Prékopa Ágnes (szerk.): Ars Decorativa 31. (Budapest, 2017)
Veronika SZILÁGYI: Rebirth of the Gundel Centrepiece: Methodological Experiments in the Restoration of Enamelled Metalwork
was not immediately apparent upon first sight.20 A more thorough inspection, however, revealed so many damaged areas, of so many different kinds, that the centrepiece easily qualified as a suitable restoration diploma piece. The majority of the damage— besides the surface pollution and corrosion—consisted primarily of deformations and missing decorations. Numerous gemstones had been lost, many together with their settings, while the enamelling had partly flaked away or was completely absent in places. In some cases, entire decorative components required replacing, the most obvious of which was one of the would like to emphasise only the main aspects, which are relevant also to the history of the artwork. Surface pollution and corrosion Atmospheric pollution led to the surfaces becoming dull and blackened due to the formation of silver sulphide. This was most obviously visible on the lower section of the object and on the enamelled shell decorations, on the parts where the enamel does not cover the silver base sheet, and corrosion has occurred over time. Due to differences in chemical composition and a humid environment, green 3. Missing settings and decorations (left) and missing pearls (right). Photos by Gellért Ament spherical decorations that had been added to the centrepiece during its later conversion, which had been missing ever since the item was donated to the Museum of Applied Arts. (Fig. 3) The aim of the present article is to outline the most important criteria pertaining to the restoration of the Gundel Centrepiece, as more precise details can be found in the restoration documentation.21 Here I copper corrosion was visible on certain internal parts of the centrepiece, in particular around the screws, which had formed through electrochemical reaction and caused the copper to leach from the alloy. Traces of iridescent discoloration, of the kind found on glassware, were also visible on the white counter enamel of the shell decorations. 113
