawing, made with

brown colour. The preparatory under drawing

can only be found under the composition of the

figures, and not under the background landscape.

After the removal of the thick darkened varnish

layer and of the over painting, all the degrada-

tions, grazes and lacunas became obvious. The

damages and the missing parts were repaired at

least three times in the past, especially at the

level of the figures. The details of the landscape

were almost completely well preserved.

The retouching of the lacunas was performed grad-

ually and only in the necessary amount, except for

Mary’s neck which required a more complex re-

construction due to the fact that the colour layer

was only preserved in fragmentary traces but

still allowing the aesthetical revitalisation of

the painting. The fine craquelure network and

the slightly scuffed areas were interpreted and

accepted as signs of aging with time and there-

fore were preserved as much as possible. Only

after restoration the unique aesthetical qualities

of the preserved parts of the original painting

could be fully appreciated and the differences be-

tween the painting technique of the background

landscape and of the figures could be evaluated.

In reality, our eye is attracted more to the richness

of the landscape details. The view of the northern

Italian city in clear blue colours, with the houses

blending in a bluish mist, the uniform conception

of the water surfaces and of the rocks in the back-

ground prove the demanding approach of the

Above: Erythronium dens-canis (en., 'dog's tooth violet', it., 'dente di cane') in the painting (left) and the biology drawing of the flower (right).

56 e-conservation

MIKLÓS SZENTKIRÁLYI

Dianthus carthusianorum.

The depiction of the plants in the foreground proves

the knowledge of botany of the renaissance artists.

The colours of the flowers petals are not only a

simple decoration, on the contrary, similarly to

the flowers found in Leonardo’s artworks, they

can be ordered into existing families. We can re-

cognise Dianthus carthusianorum, favored flower

of monastery gardens with its lance-shaped leaves,

with two stamens between its bright two petals.

Pictured in a more humble way is the Erythroni-

um dens-canis next to it. In Italian, dente di cane

is a protected plant named according to its bulb,

similar to a dog’s tooth with smaller side bulbs

placed deep into the ground, which in spring time

is an embellishment of the hornbeam forests. To

the right there is a Pinguicula vulgaris, a carni-

vorous plant found in marshlands and peat bogs.

On the left side of the painting is wonderfully

painted Aquilegia vulgaris L. whose composition

is almost identical to the same flower from Le-

onardo’s painting Leda.

e-conservation 57

painter. Our attention is also drawn to smaller de-

tails such as the stones that can be counted indi-

vidually in the undermined bank. A few decades

earlier, the Italian masters could only have admired

these motifs in the paintings of their Flemish con-

temporaries.

Pinguicula vulgaris, carnivorous plant.

Aquilegia vulgaris L.

THE HIDDEN FLORA OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S PAINTING WORKSHOP

58 e-conservation

Virgin Mary and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist. Painting after restoration.

e-conservation

MIKLÓS SZENTKIRÁLYI

Several similarities remind of the spirit of Le-

onardo’s workshop’s creation, strongly spiced up

by a northern Italian master. This fact became clear

during the three years of restoration. The differ-

ence between the figures and the background

composition is a strong sign of different creative

approaches. While the painter’s grasp of the fig-

ures is generous, the painting technique being

related to Leonardo’s understanding, the back-

ground landscape is carefully composed and a rich

vegetation is portrayed. The exhaustive know-

ledge of the perspective rules, botany and the

naturalistic depiction of the landscape are signs

of a master who had acquired the practical ex-

perience of painters from northern countries be-

fore having contact with Leonardo’s workshop.

The panel painting, restored thanks to the Adam

Clark’s Foundation, was first introduced togeth-

er with the restoration documentation at a tem-

porary exhibition in 2007. Since 2008 it is exhibited

in a room together with Raphael's "Esterhazy

Madonna", as part of the permanent collection

of Italian renaissance.

References

[1] Leonardo da Vinci, “Studies for the Nativity

(recto); Three Geometrical Diagrams and a

Caricature of a Head (verso), 1480–85”, The

Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rogers Fund,

1917 (17.142.1), available at URL

[2] Nadia Righi, “Opere d'arte lombarda nei

musei italiani e stranieri: Szépmüveszéti

Múzeum, Budapest; la collezione Pálffy”,

Arte Lombarda, N.S. 117, 2, 1996, pp. 123-

124

[3] Codex Vallardi, accession number 2376,

Louvre Museum

e-conservation 59

Detail of Mary's portrait and the landscape after restoration.

Miklós Szentkirályi is a conservator-restorer of

paintings and Head of the Department of Resto-

ration at the Szépművészeti Múzeum (Museum of

Fine Arts), Budapest. He initiated his training in

1968-1973 in Painting studies at the Academy

of Fine Arts “Ion Andreescu” in Cluj-Napoca, Ro-

mania, at the Master class of prof. Gábor Miklóssy,

painter artist, and in 1974-1977 he performed an

M.A. in Conservation Arts, specializing in paint-

ings, at the Department of Conservation Training

at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts, Budapest,

in the master class of professor Dezső Varga. In

2006 he obtained Dr. Habil. (D.Sc. Equivalent)

from the Hungarian Art University. He is also a

member of the Hungarian Art Academy since

2010.

MIKLÓS SZENTKIRÁLYIConservator-restorerContact: [email protected]

e-conservation

THE HIDDEN FLORA OF LEONARDO DA VINCI’S PAINTING WORKSHOP

"THE ANNUNCIATION"BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI (1380)

The Restoration of the Transferred Wall Painting

by Ildikó Jeszeniczky

Restoration done by Ildikó Jeszeniczky and Kornélia ForraiArticle translated by Barbara and Stevin John Davidson and originally published in the Proceedings of the 8th International Seminar on Restoration, that took place in September 24-26, 2008 in Handlová, The Slovak Republic, organized by the Chamber of Restorers.

Introduction

In the 90ies of the 19th century, Károly Pulszky,

the then director of the State Gallery in Budapest,

enriched the collection of the Gallery with many

art objects, panel paintings and frescoes, which

he bought during his travels in Italy from palaces

and churches condemned for demolition or as-

signed for reconstruction.

Artworks got into his hands mainly through an-

tiquity dealers, so not always he managed to find

out their origin. Sometimes, such as in the case of

the Annunciation wall painting, he discovered them

in situ and ordered their removal directly from the

original building and their following restoration.

In September 1894, through the antiquarian

Marian Rocchi, he purchased the Annunciation

fresco, located on a side wall, together with the

frescoes of allegoric women’s figures originally

painted on the ceiling of the first floor of Palazzo

Isidori in Perugia.

The wall painting transferred onto canvas is now

in Budapest, kept as an important example of

the late Gothic Umbrian painting. According to

the catalogue of the Szépművészeti Museum, the

artwork was created around the year 1380 by the

artist Cola Petruccioli for the wall of the first floor

of the palace, originally used as a chapel.

The scene is depicted in a Gothic interior, on the

left side a kneeling angel brings the message to

Mary, who is represented on the right side of the

painting sitting in front of a lecture dais. In the

missing part it was probably painted the dove of

the Holy Ghost. The painting was executed in fresco

technique and is decorated around the edges with

repeated motifs. The plaster haloes were covered

with a coloured metal leaf which could be used

as an imitation of gold.

In the past decade art historians succeed to locate

the Palazzo Isidori in Perugia, where the restora-

tion of the remaining frescoes from the series of

wall paintings is now undergoing.

About the sale and transfer of the wall paintings a

few written documents were preserved, the old-

est from the year 1871 in which the owner Fran-

cesco Bassardini reports in a letter to the mayor

that he intends to remove some of the frescoes

from the first floor of the palace and sell them to

the city. As the mayor did not respond to Bassar-

dini’s letter the inheritors repeated the offer a

few years later. In May 1889, the government of

the city Perugia named a delegation with three

specialist members to judge the state and impor-

tance of the frescoes. The report of the specialists

and the request of the owners was not enough to

persuade the mayor to buy the frescoes. Five years

later, Károly Pulszky appreciated their artistic

value, ordered their detachment and paid their

purchase price.

Palazzo Isidori, Perugia.

61e-conservation

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

Conservation-restoration

In the summer of 2005, together with the colleague

Kornélia Forray, the present author was entrusted

the restoration of this wall painting by the mu-

seum. The restoration works were preceded by a

series of detailed analysis and investigations. The

research comprised the identification and gath-

ering of all possible documents, art historical re-

searches and archival photographs, and the col-

lection of the restoration documentation of the

frescoes from this cycle, such as procedures re-

ports and specialised articles. In the summer of

2005 we travelled to Perugia to study in situ the

fragments of frescoes from Palazzo Isidori belong-

ing to the same cycle of wall paintings as The An-

nunciation, which were uncovered in 1994.

We were guided through the palace by Ms. Paola

Passalaqua, responsible of the frescoes conser-

vation. The palace is owned by the University of

Perugia and at the time of our visit it was under

renovation. The research performed on site was

helpful in drawing up the restoration proposal

and also influenced the proceeding of the indi-

vidual stages of restoration itself. An important

aspect was the surveying of the uneven surface

of the preserved wall paintings fragments. We

could see that the surface is not smooth, but also

not as wavy as of the Annunciation, and that they

have quite different characters. We came to the

conclusion that the surface of the in situ fresco

fragments is wavy due to the influence of the

masonry and the plastering method, while the

waving of the transferred painting was created

unambiguously by the creasing of the canvas.

Ms. Paola Passalaqua explained the difficulties

met during the reattachment and conservation

of the wall paintings, such as the detachment of

individual layers that lost adherence amongst

themselves and to the wall, and the weakened

The Annunciation, photography in grazing light.

62 e-conservation

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

binding of the plaster. These problems were similar

to those experiences by us with the thin intonaco

that was removed together with the paint layer,

which was also very brittle.

During our visit, we also surveyed the net sys-

tem used for attachment of the plaster on the

ceiling and the ways of making and laying the

beams.

Based on the stylistic and technical analysis of

the Annunciation fresco we concluded that it was

undoubtedly created in the same period as the

preserved fragments, with which it is related in a

number of morphological details such as, for ex-

ample, the decorative frame with a bordure motif.

If we compare the fragments preserved in situ and

the allegoric female figures from the ceiling with

the depiction of the Annunciation, it is obvious

that the latter can be considered the most impor-

tant piece of the series because of its location with-

in the fresco ensemble. Written documents men-

tion that by entering the Palazzo, the visitor first

laid eyes on this centrally positioned painting.

The painting was probably seriously damaged by

the transfer. The choice of the finely woven canvas

onto which the fresco was transferred was not the

best one due to the bad properties of the canvas.

It was probably due to this reason that the paint-

ing of the allegoric female figures from the ceil-

ing was embedded in plaster on copper net after

having been transferred. The size of the painting

today is 162 x 238 cm. It was glued onto a roughly

woven sackcloth and it was stretched onto a frame

reinforced on the middle, with the possibility of

additional stretching by the insertion of corner

wedges. The stretcher was damaged in several

places. The back side was coated with a thick layer

Right: Details of Mary's hair and angel's portrait.

63e-conservation

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

of lithopone mixed with bone glue. This was done

most likely to stabilise the fabric.

The stretcher was crimped and hardened on its

entire surface, with many depressions and un-

even areas. The layer of the plaster was strongly

fissured and the material compactness was weak.

On big areas (e.g. on Mary’s cloths, on the area

of a stain as big as a few palms, between two fig-

ures about a half square meter, along the cracks,

etc.) the original plaster and the colour layer were

completely missing. A prolonged joint is visible

in the middle of the painting, on the side of the

angel, proving that the fresco was removed in two

parts and was connected again after detachment.

In this area, the tones of the retouches applied

during various interventions altered with time

and the entire surface was dirty.

The documentation comprising non-destructive

analysis of the painting (by grazing light, UV lu-

minescence and IR photography) and the results

UV luminescence of the Annunciation.

IR reflectography of the portraits.

64 e-conservation

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

of the laboratory analysis were the basis for de-

fining the intervention methodology, the choice

of materials used and technologies.

The UV luminescence showed the existence of

various restoration interventions, the presence

of dirt and the extent of degradation of the con-

servation materials which were visible in different

colour tones. According to historical documents,

traces of 4 to 5 interventions could be identified.

IR photography revealed the underdrawing and

the various pigments that appeared in different

characteristic colours and depths. The cross-sec-

tions of pigment and powder samples gave infor-

mation about the visible layers of colours and plas-

ter, the particle size of the pigments and their

optical properties.

It was assessed that the wall painting was detached

with the plaster and that the original pigments

were:

- Natural lapis lazuli, found on Mary’s cloak and

on the ribbon of the angel’s clothes. This pigment

was spread in Europe mainly in medieval times,

although it can sporadically be found also in

baroque paintings. The use of this pigment sug-

gests a rich sponsor as it was used only in small

amounts and only in quality artworks.

- Cinnabar, found on Mary’s clothes. This natural,

mineral pigment was, according to Andrea Pozzo,

“a very popular colour, but unstable with lime. If

the painting is under a roof, it is likely to be used,

but it has to be adjusted for wall painting in this

way: put the pigment dust into a ceramic container

and pour over water which you use for slaking of

the lime; strain it off and again add lime water

and repeat this a few times. In this way the cin-

nabar connects with the properties of the lime

and will never lose them”.

- Ferric red, on the angel’s cloak. This natural earthy

pigment, ferric oxide, is named according to the

locality where it is found. The colour changes ac-

cording to the content of hydrides and anhydrides.

Pozzo describes it as “red ochre (Terra rossa), like

other earthy colours, is great for fresco. It is used

for flesh, drapery and also for others”.

IR reflectography of some details of the Annunciation.

65e-conservation

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

- Natural sienna, used for Mary’s hair. It is a spe-

cial ochre, which is named after a well-known Tus-

cany city. By microscopic and chemical analysis

it is ordered into the same group of pigments as

ferric oxide. By Pozzo, “it is used for shading of

yellow draperies.”

- Yellow ochre, found on Mary’s lecture dais. It is

a hydrate of ferric oxide with various composition.

Pozzo defines it as “light yellow ochre is the pig-

ment with light yellow and dark yellow colour,

which is found in the surroundings of Rome”.

The presence of ochre was also confirmed with UV

due to its typical colour luminescence . Analysis

of its additives (soil, silicates, etc.) explains the

creation of the blisters and the detachment of the

layer of ochre.

- Green earth, used at the background behind

the reading dais. A typical earthy pigment, it is

mentioned by Pozzo as “in fresco painting the

only green colour for painting draperies is from

Verona, because all other artificially made col-

ours do not tolerate lime”. We suppose that it

was also used for obtaining the flesh tones.

- White. Highlights were obviously made with

lime, calcium carbonate. Different variations are

known: chalk, lime, shell, egg shell, corals, etc.

- Carbon black, pigment found in the layers of

under painting and mixed in some colours, as

wooden coal.

After securing and injecting the detached layers

of the plaster and colour, it was proceeded to the

removal of the painting from the old stretcher

frame. The detached creases of the canvas were

impregnated with BEVA 371 which was also used

to reinforce and stabilize the edges, by ironing

strips of linen canvas onto the original canvas

support.

Thus, the painting was stretched onto a new, tem-

porary support made-to-measure so that in its

stretched state we could eliminate the charac-

teristics that were improper to a fresco painting,

mainly the unevenness of the surface, without

the possible creasing of the canvas. While on ho-

rizontal position the painting was steamed and

softened after a gradual stretching using the

corner wedges, and it was weighted down with

marble plates. This process was repeated a few

times within one month.

Consolidation with Plextol B500 of Mary's plaster halo.

Detail of the back of the painting in grazing light.

66 e-conservation

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

The painting was altered by various conservation

materials from the numerous interventions and

retouched a few times. Cleaning was only possible

by the application of poultices with ammonium

carbonate and ammonium hydroxide. Selecton B

mixed with diatomic soil1 was applied onto the

painting surface on 2 – 3 dm2 and after a certain

time the dirt was washed off with water. After

cleaning it was possible to assess the real state

of degradation and the extent of damages in pro-

portion with the original parts, but also the rich-

ness and the fine harmony characteristic for the

colour scheme of this painting.

Cleaning was proceeded by the consolidation of

the powdering plaster and the correction of the

deformed halos, which were pressed back into

shape in wet state. The canvas detached from

the plaster was consolidated from the back and

secured on its position with Plextol B500 adhesive.

The missing parts of the plaster were filled and

the whole was reinforced with thin woven textile

made of artificial threads.

A project was developed for a new stretcher with

reinforcement on the back and the possibility of

stretching by inserting additional wedges. The

Flattening of the canvas around the edges and of the surface by the application of heavy weights.

Cleaning of the painting by the application of poultices with Selecton B and diatomic soil (left) and aspect after cleaning (right).

67e-conservation

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

Above: Cleaning of the painting by the application of poultices with solvent.

Below: Consolidation and backing of the edges with Beva 371 and stripes of new canvas. Integration of the missing areas was done by filling with mortar similar in grain and texture with the original.

68 e-conservation

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

stretching of the painting was performed by ap-

plying strips of canvas with adhesive on the edges

in order to strengthen them, edges that were

then folded back and ironed onto the original

canvas. The painting was then mounted onto the

stretcher by hammering metal grommets and

screws in doubled layer of canvas of the edges.

The aesthetical treatment started by filling the

lacunas of the plaster in all those places where its

stability required it. The mortar used was made of:

1 part of quartzite powder, 1 part of calcite powder,

1 part of kaolin, 3 parts of dolomite2, rabbit glue

7% and a little Plextol B500.

Where possible, the missing parts were retouched for aesthetical purposes. From left to right: before conservation, after filling the lacuna and during retouching, and final aspect after reintegration by tratteggio.

Aspect of the painting after transfer onto the new stretcher and cleaning of the surface.

69e-conservation

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

Detail after conservation-restoration. Angel (above) and portrait of Virgin Mary (below right).

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

70 e-conservation

The aesthetical approach was based on consulting

with specialists and on the experience accumulated

during one year treatment of the painting. We got

to the conclusion that due to the unsatisfactory

amount of information on the morphology of the

original painting, the largest lacunas will not be

reconstructed, these areas being better integrated

into their surrounding by filling with neutral plaster.

Smaller lacunas which could be surely retouched

according to their surrounding context, were re-

constructed for the sake of the aesthetical integ-

rity. The architecture and interior furnishing sur-

rounding the figures were represented without

perspective, according to the style of the époque;

after sketching the system of the composition,

some of its parts could be reconstructed.

The grazed parts were retouched only in those

cases when their image was disturbing the read-

ing of the painting.

Besides the preservation of the original material

quality, our main goal was to re-establish of the

author’s original intent, returning the internal

balance of the painting’s aesthetical value that

mediates the metaphysical message.

e-conservation 71

Angel. Detail after conservation-restoration.

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

Virgin Mary. Detail of the painting after restoration.

72 e-conservation

BY ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKY

1 Dolomite is a mineral crystallising in trigonometric struc-ture, chemically calcium magnesium carbonate – CaMg(CO3)2

2 The diatomic soil (diatomit) is an organic product used in restoration as poultices base for solvents due to its high bearing capacity. Composition: amorphous material 55-75%, montmorillonite 15-30%, kaolinit 0-5%, quartz 0-3%, felspar 0-4%. It is a white – greyish porous sediment with high porosity and specific bearing capacity.

The Annunciation after conservation-restoration treatment.

Bibliography

1. Fehér Ildikó, About the Cycle of Alegoric

Frescoes in Palazzo Isidoro in Perugia, Szép-

művészeti Museum Bulletin, 92-93, 2001

2. Documentation made by Luigi Carattoli,

Francesco Moretti and Matteo Tassi on 9th May

1889 after the visit in situ.

3. Andrea Pozzo’s citacions in Ernst Berger,

Fresko-und Sgraffito-Technik: Nach älteren

und neueren Quellen, Munich, 1909.

Pigment analysis by Éva Galambos

Notes

Ildikó Jeszeniczky is a conservator-restorer of

paintings. She obtained her degree in conserva-

tion at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts

(Magyar Képzőművészeti Egyetem) in 1989. She

also has considerable experience in the conserva-

tion and restoration of mural paintings and easel

paintings of historical monuments in Budapest

and Hungary. She works at the Szépművészeti

Múzeum (Museum of Fine Arts) in Budapest

since 1991, where she is involved in the conserva-

tion of pannel paintings and detached frescoes.

In 2008 she was attributed for her work the Mihály

Munkácsy Award, highly regarded in Hungary.

ILDIKÓ JESZENICZKYConservator-restorer

Contact: [email protected]

e-conservation 73

"THE ANNUNCIATION" BY COLA PETRUCCIOLI

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e-conservationline

No. 16, October 2010

ISSN: 1646-9283

Registration Number125248

Entidade Reguladorapara a Comunicação Social

Propertye-conservationline, Teodora Poiata

PeriodicityBimonthly

CoverDetail from the detached mural painting The Annunciation

by Cola Petruccioli (1380), Szépművészeti Museum, Hungary.Photo by Ildikó Jeszeniczky

Executive EditorRui Bordalo

EditorsTeodora Poiata, Anca Nicolaescu

CollaboratorsAna Bidarra

Daniel Cull

Graphic Design and PhotographyAnca Poiata, Radu Matase

ExecutionTeodora Poiata

Address Rua de Santa Catarina, nº 467, 4D4480-779 Vila do Conde, Portugal

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