Experimentation on the removal of Paraloid B72R from the wooden surface of Egyptian artefacts from the National Archaeological Museum in Naples |
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| Annarita Altobelli, Paola Cennamo, Giorgio Trojsi, Maria Rosaria Barone Lumaga, Andrea Carpentieri, Giancarlo Fatigati |
- Abstract:
- This paper reports the results of experimentation about the removal of a polymeric film of aged Paraloid B72R placed to protect some wooden artifacts belonging to the Egyptian collection of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples (MANN), in particular the study was conducted on two shabties dated to the 19th Dynasty and a sculpture of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris dating to the late period. Thanks to the collaboration between the National Archaeological Museum of Naples and the Laboratory of Restoration of Wooden Artifacts of the University of Naples Suor Orsola Benincasa, it was possible to conduct an in-depth study of the artifacts, not only from an archaeological-historical point of view but also from a conservation point of view, which led to the development of the above-mentioned experimentation and the planning of a proper restoration intervention. The study and experimentation were supported by several diagnostic investigations. At first, non-invasive investigations were carried out to study the execution technique and the state of conservation of the artifacts, so it was possible to carry out the recognition of the wood species that constituted the three sculptures through optical microscopy, some investigations such as IR reflectography, and fluorescence induced by UV and X-ray radiation (XRF) were conducted for the identification of pigments and investigate their chemical nature. By analyzing the state of conservation of the artifacts, the porpoises of the restoration work were set, among which was to attempt the removal of Paraloid B72R through a methodology that would act in full respect of the wooden support of the two shabties and the statuette of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris. Therefore, a study was carried out by evaluating the pros and cons of the different methodologies that have been tested in recent decades and most used for the removal of aged Paraloid from the surfaces of the artifacts. After choosing the methodology best suited to the needs of the works under consideration, an experiment was conducted aimed at verifying the effectiveness of the selected methodology.
- Download:
- IMEKO-TC4-MetroArchaeo2022-046.pdf
- DOI:
- 10.21014/tc4-ARC-2022.046
- Event details
- IMEKO TC:
- TC4
- Event name:
- TC4 MetroArchaeo 2022
- Title:
IMEKO TC4 International Conference on Metrology for Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
- Place:
- Consenca, ITALY
- Time:
- 19 September 2022 - 21 September 2022