Olariu, Gheorghina (szerk.): Sesiunea Internaţională de Restaurare - Conservare (Satu Mare, 1997)

Investigaţii, conservare

and Radix Saponariae 8 we could clean two fragments. A bath containing ethanol removed the excess of water. This way we have done the cleaning and rehidration of the samples (photo 8).

Given the brittleness of the objects, we introduced them in a bath with polyethilene glycol, as recommended in literature9. They stayed in the bath 48 hours. The excess of PEG was removed in a toluen bath. Then, the fragment, were introduced in poliethen bags. A pressure may be applied until the leather is dry. The leather got back its flexibility( photo 9).

The last phase was that of consolidating of the two pieces. We used a piece of canvas 10, dyed in blak with a water - soluble substance. The black canvas was applied on the sample using a mixture of soluble starch and carboxymethycellulose.

Then, we strengthened the fissure with a paste mixture containing leather- powder and upper adhesive.

The PEG is hygroscopic, so the objects were treated with the microcrystalline wax Cosmolloid 80 (photo 12,13). The film protects the objects from humidity, dust and air pollution.

The objects, well preserved, will be kept up at 180C and 50% U.R.

The discoveries of Baia, some of the first in Romania on which the medieval archaeologycal researches were focussed, straightly reflect one aspect of the urban way of life in this side of Europe. They belong typologically to the usual mass production of the towns - people of the XIV th century living in the North - Eastern Europe.

THE TABLE OF IMAGES

Photo 1:

The objects discovered at Baia (leather cords, purses of different sizes, fragments of unprocessed leather after dry cleaning).

Photo 2:

The shoe before restoring.

Photo 3:

The shoe after restoring.

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