Kovács Petronella (szerk.): Isis - Erdélyi magyar restaurátor füzetek 20. (Székelyudvarhely, 2020)
Focht Anna: Gorka Géza padlóváza restaurálása
and Japanese paper, ironed by a heated spatula through Melinex foil as an intermediate sheet. The supplements of the wooden defects were created from the identical wood as the material of the object, taking into account the direction of the wood grain. Replacements for the missing wooden parts as well as the loosened elements were fixed with a 20% fish glue solution. A mixture of fish glue and chalk was used to fill the gaps on the painted surface. The aesthetic retouching was performed with aquarelle, and next the wall cabinet was given a coating of 10% dammar resin. It was discovered with the help of the local Saxon community that the Sturm family was a wealthy, respected family. Christian Sturm married in 1781, and the following year he ordered this piece of furniture from a carpentry workshop. Considering the shape and painting of the object, which probably has German influence, it is asserted that the cabinet is an unusual piece, differs from other painted wall cabinets made in Transylvania during this period. The object has not been removed from the wall since 1782; it was in its original place for nearly two hundred and forty years until 2019 when it was restored. The privately owned object will return to its original location after the house has been restored. Ecaterina Constantinescu Conservator of painted wood Katharina Lindner-Barth Conservator student of painted wood conservation Andrei Buda Conservator student of painted wood conservation Translated by: Andrei Buda Mária Emília Szabóné Szilágyi Materials used for elephant tusk infills The word ivory is commonly used for elephant tusk; the term often appears falsely in literature as well. On one hand ivory is not the bone, but the tusk of the elephant, and on the other this phrase is usually used for determine animal or plant materials similar in appearance, therefore ’ivory’ can be deceptive. The tusk of an elephant is a modified canine eye-tooth. Examining its cross-section reveals the growth rings and crossing lines. The white and solid parts alternate with the darker and softer ones resulting in its characteristic pattem. The ethical rules for infill carvings made of elephant tusk correspond to the rules used for artefacts made of other materials. The elephant is a protected animal (Washington Convention CITES), therefore for completion of artefacts, only elephant tusk certified to date before 1975 is allowed to be used. Natural (extracted from plants or animals) or artificial (plastics or of natural origin) materials are exclusively used to infill artefacts made of elephant tusk. Materials of natural origin can be tusks, teeth, horns, antlers and bones of other animals, or artificial materials made of the above-mentioned ones or tusk in powder form. The tusk of the mammoth is the most suitable to substitute elephant tusk. Not only it corresponds in appearance and structure but in chemical, physical and optical properties as well and most importantly, it is legal to trade. After the elephant, the walms has the largest tusk of any living animal. Its two upper eyeteeth had modified into tusks, of which secondary dentine layer has a specific marbled pattern. The hippopotamus has several teeth, which have transformed into tusks; their lower canines are particularly advanced. As the pulp cavity’s cross-section has a shape of a roof, it clearly differs from the elephant tusks. Both the upper and lower canine teeth of the warthog had developed into strongly curved tusks, of which’s cross-section is angular, the concentric rings have irregular forms. Fangs and teeth of several other animals are suitable to complement elephant tusks. Their size largely determines their application. On the hollow beak of animals, belonging to the rhinoceros bird group a hom-like formation develops with an inner bone beam network. Antler is a modified bone, whose exterior is compact, while the interior has a trabecular structure. Horn is peculiar for the Bovidae family; it has no branches, but can be twisted. The real horn is a solid projection developed from coalesced bristles, for example the tusk of a rhinoceros, while the hollow horn is a pod covering the fronthead. Bone is a passive part of the musculoskeletal (locomotive) system of vertebrates. By form and structure it is possible to differentiate them to tubular, flat, hollow (pneumatic), sesamoid and irregular bones. The so-called feeding holes appear dark after working with it, and thus bones can be easily differentiated from tusks. One organic replacement is the nut of ivory (tagua) palms. The term ivory nut refers to the very hard white endosperm of its seeds, which resembles elephant ivory. The artificial materials that can be used to infill ’ivory’ carvings range from natural to synthetic. The natural group can be divided into two subgroups: compounds extracted from plants or from animals. Powdered bone mixed with casein forms a bone-like substance such as Galalith, a semi-synthetic plastic material manufactured by the interaction of casein and formaldehyde. Putty prepared from natural resins and caoutchouc are organic materials of vegetable origin. 234
