A Debreceni Déri Múzeum Évkönyve 2007 (Debrecen, 2008)

Muzeológia - László Attila: Római „háromláb” restaurálása

Attila László The conservation of a Roman "tripod" The tripod was donated to the Déri Museum in 1923 by art collector Frigyes Déri, after whom the museum was named. The expert I requested to carry out an examination dated it to the late 3

rd or early 4

th centuries. In U. Klatt's classification it belongs to type DC1. The legs were assembled by means of soldering and riveting, from pieces made with the lost wax process. The bowl was made with the method of dishing. The materials used were light-coloured bronze containing zinc and a type of yellow copper. The bowl was made of bronze. The results ofthe electron-ray microanalysis ofthe solder materials and the thorough examination ofthe incomplete cross-band make it certain that some reparations have already been done before. I removed the corroded surface by treating it with alkaline glycerol. My choice of procedure was supported by a vapour chamber test, a chloride test and instrumental microanalysis. In addition, the size ofthe object also had to be taken into account, as I had no properly sealed vapour chamber ofthe appropriate size at my disposal for the conservation process, the necessary step after mechanical cleaning. The completions gave the object back its solidity; patinating and highlighting the inlays gave a unified appearance to the tripod, worthy of its archaeological significance.