Marisia - Maros Megyei Múzeum Évkönyve 32/2. (2012)
Articles
216 A.POKORNY is affected by the change of the weight symmetry. Occasionally, the main finality of the vessel reconstruction is the aesthetic principle or the public display. Completing can be made with the aid of plastic or liquid malleable substances that solidify after being applied. The texture of the material requires certain aesthetic reflexions (PI. 1/3). Many arguments are held as to how much the nuance used should be close to the original one. Reconstructing an object is a special piece of work, since without an adequate experience it is difficult to accomplish, particularly in the case of porous ceramic pieces. In this situation, around the completed area, they may darken or lighten, in what the colour is concerned. Commonly, modelling plaster is used, but calcium sulphate based dental plaster is a choice as well. The value of these materials stands in the fact that they do not contract after application, due to the filling substances contents and the hardening time required is longer. These plaster based matters can usually be removed with water. When discovered in earth, enamelled pottery objects must not be cleaned of deposits! A full vessel must be recuperated without being cleaned. It usually weighs more than expected and therefore needs proper handling. Soil samples should be taken to be further compared to the contents of the vessel discovered. If the object is cracked or broken, but the texture looks solid enough, it is easier to take out the earth from inside the vessel, which at times might have archaeological artefacts or rests from organic materials still preserved. In case the artefact is fragile, supplementary measures have to be taken to recover it as unharmed as possible. Water impregnation is resorted to only in extreme cases. Receptacles recovered together with their filling are kept moist lest the soil from inside and the pottery itself should suffer alteration. When restoring ceramics several phases and rules should be taken into consideration (PL 2/1): 1. After laying them on an even surface, the position of each fragment in the wall of the vessel is established. Temporary sticks can be made in this phase. 2. Planning the succession of sticks, so that in the case of the vessels, we begin from the bottom, following the original shape. In case the bottom is missing, we start from the rim. No piece remains unused when the neighbouring ones are attached and stuck. In this type of situation, the adjacent fragments have to be unstuck and re-assembled together with the remaining one. 3. Cutting approximately 5 cm long adhesive stripes and fixing the fragments. 4. Assembling a fragment on a fractured surface only requires a small amount of adhesive. With gentle moves, we seek the best position of the fragments. Next we check the surface to see if there are level differences, which are then evened up through fine pressing. After that, the fragments are pressed against each other as hard as possible. We verify the already stuck area with adhesive stripe. We fix the bigger fragment thus obtained without moving its pieces and we lay it in the sand tray in a way that, with the aid of the gravitational force, the stuck side hardens in parallel with the table surface. It remains as such for at least 10 minutes. 5. Reconstructing a vessel should be started from one side only, because otherwise we end up trying to stick surfaces that do not correspond. 6. The adhesive stripe should not be kept on the piece more than a few days after which it can be removed with solvent embedded cotton wool. 7. Accidental stick mistakes can be corrected by dissolving the adhesive. If repeated, this operation might cause a white residue stratum to appear after wiping the surface, case in which another solvent, nevertheless harder accessible, can be used. On the other hand, in the case of a porous pottery receptacle, a repeated treatment leads to the appearance of stains, very hard to remove in their turn.
