Műtárgyvédelem, 2007 (Magyar Nemzeti Múzeum)
Válogatás az utóbbi évek magyar papír- és könyvrestaurálási munkáiból - Összefoglalók
Restoration of an 18th century painted paper fan Róza Brenner The 18th century fan was probably prepared in Netherlands. The upper parts of the carved ivory sticks decorated with mother-of-pearl inlays, painting and gilding were enclosed on two sides with hand-moulded paper leaves of gouache painting, the upper arches of which were held together with a thin golden paper strip. The well preserved sticks were slightly dirty and the upper guard was broken at a place. The slightly fragmented leaves with worn paintings were torn at the folds, which were earlier repaired in various ways. The front and the back leaves were glued together at the edges. These repairs had to be removed not only because of the inaesthetic appearance but also to reduce the stress they caused on the surface of the paper. The analyses demonstrated that water soluble adhesives of natural bases, starch and glue, were used to fix the repairs. The overlying pigments reacted sensitively to water in the case of every shade, probably because of the acacia gum binding agent, while they did not dissolve in 96% ethanol. The electron microscopic analyses demonstrated a high percent of real gold both in the gold paint and in the gilding of the sticks. Because of the strongly hygroscopic feature of ivory, restoration started with the mechanic removal of the paper leaves from the sticks. The water sensitive pigments had to be fixed before the watery treatments, for which 2.5 % Regnal S1 (polyvinyl-butyrate) dissolved in ethanol proved to be the most suitable being applied on the surfaces in two layers. Then the adhesives of the former repairs were directly swollen with moistening followed by the gradual removal of the parchment, the two sorts of paper and the silk of former repairs. Finally, the leaves glued together with glue were taken apart. As the pH meter measured a nearly neutral acidity on the paper, no alkaline treatment were necessary, the moist cleaning, the completion and the application of a support could be carried out in a single phase without interruptions for drying. Moist cleaning was carried out on a sucking table with watery washing on the front, while the bulkier pigment layer was kept in place with sucking force. The completions were made on the back using hand moulded paper prepared from paper pulp coloured to the adequate shade. In the next step, a mounting support of Japanese paper fixed with the 2:1 mixture of rice starch and methyl cellulose was applied on the leaves. After drying and the dissolution of the protecting matter in 96% ethanol, the completed areas were retouched with watercolour and shell gold. The sticks were mechanically cleaned with vinyl rubber, while the broken stick was glued with Araldit epoxy resin. The folded front and back leaves were glued on the sticks with the 3:1 mixture of rice starch and methyl cellulose: the adhesive was applied on the sticks and they were one by one fit between the leaves and locally pressed down. The paper strip that held together the tops of the leaves, and which was torn to small fragments as the folded edges parted, was replaced with a new strip cut from Japanese paper. The retouching of the new strip was also made with shell gold and watercolour along the original strip placed over the replacement. The most important experience of the restoration was the reaction of the bulkier paint layer, which covered the entire surface, to water and the experiments made with the purpose to consolidate and preserve it, and also the recognition of 262