Restoration of a XVII Century’s predella reliquary: From Physico-Chemical Characterization to the Conservation Process

Abstract

We report on the restoration of a XVII century’s predella reliquary, which is a part of a larger setup that includes a wall reliquary and a wooden crucified Christ, both belonging to the church of “Madre Maria SS. Assunta”, in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, Italy. The historical/artistic and paleographic research was flanked successfully by the scientific objective characterization of the materials. The scientific approach was relevant in the definition of the steps for the restoration of the artefact. The optical microscopy was used for the identification of the wood species. Electron microscopy and elemental mapping by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) was successful in the identification of the layered structure for the gilded surface. The hyperspectral imaging method was successfully employed for an objective chemical mapping of the surface composition. We proved that the scientific approach is necessary for a critical and objective evaluation of the conservation state and it is a necessary step toward awareness of the historical, liturgical, spiritual and artistic value. In the second part of this work, we briefly describe the conservation protocol and the use of a weak nanocomposite glue. In particular, a sustainable approach was considered and therefore mixtures of a biopolymer from natural resources, such as funori from algae, and naturally occurring halloysite nanotubes were considered. Tensile tests provided the best composition for this green nanocomposite glue.

Biopolymer applications for different treatments of the historical paper manuscripts and leather bindings: A Review

“…It is also used as a weak adhesive in mending and facing. Its advantages as a consolidant are that it has a very low viscosity and can be applied repeatedly without giving bulk to the treated pigment and or paper, and it appears matte and is more flexible [60,78].…”

Sustainability in Heritage Wood Conservation: Challenges and Directions for Future Research

“…This is likely due to the formation of 3D networks of HNTs within the matrix that contribute to excellent mechanical properties. This system has been refined more recently to include examples of esterified colophony, pure paraffin wax and paraffin wax Pickering emulsions as matrices for the HNTs, all with promising results, highlighting their potential to be more extensively exploited in wood conservation [210,211,[213][214][215].…”

Sound Wave Absorption Coefficient and Sound Velocity in Thermally Modified Wood

“…Thermal modification of wood is a well-known topic [2][3][4][5][6]. In addition to this commonly used method, one can also find others regarding changes in the properties of archaeological wood [7,8]. During this process, changes occur in the structural components of the wood.…”