|
|
|
|
|
|
|
  
Sector for Restoration of Archeological Metal Sector leader, expert restorer Natalya A. Panchenko The Sector for Restoration of Archeological Metal carries out work on the restoration and preservation of archeological finds made of metal. Every year staff in this group perform restoration and conservation work on around 1500 exhibits which come from archeological expeditions and from the depositories of the research divisions of the State Hermitage. They prepare these items for display in permanent and temporary exhibitions. As early as 1963 work was begun on saving the collection of Byzantine seals made of lead (molivdovuls), of which there are more than 14,000 items in the inventory. The expert restorer N.A. Panchenko and chemist N.G. Gerasimova developed and published a methodology for restoring lead which is successfully applied to this day and has made it possible to conserve the collection in museum conditions. With the help of this technique, not only the molivdovul collection but also pendant seals on documents preserved in Novgorod, Pskov and in the Institute of History of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St Petersburg were restored. The technique also led to the discovery of unique epigraphic sources - ancient lead letters. Further study of new restoration materials will make it possible to improve the methods of conserving lead and to extend the life of conservation coatings. One other area of the group's activity is field conservation and the search for effective methods of taking damaged and fragmented objects from earth. Each year the restorers participate in the work of the State Hermitage's archeological expeditions and also are invited to work in other museums and research institutes around Russia. Experience worldwide shows that restoring archeological metal is one of the most complex tasks. Traditional methods of stabilizing active corrosion applied up to the present as a rule result in partial losses on the surface of the object. The use of more sparing techniques of ñonservation eventually requires special storage conditions which it is not always possible to achieve. New methods of stabilization which are being developed today in the group responsible for restoring objects of archeological metal make it possible to effectively stabilize partially mineralized objects made of iron while avoiding losses to their surface. The high qualifications of staff in the group allow them to carry out especially complex work to bring out inlays in precious and non-ferrous metals on highly mineralized objects made of iron. The laboratory has developed a methodology for restoring inlaid metal without use of chemical reagents. Ancient finds often come for restoration in the form of numerous fragments. In such cases the restorers first have to solve the problem of reconstructing the shape of the exhibit. Besides metal, archeological complexes often include organic materials. The challenge in restoring such complexes is to determine the sequence of operations and choose the regime for work which is least damaging to the materials of the object. The sector works with the Department of Scientific and Technical Expertise to investigate corrosion, determine the condition of conservation of objects and also to solve questions surrounding the authenticity of exhibits. Restoration programmes: 1. Restoration and reconstruction
of the Arzhan-2 complex of artefacts |
|
|||||
|
Copyright © 2006 State Hermitage Museum |
