Múzeumi műtárgyvédelem 16., 1987 (Központi Múzeumi Igazgatóság)

Iparművészeti tárgyak restaurálásáról - Szilágyi Tibor: Egy németalföldi ékszeres szekrényke restaurálása

SZILAGYI, Tibor

Restoration of a jewel casket from the Low Countries - Summary The jewel casket treated in the study was made in the 17th c. Its outer parts were made of pear wood, the internal elements from pine wood and the flat decorative carvings from beech wood. The door of the casket and the drawer fronts are decorated by paintings. Some pieces of the richly carved decorations broke off and got mislaid. The structural elements became warped and the gluing got loose in the course of time. There were a number of bruises on the surfaces painted black due to being knocked while handling and in these spots the pain* peeled off together with the ground. The mouldings were covered by a thick layer of dirt which almost completely hid the carved motifs.

The plain surfaces were cleaned by a mixture of petrol, ethanol, and ether. Dirt covering the carvings and overpaints was removed mechanically after loosening it by enzymes. These areas were cleaned by a mixture of dimethylformamide, methyl- ethylketone, formamide and ethanol in the proportion of 18 vols : 20 vols: 5 vols : 12 vols. For the cleaning of the paintings a mixture of 4 vols of ethanol, 4 vols of formamide and 1 vol of dimethylformamide was employed. Dirt and overpaint on the metal mountings was removed by ethanol and treated by a metal cleaning agent sold under the brand name Brassó. The mountings were coated by an acrylic base protective varnish. The missing wooden elements were replaced from timber matching the kind and fibre density of the original. The former amateurish repairs were removed from the pictures, the flaking paint was reattached by "coletta" and rabbit skin glue. Gaps in the grounding of the paintings were filled by gluy chalk. After assembling, gluing and completing the object it was coated by a 15% solution of dammar varnish dissolved in turpentine. For retouch water colours mixed with Plextol w«hre employed. The casket was given another coating of dammar varnish and after drying was covered by a further layer of beeswax dissolved in petrol in order to dull its shine.

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