This paper describes the multi-analytical approach implemented for the study of the oil painting Il Venditore di Cerini made by Antonio Mancini in 1878. The research was carried out to characterize both the original stratigraphy and the alleged non-original varnish on the surface. SEM/EDS analysis showed the presence of pigments already detected in other paintings by Antonio Mancini. Multispectral imaging, DinoLite microscope, and FT-IR ATR spectroscopy revealed significant data regarding the invention of the “graticola” method—a technique implemented by Mancini to respect the proportions of the figures—also proving the presence of an aged layer of non-original shellac on the surface. The yellow/brownish tone of the varnish was hiding the real shapes of the figure, requiring a selective removal of the aged coating. The proposed cleaning systems were chosen among the green chemical alternatives present in the market, aiming at promoting a sustainable development in the Cultural Heritage field. The selection was made according to the Fd parameter of the cleaning systems—which defines the energy from dispersion forces between molecules—in relation to what is defined in the literature as the suitable Fd value for the removal of the shellac. The best-performing green cleaning system proved to be the Polar Varnish Rescue GEL—a gelled acetals mixture developed by YOCOCU APS—for its effectiveness in selectively remove the aged shellac while preserving the integrity of the original stratigraphy.

Over the centuries, humans have developed different systems to protect surfaces from the influence of environmental factors. Protective paints are the most used ones. They have undergone considerable development over the years, especially at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Indeed, between the two centuries, new binders and pigments have been introduced in the constituent materials of paints. The years in which these compounds have been introduced and spread in the paint market allow them to be defined as markers for the dating of paints and painted artifacts. The present work is focused on the study of the paints of two vehicles of the Frankfurt Museum of Communication, i.e., a carriage and a cart, that was designed for the German Postal and Telecommunications Service roughly between 1880 and 1920. The characterization of the paints was performed through in situ non-invasive techniques, i.e., portable optical microscopy and multispectral imaging, and laboratory non-destructive techniques, i.e., FT-IR ATR spectroscopy and SEM-EDS. The analytical investigation and the comparison with the data reported in the literature allowed us to determine the historicity of the paints, which are all dated before the 1950s.

The present study reports the conservative first aid concerning the human cranium known as the “Skull with Ears”, which is conserved in the crypt of Santa Luciella ai Librai’s church in Naples, Italy. These remains have historically been worshipped by devotees within the cult of the “abandoned souls”. The skulls were “adopted” by the Neapolitan population and treated with particular care in exchange for divine favors. The critical preservation status of the “Skull with ears” required a multidisciplinary approach aimed at defining the taphonomy and anthropological features of the cranium, while determining the state of its conservation by using a multi-analytical approach. Multispectral imaging, 3D modeling, X-ray imaging, microscopical observations, and microbiological tests enabled the documentation of the cranium while assessing this state of conservation. Electron scanning microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) in the attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode, and radiocarbon dating allowed for essential data to be obtained on the cranium’s history and constituent components. The results that were obtained from both the analysis of the cranium and the environmental monitoring of the crypt showed the advanced degradation of the bones due to a significant bacterial attack, which was facilitated by the inadequate environmental conditions at the site of conservation. The acquired data enabled the definition of the most suitable conservation strategy and the securing of the cranium.