Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 11. (Székelyudvarhely, 2011)
M-Kiss András: Egy elázott madágyűjtemény konzerválási problémái
display such metal threads. Several other items in the collection are ornamented with metal threads, and results of their examination will be published at a later date. Doina Boroş Chemist Muzeul Naţional de Istorie al Transilvaniei Cluj-Napoca, str. Constantin Daicoviciu nr. 2 Mobil: +40-722-735-268 Hédy M-Kiss Conservation Conditions of Historical Textiles in the Banate Museum, Temesvár The Restoration and Conservation Laboratory of the Banate Museum in Temesvár (now Timisoara, Rumania) was established in 1975 as part of a national network. Up to recent times, nine people worked in its textile unit. Today the author is the sole conservator employed, and since 1997 the laboratory has been defunct owing to moving several times. In the 35 years, textile conservators prepared 365 ethnographical textile items, 196 archaeological leather items, 122 historical textile items, 32 applied arts items, and 9 church textiles. Unfortunately, regulations concerning the storage of textile objects have not been kept in the museum, therefore the items have suffered damages of lesser or greater degree over the years. Historical textiles in the museum, comprising 20 modem-age flags, six guild banners, 13 banners of societies and civilian associations, five ferpár[?] and coat of arms, 23 ribbons and ten contemporary historical flags, are kept in the memoirs collection of the Historical Department. When in 2007 the author began surveying historical textiles, she found that the storage room was dirty and dusty, and the objects were covered by a thick layer of dust. The textiles had no cover, and were unprotected from light. In cases, flagpole, bunting and streamer were stored in different places, each having a different inventory number or no number at all. Flags were inappropriately stored, with the bunting wound around the pole. Temperature and relative humidity fluctuated, and in the absence of instmments, no measurements were made. Documentation of conservation work carried out thirty years ago revealed that some flags in the collection had already been severely damaged at the time. Their number has regrettably grown since then. Alongside physical, chemical and biological damage factors, all this testifies to poor standards of human care. Damages affecting the textiles can be classified into several groups. To begin with, almost all items have suffered discolouration due to exposure to light. In painted flags, the majority of paintings were done straight on the bunting with no appropriate grounding. Both the paints and the support materials are, in general, of poor quality, in consequence of which the paint of coat is cracked and flaking, and the particular, original message of the depiction is lost. The same applies to flags with inserts painted on both sides. The degree of damages sustained by the flags depends much on their age, materials, form, and technique of manufacture. Early items, for instance, are triangular flags made of a single sheet of pure silk painted on both sides, with decoration and inscription. If the painted part was supported by silk, deterioration progressed farther, as pure silk is more liable to deteriorate when exposed to light. Flags and banners made of two sheets and painted on both sides are mainly rectangular or square in shape, and are lined and embroidered. Their mechanical strength greatly depends on the material of the bunting, as the hardiness of silk, brocade, damask and velvet varies greatly. Needlework caused the support to deteriorate faster, especially if it was raised and done with metal thread, since the heavier a flag is, the sooner it tears. Stains on the buntings may have been caused by contact with other objects in storage, by ‘domestic’ accidents (ink, food and candle stains, small burns, etc.); in the case of flags hung in the open for a long time, humidity caused paint bleedings. Metal threads, metal threaded tassels and knots, and pins fastening the bunting to the pole also left corrosion stains on the textiles. Amongst biological factors, bacteria in the dust dried the textiles and mould fungi left stains both on the textiles and the paintings. Wool and cotton fabrics have been damaged by moths. To sum it up, in order to provide appropriate conditions for housing historical textiles in the Banate Museum, a storage room fitted out especially for the purpose is needed, where the buntings of flags and banners can be stored spread out, flagpoles kept in repository, and pointed tips of flagpoles kept in separate boxes. Humidity and temperature in the room are to be controlled by instruments. Conservation work could only be carried on with the collaboration of more textile conservators and appropriate laboratory equipment. Dr. Hédy M-Kiss Textil artist and conservator Muzeul Banatului, Timişoara, 300561 Timişoara, Str. Ofcea nr. 5 Phone: +40-256-202-394 Mobil: +40-720-311-758 E-mail: andraskiss2000@yahoo.co.uk Orsolya Koppán - Zsuzsanna Tóth Stabilisation of Ink-corroded Manuscripts by Calcium-phytate/Calcium-bicarbonate Treatment; Application of Treatment in the Conservation of the Apor Codex Iron gall ink was made predominantly of tannin extracted from oak gall, of vitriol (iron sulphate) and water, to which gum arabic was added. It was in use from the Middle Ages onwards up to the mid-20th century. Ink corrosion is a complex process in which iron gall ink causes the material of paper, cellulose, to deteriorate. 192
