Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 11. (Székelyudvarhely, 2011)
M-Kiss András: Egy elázott madágyűjtemény konzerválási problémái
Corrosion is caused mainly by the acidity of the ink and the presence of metal ions. Deterioration takes place due to two major reactions - acid hydrolysis of the cellulose caused by ink acidity, and oxidation catalysed by an excess of free iron ions. As a result, the paper cracks along lines of writing, leading in severe cases to fragmentation at a mere touch. The calcium-phytate/ calcium-bicarbonate procedure was first recommended for treating ink-damaged manuscripts by Johan G. Neevel in 1995. Thanks to the treatment, a prolonged lease of life with minimal side effects can be ensured for ink-corroded manuscripts. When applying the calcium-phytate/calciumbicarbonate treatment, following the appropriate order of steps is of paramount importance. At the same time, adjustment of the treatment is necessary in view of the unique features of documents — as was the case with the Apor Codex. Phytic acid is a natural compound which readily forms complexes; its salt is calcium phytate. In the course of treatment, calcium ions replace harmful free ferric ions, resulting in the white-coloured complex ferric phytate. Thus neutralised, ferric ions cease acting as catalyst to cellulose oxidation. The iron gall ink sustains no damage during the process. Calcium-phytate treatment alone cannot eliminate the acid hydrolysis of cellulose; therefore, it must be followed up with neutralisation by calcium carbonate solution, which forms an alcalescent residue in the paper. The concluding step in the treatment is paper re-sizing with gelatine, which contributes to the lasting effects of the phytate treatment. One of the earliest records of the Hungarian language, the Apor Codex was written in the late 15th and early 16lh century. It was named after its first known owner in the modem age, Baron Péter Apor. Today it is in the collection of the Szekler National Museum in Sepsiszentgyörgy (now Sfantu Gheorghe, Rumania). Iron gall inks of various qualities were used in the manuscript. Leaking on more than one occasion caused its paper to get mouldy; water stains appeared on it, the destructive process of ink corrosion started, and in places, ink crumbled away. Most important task, therefore, in the course of conservation work was to arrest not only ink corrosion but also ink crumbling to dust. Pre-treatment assessment established that the manuscript showed ink corrosion of all degrees. Aqueous cleaning and calcium-phytate/calciumbicarbonate treatment of the pages were followed by paper repair. The manuscript is a linguistic record of major importance; therefore the best possible conservation of the written form was necessary for more than just aesthetic reasons. Complementing the sheets was to be carried out by manual paper leaf casting. Trial leafcasting, however, proved not really successful, because the paper pulp covered all too much of the written text area, so a different complementative method had to be found. Leafcasting combined with special manual repair work produced the finest results. With the use of two brushes, tiny pieces of paper, “fluffs” matching the colour of the inks were glued with methyl cellulose to fill out lost or fragmented parts of the sheets - it was a time-consuming work which demanded great precision. Orsolya Koppán Paper and leather object conservator MA Book and paper conservator Országos Széchényi Könyvtár 1014 Budapest, Szent György tér 4—6. Phone: +36-1-487-8611 E-mail: koppan@oszk.hu Zsuzsanna Tóth Wood and furniture conservator MA Book and paper conservator Országos Széchényi Könyvtár 1014 Budapest, Szent György tér 4-6. Phone: +36-1-224-3700/321 E-mail: toth.zsuzsanna@oszk.hu Csilla Farkas Hebraica Biblia, Latina planeque nova Sebast Munsteri tralatione Housed in the National Széchényi Library, Budapest, in the Collection of Early Books, the book was made in the 16th century. With wooden covers bound in blind-tooled, alum tawed pigskin with comer pieces, originally it was secured with two asymmetrical hook-clasps. The text block, of hand-made paper, was fastened on five double cords. The front cover displayed writing in black ink; on the inside of covers and the pages, a number of handwritten notes in ink and pencil were found. The leather was strongly soiled and defective in many places. The back wooden cover had been broken lengthwise and stitched up with parchment ribbons. The straps and hook-clasps were missing. The headbands were embroidered on a wide parchment lining in three alternating colours - plain, light tobacco and greenish-blue. The sheets were extremely soiled, and water-stained for soaking. Also, some were mutilated. The flyleaves were missing. Sewing came undone in places. The ink of the notes spread through neighbouring pages in several places, causing ink corrosion damage and acidification of medium degree. Conservation work commenced with dry cleaning. Regnal (polyvinyl butyroacetate) diluted in ethanol was applied to consolidate the deteriorated sheets. Next the water-soaked endleaves were removed from the covers, revealing a second breakage in the back cover which had been kept together only by the binding leather and paper. In order to carry on the treatment, the first and last sheets had to be detached from the text block. In case of handwritten marginal notes, the surfaces were moistened with water, which was followed by the topical treatment 193
