Science and Conservation for Museum Collection

Book excerpt: The idea of the book “Science and Conservation for Museum Collections” was born as a result of the experience made by CNR-ISTEC (Faenza) in the implementation of a course for Syrian restorers at the National Museum in Damascus. The book takes into consideration archaeological artefacts made out of the most common materials, like stones (both natural and artificial), mosaics, ceramics, glass, metals, wood and textiles, together with less diffuse artefacts and materials, like clay tablets, goldsmith artefacts, icons, leather and skin objects, bones and ivory, coral and mother of pearl. Each type of material is treated from four different points of view: composition and processing technology; alteration and degradation causes and mechanisms; procedures for conservative intervention; case studies and/or examples of conservation and restoration. Due to the high number of materials and to the great difference between their conservation problems, all the subjects are treated in a schematic, but precise and complete way. The book is mainly addressed to students, young restorers, conservators and conservation scientists all around the world. But the book can be usefully read by expert professionals too, because nobody can know everything and the experts often need to learn something of the materials not included in their specific knowledge. Twenty- two experts in very different fields of activity contributed with their experience for obtaining a good product. All they are Italian experts, or working in Italy, so that the book can be seen as an exemplification on how the conservation problem of Cultural Heritage is received and tackled in Italy. —————————————————— SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION FOR MUSEUM COLLECTIONS INTRODUCTION 1 – PREVENTIVE CONSERVATION 1.1 Introduction 1.2 International standards and guidelines 1.3 Environment-material interaction 1.4 Microclimate and monitoring 1.5 Handling works of art 1.6 Exhibition criteria 1.7 MUSA project: intermuseum network for conservation of artistic heritage Bibliography Acknowledgements 2 – STONE ARTEFACTS 2.1 What conservation means 2.2 Natural Stones 2.3 Artificial stones 2.4 Deterioration of the stone 2.5 Cleaning of stone artefacts 2.6 Consolidation and Protection 2.7 Case studies Bibliography 3 – MOSAICS 3.1 Manufacturing techniques 3.2 History of the mosaic 3.3 Degradation of mosaic 3.4 Restoration of mosaics 3.5 Case study Bibliography 4 – CERAMICS 4.1 Ceramic technology 4.2 Technological classification of ceramics 4.3 Alteration and degradation processes 4.4 Ceramic conservation and restoration 4.5 Case studies 4.6 Examples of restoration Bibliography Acknowledgements 5 – CLAY TABLETS 5.1 Defnition 5.2 Deterioration 5.3 Conservative intervention 5.4 Case study: Syrian tablets Bibliography Acknowledgements 6 – GLASS 6.1 General information 6.2 Processing techniques 6.3 Glass deterioration 6.4 Glass conservation and restoration 6.5 Case studies Bibliography Acknowledgements 7 – METALS 7.1 Origin of metals 7.2 Manufacturing techniques 7.3 Conservation state of metals 7.4 Conservative intervention for metals 7.5 Case studies: Recovery of metallic artefacts from terracotta containers Bibliography Acknowledgements 8 – GOLDSMITH ARTEFACTS 8.1 Goldsmith’s metals 8.2 Enamels 8.3 Precious stones 8.4 Alteration and degradation 8.5 Conservative intervention 8.6 Case studies Bibliography 9 – WOOD ARTEFACTS 9.1 Characteristics of the wood 9.2 Working techniques 9.3 Degradation of wood 9.4 How to start restoring 9.5 Restoration of a small inlaid table 9.6 Restoration of a commemorating wooden tablet 9.7 The restoration of a seventeenth-century wooden crucifix Bibliography 10 – ICONS 10.1 The construction of icons 10.2 Degradation and damages of icons 10.3 Methods of conservation and restoration of icons 10.4 Examples of conservative interventions Bibliography 11 – TEXTILE FINDS 11.1 Morphology, characteristics and properties of textiles 11.2 Decay of textile fibres 11.3 Conservation treatments of archaeological textiles 11.4 Conservation practice: two case histories Bibliography Acknowledgements 12 – LEATHER AND ANIMAL SKIN OBJECTS 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Skin 12.3 The tanning process 12.4 Parchment 12.5 Leather degradation 12.6 Conservative intervention 12.7 Examples of conservative interventions Bibliography 13 – INORGANIC MATERIALS OF ORGANIC ORIGIN 13.1 The materials 13.2 The restoration operations 13.3 Cases of study Bibliography Acknowledgements 14 – ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES 14.1 General information 14.2 Optical microscopy 14.3 Spectroscopic techniques 14.4 Radiochemical techniques 14.5 Chromatography 14.6 Electron microscopy 14.7 Thermal analyses 14.8 Open porosity measurements 14.9 Analysis of microbial colonization Bibliography Acknowledgements