Műtárgyvédelem, 2006 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
Összefoglalók
By the end of the restoration, the objects were ready for being exhibited. One of the boots, however, suffered an incorrigible change of measurements, and it will forever carry the marks of senseless war damage, which is another piece of information to be passed to the researchers and visitors of the exhibition beside the refined technology and the exquisite ornaments. Restoration of a bodice from the end of the 16th century uncovered in the Dobozi cemetery of Debrecen Ilona Csilla Tóth The Dobozi cemetery in Debrecen was excavated in the 1930’s.The majority of the finds consisted of fragments of dresses and accessories. The bodice from the end of the 16th century was found here as well, and it was restored within the frames of a diploma work. The basic fabric of the bodice is button velvet of cut and looped silk threads. The neck is quadrangular. The back is cut in a slight upward arc and the shoulder-strap is cut in one piece. Lacings woven of gilded silver threads are applied in twice three rows on the front and the back and in twice two rows on the shoulders. The front was once closed with 11 pairs of silver-coated copper clasps from which 6 has been preserved. The neckline and the armhole are trimmed with velvet straps and decorated with gilded silver threads stitched in a knot pattern. The remains of velvet gores can be seen on both sides. The object is an archaeological textile, which spent centuries in the earth. Various factors accelerated its decomposition: the alternation of moist and dry periods according to the seasons, mineral salts diluted in the ground water, micro-organisms and gases and other decomposition products coming from the decomposing body. The archaeological textile was incomplete and highly desiccated when the treatment started. Both the basic fabric and the lacings were very desiccated and brittle, so it was very fragmented when it arrived in the restoration workshop. The object was taken apart and dusted, and only then could the impurities be removed with wet cleaning. Two exact drawings were made of the textile on poly-propylene sheet before taking it apart: one with the marking of the lacings, the other one without it. As the item was fragmented, the elements had to be cleaned separately, and the sheet helped us to keep them in place. Mechanical cleaning was made with a low-force micro-vacuum-cleaner through a tulle net. A washing test carried out on samples taken from the basic fabric and the lacing preceded the wet cleaning. Genapol UD-088 non-ionic detergent was used for the removal of chemically bonded impurities. Three rinsing followed the washing. The first water contained a mild disinfectant (Barqat CB-50), while the other two contained clear soft water. After blotting, the fabric fragments still contained enough water to be able to adjust them to the original shape after the drawings and the thread directions. Then the velvet fragments were fixed to the support with thin silk threads and cr^peline was placed on the surface. Before application, the conserving materials had to be coloured. An important aspect at the choice of the pigment 189
