e-conservation

the online magazine No. 17, December 2010

Contemporary Art Wall Clock y b PaulaArt

Multicultural Conservation

Nowadays conservation has become a truly multicultural field, not only because the desire to protect our heritage has no borders or nationality, but also because conservation itself has profited enormously during the years from the contributions of many different cultures. Nevertheless, its multiculturalism is still not assimilated by conservators as strongly as it should be. For example, with English being today the most used lingua franca in the world, it is only natural that most of the technical literature on conservation can be found in English although much, much more is available in other languages such as French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, etc. This, obviously, raises the problem of multilingualism and the restricted access we have to literature or information conveyed in other languages than those we speak. For a long time it was thought that the internet would help overcome this problem by direct and instant communication, and although it has indeed improved the access to information, it has not brought a definitive solution. It has never been easier to find a reference of a book or an article, but to access it remains as difficult as it was before. In the long run, this problem has led to the creation of a gap between conservators from Englishspeaking countries and the rest of the world, which may appear as less developed. However, it is not difficult that this should occur whilst the contributions to this common patrimony of knowledge by different countries is so unbalanced. Conservation may not be equally developed as a profession in every country, but sharing information on a bigger scale would certainly help us equalize the level of knowledge and to surpass this gap. Part of the problem, as my experience and dialogue with fellow conservators has shown me, is that in non-Anglo-Saxon countries a high percentage of professional conservators dont see publishing as a necessity. This, I believe, happens for two reasons. Firstly because they do not have the tradition or practice of writing for the public and secondly, because of a feeling that their contribution does not count, that its not relevant enough to make a difference on the international scene. Whereas the first problem can only be surpassed with time, the second is about a mentality which can be changed. Its up to us to deal with it. It appears to be present in the west, but mostly in the eastern European countries, and it may well exist in the Orient and Far East too. The tendency is to publish at a national level, which appears to be a greater contribution and is preferred rather than a smaller one on an international scale. This repeated practice has triggered off a lack of participation that reflects upon younger generations, and that can be seen on todays dynamic scene as a lack of interest and indifference. Or, would it be possible to interpret this mentality as reminiscent of the old practice of hiding restoration trade secrets, when conservators did not want to disseminate knowledge because of competition? Of course not all of our interventions are equally important, not all the works of art we deal with are as notorious as others. However, its important that undergoing projects, new methodologies and new materials are disseminated frequently and that interesting case studies are published regularly. The importance of publishing can not be understated: new solutions to old problems may be found in unexpected sources and the ingenuity of one conservator may well prove useful to another. Conservation has benefited from science but unlike scientists, we still need to learn that to share our experience and know-how is part of the job. After all, the development of the conservation field is in the hands of every conservator. Where every opinion matters and each contribution can make a difference, the sharing of information is a duty of us all. Rui Bordalo Editor-in-Chief
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editorial

INDEX

NEWS & VIEWS

The Social Media Challenge for Conservation Outreach

By Daniel Cull

REVIEWS Conservation and the Eastern Mediterranean IIC Congress

Review by Sagita Mirjam Sunara

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Bigstuff 2010
Review by Alison Wain

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16th International Heritage Show

Review by Petruta Vlad

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NEWS Preparing Ikats for Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats. Dyeing, Dressing & Display
By Cyndi Bohlin

22 23 24

BOOK RELEASES Books Will Speak Plain. A Handbook for Identifying and Describing Historical Bindings, by Julia Miller Studies on Information and Knowledge Processes. Studies on Heritage Management I, by Ferenc Kiss, Lia Bassa (eds.) The Picture of Memory, by Michela Rossi, Cecilia Tedeschi (eds.) UPCOMING EVENTS January - February 2011 Science and Restoration at the Service of Interpretation
By Dimitrios Doumas

EVENTS ARTICLES

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An Extensive Study of the Effect of the Enzyme -Amylase Used in Textile Conservation on Silk Fibers Dyed with Safflower and Madder Dye
By Harby E. Ahmed

CASE STUDY PROJECTS

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Conservation and Restoration of a Rare Large Persian Carpet

By Omar Abdel-Kareem

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The Bactria Cultural Centre: A UNESCO-sponsored project in Mazar-e Sharif, war-struck northern Afghanistan Success or Failure?
By Alessandro Califano

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news & view

THE SOCIAL MEDIA CHALLENGE FOR CONSERVATION OUTREACH

By Daniel Cull
Write, form a rhizome, increase your territory by deterritorialization. (Deleuze and Guattari) [1]

Conservators are increasingly utilizing the internet as a means of whats called 'outreach', often though the method (as opposed to the medium) of this outreach remains a version of broadcast communication that fails to take full advantage of the potentialities of the internet. Since antiquity the primary method of communication has been from one (or few) to many; whether it be the printed handbill, the TV advertisement, or an academic journal article, the form has remained one of 'broadcast' a one way street; a producer to consumer relationship. In comparison 'social media' offers a profound challenge to this system, the potential of a many-to-many communication, in which all who take part can communicate with one another directly without the mediation of a central broadcasting system. This, after Deleuze and Guattari, could be thought of as 'rhizomatic communication'. The rhizome is an idea extracted from botany: A rhizomatic plant has no center and no defined boundary; rather, it is made up of a number of semi-independent nodes, each of which is capable of growing and spreading on its own, bounded only by the limits of its habitat [2]. The idea has developed as a metaphor for a model of thought that defies the very idea of a model; a

Sarracenia rhizome.

decentralized, pluralistic system of connections. Philosophically this metaphor has been described as "thought characterized by a radical openness to an outside [3]. The metaphorical rhizome is concerned with principles of connection, heterogeneity, multiplicity, and rupture. The extrapolation of these central components onto the postmodern nonlinearality and labyrinthine nature, and hypertextualization, of the internet enable it to be characterized as a rhizome, through utilizing this essential nature of the internet conservation outreach could become more effective. Conservators routinely use social media for communication, and the profession is increasingly approaching the point at which arguments about whether new forms of sharing or collaboration are, on balance, good or bad reveal more about the speaker than the subject [4]. That being said, not all conservation outreach online
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makes best use of the rhizomatic nature of the medium in which it is being conducted. The result is often the social media equivalent of spam broadcasts - the excess production of unsolicited one way communication. However, conversely, there are a few within the field who have developed 'outreach' into a fully collaborative communication system. There are, for example, many small scale campaigns for the safeguarding of material culture (often buildings or places) that utilize platforms such as facebook to develop communities of care; such as the excellent Save Our Seminary [5]. Moreover, social media allows the development of an idea, rather than product, which can be released for others to take up and build upon, such as 'Wikipedia Saves Public Art!' [6] in which the collaboratively edited project page becomes the de/central/ized point of oversight. Alternatively, rhizomatic systems also allows nodes to be connected without their direct participation, as is illustrated by the recently launched e-conservation daily [7] which allows conservation information that is already being shared by conservators using twitter to be brought together into one aesthetically pleasing location for easier consumption; and additional re/sharing. Previously the intention of outreach was to inform in order to gain support (financial, political, social, etc) for a given product, the social media approach tends towards encouraging action and information sharing amongst peers; essentially creating communities rather than consumers. One of the most profound aspects of the rhizomatic social media approach that differs from the treelike broadcast model is the way in which control of outcomes is given up, in favor of wider participation. In essence an increase in territory in the new medium is achieved through the act of deterritorialization. The question then for conservation outreach can no longer exclusively be a case of what will make people value us or how do we demonstrate the importance of heritage
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to people, but, must instead be what ideas do we wish, and have, to share and how do we encourage people to share their heritage with one another? Notes:
[1] G. Deleuze, and F. Guattari, A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia, B. Massumi (trans.), University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 1987, originally published as Mille Plateaux, Les Editions de Minui, Paris, 1987, p. 11 [2] D. Cormier, Rhizomatic education: Community as curriculum, Innovate 4 (5), 2008, URL [3] S. Newman, From Bakunin to Lacan: Anti-Authoritarianism and the Dislocation of Power, Lexington Books, New York, 2001, p. 105 [4] C. Shirky, Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations, The Penguin Press, New York, 2008, p. 297 [5] Save Our Seminary Facebook Group, URL [6] D. Cull, Wikipedia Saves Public Art: An interview with Richard McCoy and Jennifer Geigel Mikulay, e-conservation magazine 14, 2010, pp. 19-27, URL [7] e-conservation daily, URL

DANIEL CULL
Conservator The Musical Instrument Museum Website: http://dancull.wordpress.com Contact: daniel.cull@themim.org Daniel Cull is from the West Country of the British Isles. He trained at the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, where he received a BSc in Archaeology, MA in Principles of conservation, and an MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums. He was later awarded an Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship at the National Museum of the American Indian/Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. He currently works as a conservator at the Musical Instrument Museum and as a collaborator with e-conservation magazine.
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VIEWS

CONSERVATION AND THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN IIC Congress

Review by Sagita Mirjam Sunara September, 20-24, 2010, Istanbul, Turkey Organized by: International Institute for Conservation, IIC Hosted by: Sabanci Centre
Debra Hess Norris and Nora Kennedy, "Preservation of the photographic heritage of the Eastern Mediterranean".

The 23rd biennial IIC Congress was held in Istanbul, Turkey, the European Capital of Culture in 2010. The five-day event was impeccably organized by the International Institute for Conservation and hosted by the Sabanci Centre. Focusing on the conservation issues in the Eastern Mediterranean, the Congress provided an opportunity to share ideas and experiences, expand knowledge, establish new collaborations and strengthen those already existing. It gathered over 300 participants from 44 countries. Some 40 presentations were divided in 7 sessions: "Diversity in the Eastern Mediterranean: from the sea bed to Mount Athos", "Islamic arts in metal and manuscript", "Diversity in the Eastern Mediterranean: from odea to photographs", "From decorated sandals to decorated rooms","Preserving objects in situ and ex situ","Making and preserving" and, finally, "Paint, painting, religious use and sustainability". A wide range of topics was discussed, from the maintenance of archaeological sites and preserving objects in situ to the conservation of moveable heritage and the issues dealing with historic places' preservation. The full list of presentations can be found here.
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Since it is impossible to summarize all 40 presentations, I will highlight just a few important ones. Two international projects were presented that address the ongoing need for conservation education in the region: MOSAIKON and the Middle East Photograph Preservation Institute (MEPPI). MOSAIKON is a partnership of the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI), the Getty Foundation, the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) and the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM). It is a collaborative effort to preserve the mosaic heritage of the Mediterranean through education and professional capacity building. Kathleen Dardes (GCI) talked about courses offered for site managers and technicians. One of the most important goals of this project, however, is the development of a strong academic infrastructure in mosaics conservation. Nora Kennedy (Metropolitan Museum of Art) and Debra Hess Norris (University of Delaware) discussed the need for preserving photographic collections in the Mediterranean. In collaboration with the Arab Image Foundation and the American University of Beirut they held a workshop on the conservation of photographic materials. Although
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this workshop was a huge success and another one is planned in near future, they feel that educational tools are not the only means that can be used to address this problem; it is necessary to translate professional literature and make it accessible, to raise public awareness and increase funding. The two projects described convey the idea that the cultural heritage is a common concern, and that the challenges met in its preservation can only be overcome through international collaboration. Many non-Mediterranean countries show great interest in the cultural heritage of this region, in part because their museums hold objects of Mediterranean provenance. The so-called Ottoman rooms, richly decorated reception rooms in private Syrian houses, for example, are mostly preserved in museums outside Syria. A series of lectures shed new light on these rare polychrome wooden interiors. Idries Trevathan of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, a team of conservators of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, and Anke Scharrahs, a private conservator working on the Syrian interiors in German collections and on those few surviving examples in Damascus, discussed materials and techniques of their execution, condition, conservation and presentation. Only 10% of 600 Ottoman rooms in Damascus have been preserved, said Scharrahs, and more than 80% of these have been over painted and/or varnished with an oil-resin varnish that has darkened, thus changing their appearance. The IIC congress gave delegates an opportunity to raise awareness and attract the interest of the global community of experts to these burning issues. At the very opening of the congress, the renowned author, historian and university professor David Lowenthal delivered the Forbes Prize lecture, which recognizes those who have made an outstanding contribution to the field of conservation. He was
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Idries Trevathan, "The Ottoman Room at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia: a technical study of its methods and materials".

one of the six panelists of the round table discussion entitled "Between Home and History: managing the interface between preservation and development of living historic places", which was held on the second day of the Congress. Other panelists included anthropologists Leyla Nezi and Ayfer Bartu Candan, preservationist and author Stephen Bond, and preservation architects Francesco Siravo and Asli Kiyak Ingin. Following a touching video interview with Nobel Prize winning author Orhan Pamuk, a native of Istanbul, the discussion focused on the importance of preserving the community along with the built heritage. Panelists from Istanbul promoted an appeal to the international community to support their fight against gentrification of the city. This round table was a part of the IIC's initiative Dialogues

Round table discussion.

REVIEWS

Second student meeting.

Visit to the Istanbul Conservation Laboratory.

for the New Century, a series of discussions on emerging issues in the modern world and their relationship to the preservation of cultural heritage. All transcripts are available online. One-day and half-day excursions were offered on the third day of the Congress. The delegates had the opportunity to explore Istanbul and network in a less formal environment. There were many opportunities for networking during the Congress: in the breaks between the lectures short meetings

were organized for those who received grants to attend the event, the representatives of the IIC national groups and the student-participants. The IIC seems determined to engage its members more actively in its projects. One of the great new initiatives is the Project Lingua, which invites professionals from non-English speaking countries to voluntarily translate transcriptions of the Dialogues for the New Century events to their native languages, so that the professional knowledge can be shared worldwide.

Visit to Hagia Sofia.

Visit to Blue Mosque.

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Poster session.

Keck Award winners.

Posters were displayed throughout the Congress. The authors presented their work on a dedicated session on the fourth day of the event. The poster prize was awarded to Solmaz Yasollhi for her poster "Rehabilitation of the Damir Gapisi historic caravan route in Tabriz, Iran". Following a proposal made at the IIC Student Meeting in London, where the Congress was held in 2008, a student poster session was organized alongside the 'professional' one. There was, however, no difference in the quality between the two. The Student Poster Prize went to Caroline Roberts for her poster, "Documentation, Technical Analysis and Treatment of a Bitumen Model Boat from Ur", while an honorable mention was given to Michail Koufopoulos for his poster "Methodology for the design of repair mortars". Following the last session of last day of the Congress, President of the IIC Jerry Podany awarded the Keck Award to the Wallraf-Richartz Museum & Fondation Corboud and the Cologne Institute for Conservation Science of the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne for their project, "Painting Techniques of Impressionism and Postimpressionism". This reward is presented to those that promote public understanding and appreciation of the work of the conservation profession.
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I believe that the success of a professional meeting can be judged by its outcomes. For me, one of the best things about the Istanbul Congress is the formation of the IIC - Arabic Group. It sends out a message that it is not only the culture that brings people together, but also the effort to preserve it.

SAGITA MIRJAM SUNARA

Senior teaching assistant The Conservation-Restoration Department Arts Academy of the University of Split, Croatia Contact: sagita.sunara@gmail.com Sagita Mirjam Sunara has a diploma in conservation-restoration of easel paintings and polychromed wood. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Art History at the Faculty of Philosophy in Zagreb, Croatia. Her doctoral research deals with the history of conservation-restoration practice in Croatia. She works as a senior teaching assistant at the Department for Conservation and Restoration at the Arts Academy of the University of Split, teaching about modern techniques and materials in the conservation and restoration of easel paintings and doing practical conservation work with MA students.
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REVIEWS

BIGSTUFF 2010
Review by Alison Wain

October 6 - 8, 2010, Duxford, UK Organiser: Imperial War Museum, Duxford, UK

On 6-8 October, the Imperial War Museum hosted Bigstuff 2010, a conference centered around the challenges of preserving, restoring and displaying large technology heritage objects. This was the third in the series of Bigstuff conferences (the others being in Canberra, Australia 2004 and Bochum, Germany 2007), and like the previous ones, drew people from all over the world, who cared for a wide variety of objects, and worked in an eclectic mix of organisations. The following papers are described thematically. The theme of the conference call for papers had been conflict, recognising that the big challenges of large technology heritage can often result in strong disagreements. In the conference itself, however, this theme morphed into one of politics and decision making, with speakers taking a positive and proactive approach to the difficulties and developing improved processes for the negotiation of significance, display goals and treatment priorities. Stefan Brueggerhoff of the German Mining Museum outlined a decision making model to deal with truly big industrial machinery complexes. Recognising that it is impossible to do everything at once at such sites, the model focuses on defining goals and priorities for the gradual conservation of the site over an extended period of time, planning for the parts of the site that cannot be preserved, and drawing together the needs, approaches and languages of the different specialists involved in a large site project. Sue Warren from the Canada Science and Technology Museum Corporation spoke of trying to ree-conser vation

concile the ethics of the conservation profession (minimal intervention and the preservation of original material), with the expectations of visitors, who she thought wanted to see technology objects highly restored. In response to this predicament she had also developed a decision making model, based on an objective assessment of the significance of the object and its role within the collection. Application of this model has resulted in some less interventive treatments, and visitors have responded very positively to the less restored objects. Sue had drawn on the Conservation Management Tool developed in 2006 by Joanna Barr to aid decision making for working heritage machinery. Joanna (now Romanos) has continued to refine this Tool, working with Allison Russell of the National Motor Museum of Australia, who presented the updated version at the conference. Like Stefans model, the focus is on bringing together assessments of significance, physical condition and available resources in a process that is thorough, objective and reproducible. Joannas model also incorporates a risk management evaluation, and five star rating system for rarity, fragility and (physical) state, both of which help to make the assessments of different objects explicit and comparable. David Hallam, of the National Museum of Australia (NMA), also drew on Joannas work, as well as Significance 2.0 (a must-read for heritage professionals find it on the web), to assess the significance, level of risk and consequences for each mechanical system in an object. This gave him a numerical risk rating for the whole object that was
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easy to graph great for those corporate management meetings! David also described analytical work done on coolants, brake fluid, engine, gearbox and transmission oils at the NMA, and by Michael Brunnott at the Coventry Transport Museum, noting that in each case certain products were notably better suited for use on older vehicles. The NMA is also collaborating with the Swiss Foundation HAM in a feasibility trial of an inspection and maintenance program for their large operational vehicle collection. Anthony Coullis, of Britains National Railway Museum, spoke of the challenges and solutions to operating historic locomotives, especially on main line railways. Like the speakers above he also uses a Conservation Management Plan that involves making an assessment of the significance of object, as well as a hierarchy of replacement parts operation of a locomotive is more likely to be approved if only minor parts need replacement or repair. Andrew Schroeder from the Australian War Memorial, and I, looked at the consequences of not following such rigorous planning processes. A hastily implemented idea to make about 25 vehicles from the Memorials collection operational for Memorial and other events fell apart as it became evident that the project members had different goals, the audience evaluation and marketing side had been omitted, and the real costs of the project had not been acknowledged. We described the strategies which were most helpful in resolving the resulting conflicts, and looked at the way existing organisational structures and culture influenced the outcomes of the project. Dave Morris, of Britains Fleet Air Arm Museum, discussed where to draw the line in operating objects, noting that there was a perception that it was OK to borrow parts from non-flying aircraft to keep flying aircraft operational for public dis14

Staff and volunteers in the aircraft conservation workshop talking to conference delegates.

play, because the parts would be returned later. Dave pointed out that they could not be given back if the aircraft crashed, and that there was little evidence that the flying aircraft had been used for public displays anyway. He advocated maintaining a firm line between flying and nonflying collection objects, and basing the objects use plan on a realistic evaluation of the benefits of operation. Ethical decisions about use always have pros and cons on both sides. Laura Kennedy from the Australian War Memorial, and I, delved into the Memorials decision to purchase a Ford Chevy truck to use as display furniture. With no known historic provenance, it was felt that the truck could be resized and repainted to fit the display with no ethical questions necessary, but is this really so? Is it ethical to display an object that is not, historically, what it appears to be? Do visitors care? My research on visitor preferences for large technology presentation suggests that many visitors feel original objects provide a bridge to the past, and value signs of age and use as evidence of history, in which case the answer is yes, it does matter. On the practical side, Yvonne Shashoua from the National Museum of Denmark, presented a paper evaluating coatings for iron objects in exposed or uncontrolled environments. No coating is ever perfect, but she came up with some clear winners and
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losers for particular sets of environmental conditions. Overall she found that wax-based coatings were the best, and suggested that oxygen consumption rather than adhesion testing was the best short term predictor of long-term protectiveness. Illustrating the fact that many of the challenges of large objects are a result of their sheer size rather than their genre, Chris Collins of the Natural History Museum in London described the physical and political problems of removing and treating mouldy reptile fossils from the rain-soaked wall of a gallery. The most intractable part of the project was not the treatment but the politics: achieving co-ordination and co-operation between different sections of the museums administration, and managing the fall-out from the discovery that the damage was much worse than first thought and that the gallery would be unavailable for events for several months. Robert Turner, of EURA Conservation, provided an account of the conservation of a series of tiled picture panels, that further illustrated problems and creative solutions involved in getting big things off the walls they were stuck to. Chris Knapp from Duxford described the cleaning and restoration of a B52 covered with large amounts
Aircraft preparing for practise runs ahead of the Duxford airshow.

of corrosion and deteriorated paint. A key factor in the success of this project, much of which involved repetitive, uncomfortable and exhausting work, was maintaining team morale. In a later session he also spoke of the practical steps required to successfully and without punching any holes in original fabric suspend aircraft from the roof. Norbert Tempel spoke of the challenges of rehabilitating a vapour discharge tower at Henrichshtte Iron Works in Germany. The need to remove asbestos-containing corrugated sheeting from the tower meant losing original material, but provided a unique opportunity to repair and support the structural steelwork beneath it. This illustrated one of the ethical dilemmas of large machinery preservation to stabilize structure or workings underneath or inside objects, it is often necessary to damage or remove outer parts. Norbert also presented a paper by Kornelius Goetz on repairs to the Zollern 2/4 machine hall, and noted that Germany has new inspection standards for old engineering structures, that must be met before the structures can be declared safe. James Mitchell, of Industrial Heritage Consulting, spoke of the twin perils of not operating functional objects, and of operating them badly, describing

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the consequences of both approaches through the examples of the Elsecar Newcomen pumping engine at Barnsley and the Trencherfield engine in the cotton spinning mill at Wigan. Expert conservation work has saved the Trencherfield engine, but the Elsecar engine is, unfortunately, still in limbo. Promoting good heritage practice, Brian Barker spoke about an award winning training program, developed jointly by IWM and BAPC, to train volunteers in the conservation and preservation of aircraft. The course was nationally accredited and immensely popular, and at the request of aviation volunteers a spin-off course was developed in customer service again people were realising that technical skills were only half the battle the other half was people skills. Brian feels that the structure of the courses means that they could also be easily adapted to other countries if required. Carl Warner from Duxford spoke of innovative ways to help visually impaired people appreciate large objects, noting that it was vital to talk to people about what they needed and to trial solutions with focus groups to ensure those needs were met. As
Breakout session on the balcony during the Bigstuff conference.

a result of this research, Duxford has adopted a range of new display techniques that benefit both sighted visually impaired audiences, and has been rewarded with enthusiastic feedback. The conference was focused, inspiring and a great deal of fun. If anyone would like more information about any of the papers, please contact Alison Wain.

ALISON WAIN
Conservator Contact: Alison.wain@anu.edu.au Alison has managed large technology heritage conservation and display projects in museums for many years. In 2004 she initiated the ongoing Bigstuff conference series, which brings together expertise from academia, museums, trades and amateur and volunteer organisations to collectively address the particular challenges raised by large technology heritage. She is currently undertaking a PhD at the Australian National University, looking at how peoples personal and occupational backgrounds affect the way they value, display and view large technology heritage.

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16th INTERNATIONAL HERITAGE SHOW

Review by Petruta Vlad November 7, 2010, Paris, France Organiser: AAF (Ateliers d'Art de France)

Four days, from 4th to 7th of November 2010, were dedicated to The Mediterranean Heritage at The International Heritage Show in Paris. Every year, this event brings together international exhibitors and presents to the specialists and the large public the most actual questions and solutions about heritage, its conservation and its role in the society. The generous thematic of this year does not only revisit the origins of the western culture, the Mediterranean area, but also questions the future of this valuable heritage and its uses today. As Frdric Mittrand, the French Minister of Culture mentioned, this show is not just a simple homage and revival of the culture of monuments as Alos Riegl called it, but also a proposition to create new dialogs and new economical and cultural networks between the North and the South. From archeological and natural sites, all varieties and forms of architecture, design, art creations, to all the aspects of working and living in the Mediterranean areal today, everything represents an active culture. In this way, our heritage is not only our history but also our present and most of our entire future. This 16th edition of The International Heritage Show was organized by the Ateliers dArt de France, the national French association of professionals handcrafts created in 1868 and assembling 2800 members. It presented over 250 exhibitors and counted 37 oral conferences at the Carrousel of the Louvre Museum. There were present professionals of all branches of activity: conservatorrestorers (ceramics, glass, leather, mechanical
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arts, metals, painting, paper, stone, wood), technicians (informatics, lighting, security systems), services (architects, cultural engineers, research laboratories), promotion and valorization of the patrimony (tourism actors, governmental institutions and local administrations, associations), education (universities and colleges, education

Detail of damaged modern concrete-frame building at new bus-stand, Leh.

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associations), information (editors, libraries, bookshops and press). Among them there were special guests from the Mediterranean area, such as Euromed Heritage IV (European financed program for the Mediterranean Heritage), European Institute for Cultural Itineraries, The Pole for Cultural Industries and Patrimony, The Valencian Institute for Conservation and Restoration and The National Tourism Office from Croatia. The special event of the International Heritage Show was the exhibition Seeing differently the Art Craft (Nouveau regard sur les mtiers dart) organized by the Ateliers dArt de France. Presenting contemporary creations of international artist, this exhibition proved the inspiring dialog, which exists between opposite cultures and the richness of the ancient techniques revived by the creativity of contemporary artists. Old techniques and new materials can be putted together in creating a new art where the ancient is integrated in our present. This exhibitions purpose was to demonstrate that these values must be preserved and generously transmitted to the new generations.

Four ceremonies of prize receptions were organized on this occasion. At his first edition, the Terreal Prize, accorded by Terreal, French leader of quarry tile and world leader of tiles, distinguished the professionals working in heritage conservation. The Clio Prize, created in 1997 in order to encourage the archeological francophone researches over the world, was accorded this year to archeology teams who worked in Morocco (first prize, accorded to Jean Paul Raynal from The National

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Center for Scientific Research, France, for Casablanca Programe), in Rome (second prize, Dominique Castex, from The National Center for Scientific Research, France, for his work at The Catacombs of Saints Pietro and Marcelino) and in Egypt (third prize, Philippe Brissaud for his wok at Tanis). Two other prizes, the Contest Ma Pierre Ldifice distinguished those who work for the religious heritage in France, and the Plerin Prize, at his 20th edition, distinguished those who contribute to the patrimoine de proximit preservation. This edition of The International Heritage Show received over 20.000 visitors in four days and allowed the creation of new networks and partnerships for the actors of the patrimony. Despite the economical crisis and the diminished funds of many associations and governmental institutions in France, this edition was a successful one, counting the number of loyal participants, the new arrivals and the quality of their work.

The News section is publishing diverse information on cultural heritage topics, such as on-site conservation projects reports, conferences, lectures, talks or workshops reviews, but also course reviews and any other kind of appropriate announcements. If you are involved in interesting projects and you want to share your experience with everybody else, please send us your news or announcements. For more details, such as deadlines and publication guidelines, please visit www.e-conservationline.com

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PREPARING IKATS FOR COLORS OF THE OASIS: CENTRAL ASIAN IKATS Dyeing, Dressing & Display
By Cyndi Bohlin Long before a Textile Museum exhibition opens to the public, museum staff is busy at work researching, selecting pieces, assessing the needs of the textiles and deciding how they will be displayed. The museums two full-time conservators play a key role in this preparation. The museums fall/winter exhibition, Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats, presented a unique opportunity-and challenge-for the conservators. As with every exhibition, they first evaluated the textiles, documenting areas of damage and creating a condition report, to determine what treatments were needed. Given the historic nature of the ikats, treatments were often necessary. Our examination showed fraying seams, tears and abrasions, says Esther Mth, chief conservator. Most treatments were focused on reinforcing areas of weakness where the silk warp was worn away, leaving the weft exposed and fraying. To address this, the conservators used a combination of techniques. An underlay or overlay, custom-dyed to match the spectrum of colors on the ikats, was used to support weak areas. Couching stitches were used to secure loose threads to an underlay, as shown in the example at right. A sheer overlay, shown in the top left image, prevented further fraying, but also visually reconstituted

The final exhibition incorporates a combination of display methods. Photo by Kevin Allen.

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the original color and look of the textile, providing a more complete aesthetic presentation. The treatments were very labor intensive. Although the majority of the textiles required a few hours of dedicated attention, some treatments took 20, 40 or even 140 hours. After each ikat was treated as required, the conservators consulted with the curator to bring her vision of its display to life. For Colors of the Oasis, a mix of T-stands, wall displays and dress forms were chosen to give depth to the exhibition and present the textiles from both aesthetic and social perspectives. Using a dress form didnt just mean hanging an ikat onto a mannequin. Just as you dont put on a coat without undergarments, we needed to do the same for the ikat coats. Original patterns were created for the pseudo-shirts to be worn under the ikat coats and tulle skirts were made to add volume. Each slat used in the exhibition for
An underlay patch and couching stitches secure the loose weft threads on this panel. The Textile Museum, 2009.16.5. The Megalli Collection.

Esther Mth attaches arms to a dressform;

a wall mount or T-stand was custom-made from wood covered in an archival sealing material, and then polyester felt padding, a special Tyvek, and finally, cotton fabric. Every ikat displayed on the wall was padded with "inner pillows" made from polyester batting and cotton, which prevent the textile from caving in on itself.
A dark blue cotton leader is sewn to the top of the hanging panel.

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BOOKS WILL SPEAK PLAIN

A Handbook for Identifying and Describing Historical Bindings

Certain ikats required a custom-dyed overlay to improve their appearance.

Like all exhibitions at The Textile Museum, Colors of the Oasis is truly the result of a team effort. This exhibit would not have been possible without the efforts of our two outstanding interns, says Mth, namely Angela Duckwall, a recent graduate of Winterthurs masters in conservation program and Char Laverty, of the Savannah College of Art and Design. Beyond this, the conservation department had the help of three regular volunteers (who continue to come every Thursday). The department also relied on the work of an outside preparator as well as a contract conservator to finish all that was needed before the exhibition opened. The conservation team is now looking ahead to the museums next exhibition, Second Lives: the AgeOld Art of Recycling Textiles, and beyond, assessing the needs of other textiles and pursuing treatments. Our collections include many historic textiles which sometimes need helpbut they are beautiful when you consider their age and use," reflects Mth.

By Julia Miller
Publisher: The Legacy Press Publication: 2010 Pages: 592, 374 illustrations ISBN: 978-0-9797974-3-9 Language: English The recent publication Books Will Speak Plain by book conservator Julia Miller is intended to give an overview of historical bindings that can assist conservators, librarians, curators and booksellers to correctly identify and describe historical books. On the long term, this study will help preserve and hopefully add to scarce information available on bookbinding style, structure and materials. Moreover, this guide will contribute to the correct appreciation of those less valued, common-looking bindings and their significance. The book contains an extensive glossary of terms, guidelines for writing descriptions of bindings and is accompanied by a DVD with 1,471 searchable color images and captions. In March 2008 the author received a Conservation Publication Fellowship from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation to write a book. The wonderful outcome -Books Will Speak Plain- is the result of many years of training, teaching, and an extensive experience and research on historical book collections.
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EXHIBITION Colors of the Oasis: Central Asian Ikats

October 16, 2010 through March 13, 2011 http://www.textilemuseum.org

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STUDIES ON INFORMATION AND KNOWLEDGE PROCESSES

Studies on Heritage Management I
Editors: Ferenc Kiss, Lia Bassa Publisher: Foundation for Information Society Publication date: November 2010 Pages: 257 ISBN: 978-963-87788-7-1 ISSN: 1587-2386 Language: English After being published for the first time in 2009 in Hungarian language, the 1st volume of Studies on Heritage Management published by the Foundation for Information Society (ITA) is now available in English. The book gathers 13 studies by World Heritage experts on built and natural sites, and includes not only their description but also technical and financial characteristics, with a focus on their economic utilisation and the turistic income. The book is intended for educational purposes, prominent Hungarian case studies being shared with other countries as World Heritage management examples. It is addressed to experts, researchers, trainers and students in the field. The volume comprises contributions on up-to-date issues in archaeology, such as Archaeological Heritage Protection in the Passing Time by Professor Zsolt Visy from the University of Pcs, Aquincum, the Roman Limes on the WH Tentative List by Paula Zsidi, director of the Aquincum Museum, and The Situation of Archaeological Heritage in Hungary by the Director of the National Office of Cultural Heritage, by Dnes Jankovich B. Other studies are dealing with various subjects: the complex issues of forms, management and utilisation of heritage sites; the close connection between nature and culture; the economic function of hisotric, sites among others. The last part
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is dedicated to the long term experiences and future perspective of WH and its protection, discussed by Tams Fejrdy and Jnos Tardy, two experts in this domain. Besides its educational purpose, the book is intended to be an enjoyable reading for anyone with an interest in Hungarian sites and World Heritage management.
Aquincum, Budapest, part of the Roman Limes.

Fert/Neusiedlersee Hungarian/Austrian World Heritage site (2001).

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THE PICTURE OF MEMORY

Shapes, Signs and Materials in the Octagonal Cemetery of La Villetta in Parma

IL DISEGNO DELLA MEMORIA

Forme, segni e materiali nellOttagono della Villetta a Parma
It is only after a long period of neglect that, in recent years, we have witnessed a renewed interest and awareness of cemeteries as urban and monumental architectures. On the one hand, cemeteries can be considered open air museums and, on the other, they serve an important function as infrastructure. The preservation of artefacts interweaves and partly clashes with the burial processes, as the conservation of memories collides with the re-use of graves, an egalitarian principle with origins in Napoleonic cemeteries. An enormous heritage has developed in European cemeteries, in particular in Catholic countries. This heritage is not just of architectural or artistic relevance, but it also constitutes a significant manifestation of Cultural Heritage. In fact, the quality of materials employed in each manufactured product is the carrier of public memory, which must be preserved as such, rather than as an expression of the Arts. The conservation of all the historical and monumental parts of the cemetery shows the important implications connected both to the preservation of its function, indispensable for the survival of heritage, and the necessity to safeguard and enhance the immaterial values, evoked through subtle references to history and customs. In this way, the architecture of memory reveals a complicated pattern requiring an articulate and interdisciplinary survey, since knowledge is at the basis of art preservation. Michela Rossi
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Editors: Michela Rossi and Cecilia Tedeschi Publisher / Year: ETS, 2010 Pages: 336 ISBN: 9788846727022 Language: Italian This volume regarding the octagon cemetery of La Villetta, in the city of Parma, Italy, presents a section of the results of a complex survey which followed a preliminary analysis about planning techniques and the estimation of architectural works. Moreover, it concludes an earlier study on the system of cemeteries of Parma, which had led to the approval of a specific town planning scheme and the publication of a first volume (Lost City and Architectures Regained. The Octagon of La Villetta Cemetery and other Burial Architectures in Parma, edited by Michela Rossi, ETS, Pisa, 2007). Hence, the volume recently published, The Picture of Memory, is a continuation of the first one. The shift from an urban to an architectural scale has emphasised the complex structure of the picture of memory, while involving different specific disciplines, in order to give the broadest scientific outcomes to the expected results of preservation and restoration processes.
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Not only architects, chemists and biologists have taken part in this work, but also historians and art historians, who have stressed the deep relationship between material forms and immaterial values since the cemetery architecture represents the society in which it is embedded better than any other building. The essays contained in this volume are a selection of the material produced during the survey, re-elaborated in order to underline the keys to interpretation that both the architecture and the artefacts offer. One of the main keys to the reading of the text explores the continual reference between the city of the dead and that of the living, a reference that is implicit in the scheme of the urban structure, but that is also expressed by formal complexity as well as by the decorations and the arrangement of the funeral ornaments. Once again, the table of contents leave space for further in-depth analysis and new perspectives. A close examination of the topics introduced by the different essays preceding the presentation of the survey also provides a critical readingone or rather one of several possibleas if they were facts leaving room for further interpretation. The first part of the work comprises essays concerning directly the project of La Villetta, along with others which look at the values of the cemetery indirectly yet extensively. These include its historical norms and civic memories. The second part illustrates those references made in the essays which will help us understand the models and formal choices resulting from cultural values and ever-changing customs. The third section contains essays concerning the pre-existing products and material aspects of architecture. The final section gathers the reproduction of the architectural surveys along with a description of the main architectures and a brief reference to the tombs, as
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Michela Rossi, in her essay The theatre of memory explains the architectural shape of the cemetery and its strong relation with the contemporary theatre. The combined choice of square/octagonal shape, numbers and measures may be explained as symbolic reference to life and death, earth and sky. Above is shown the geometrical/numerical layout of the plan and its relation with the measures, proportions and graphical construction of the octagonal pattern of the plan and the comparison with the local baptistery. Below is a comparison between the drawing of the first cemetery project, which would have had a different number of porch spans on the same pattern, and the oratory plan.

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well as some biographical details regarding the most celebrated people buried there. The appendix constitutes a substantial part of the book, with its architectural and funerary glos-sary and a collection of funeral symbols and their meaning. The work can be read in two different ways: first, we find the history of the monuments and many of their references; second, the potential of a series of pilot research projects that, in time, have followed on from each other coherently, widening the field of interest to an interdisciplinary approach. The exchange of opinion between researchers from different schools of thought and scientific background underlines the parallel goals that were only achieved gradually and thanks to a progressive convergence of interest from the general to the specific. The complexity of the system as a whole and the diversification of the areas involved deserve a more in-depth investigation. These issues eventually drew attention to the first octagonal perimeter of La Villetta the source of all current and possible future research. Nevertheless, the results of this study, albeit contextualised to one specific case, offer above all a methodological approach that can be applied to several practical problems related to monumental architecture and that of cemeteries, such as management, preservation and improvement.

Cecilia Tedeschi is the editor of survey cards of the main historical building still existing in the actual cemetery, whose growth begun with the twin galleries designed by Sante Bergamaschi in the second half of the XIX century. Her essay is dedicated to the urban work of this architect, who directed the city technical office for a long time. The figures above show the architectural survey of the last historical addition to cemetery, elaborated by Erica Alberti and Donatella Bontempi before Polo Bertozzis consolidation project.

Donatella Bontempis essay deals with the foundation and design of the cemetery, which followed a vexed matter against burying inside the city walls. Carmen Nuzzo investigates the formal models of cemetery and graves, finding in ancient burials the archetypes of family chapels, evolving in different types the main symbolical elements of cemetery: the enclosure, the door and the burial room.
Erika Alberti, in her essay Ephemeral and memory, equipment and furniture, investigates the meanings and the sources of burial objects, finding in baroque temporary sets of court funerals and weddings the models of bourgeois tombs and their furniture. The figure shows some burial monuments built for the funerals of the dukes of Parma in XVII-XVIII century and of Adam Albert, Count von Neipperg, Maria Luigias second husband.
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event

The events in this section are linked to the original homepage of the organisers or to the calendar of events at www.conservationevents.com. Click on "Read more..." to find out more details about each event.

Preservation Assessment Survey Workshop

Date: January 11 Place: London, UK Designed for library and archive staff, the workshop introduces the Preservation Assessment Survey (PAS) methodology, explains the benefits of carrying out a survey, introduces options for carrying out the survey and includes a number of practical sessions. The emphasis on practical activities allows attendees to plan, measure, and compile survey data and provides ample opportunity to discuss local issues and potential difficulties. Read more...

SHA 2011 - Boundaries and Crossroads in Action

Global Perspectives in Historical Archaeology

January 2011

Date: January 5-9 Place: Austin, Texas, USA

Read more...

Below the surface of every landscape is chemical evidence of past human activity and, potentially, an historic site. Recent advances in the use of portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF), RAMAN technologies and the reduction in costs for laboratory analyses have made these technologies affordable for field studies that "complete the circle of understanding" of historic era terrestrial and marine sites through the integration of archaeochemistry, Archaeogeophysics, literature research, oral interviews and excavation.

Managing the Library and Archive Environment

Date: January 18 Place: London, UK Avoiding a one size fits all approach to environmental parameters, the day helps you to understand the vulnerabilities and tolerances of your collections and then shows how to set realistic and achievable targets that are appropriate to the materials in your care and the resources available to you. At the end of the day you will be in a strong position to take cost-effective decisions and prioritise actions for maintaining a sustainable environment. Read more...

International Conference on Digital Library Management (ICDLM)

Date: January 11-13 Read more... Place: Science City, Kolkata, India The theme of the conference is 'Extending Benefits of Modern Technology to Public, Academic, and Special Libraries'. The conference aims to provide an international forum for sharing advanced thoughts and experiences focusing on digital libraries and its management. All public libraries, special libraries, and academic libraries are expected to gain and exchange knowledge, skills, and expertise from this event.

Preservation Basics Training Day

Date: January 26 Place: London, UK Preservation of collections is an important part of the day to day work of librarians and archivists who have to maintain access to collections. The day will explore what is meant by preservation; highlight the risks to collections and show how to minimise those risks with simple, costeffective actions. Read more...

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January 2011

EVENTS

Interdisciplinary Conference on the Practice of Salt Reduction February 2011

Date: February 3-5 Place: Hildesheim, Germany The talks will present informative, long-term case studies of salt reduction in both climate-controlled and nonclimate-controlled environments and evaluate the measures taken. In addition, we have topics related to the prevention, such as climate control to prevent or minimize salt damage. Read more...

Preservation of Glass Plate Negatives

Date: February 11 Place: Edinburgh, Scotland Conservators and photographers from RCAHMS will discuss their work with glass plates, and Jenny Hodgson, conservator from National Monuments Record English Heritage will present her talk entitled Conservation of Glass Plate Negatives - Creating a Stable Future (recently presented at the CF10 conference in Cardiff). There will be an opportunity for participants to share their knowledge and experiences of glass plate negative preservation. Read more...

The Use of Substitute Materials on Historic Preservation Projects

Date: February 4 Place: Boston, USA The Symposium would like to explore the decisions that are made about when to use substitute materials and how well or how poorly the use of substitute materials is affecting historic fabric. Also, is the use of substitute materials allowing us to avoid making difficult decisions about the long term maintenance and sustainability of historic sites. Read more...

iECS 2011 International Edelstein Color Symposium The Science & Art of Color
Date: February 27-28 Place: Ramat-Gan, Israel The focus of this international symposium is to highlight the synergy that exists between art and science through the unifying element of color. This symposium will convene experts in their fields who will discuss the nature of pigments and dyes, as detected by scientific methods, in use in ancient palaces, historic paintings, medieval manuscripts, and ancient European textiles. The use of color in modern design, urban lighting, architecture, painting styles, womens fashion, as well as the psychology and philosophy of color will also be presented. Additionally, the scientific discovery of the first authentic Biblical Tekhelet from ancient Israel will be announced and discussed. Poster presentations are welcomed in all areas that are related to the "color" theme of this symposium. Please email your abstract to the Symposium Secretariat by January 10, 2011. Read more...

Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings

Date: February 9-11 Place: Visby, Sweden The aim of the programme is to develop and disseminate knowledge and technical solutions that will contribute to energy efficiency while safeguarding our cultural heritage. This gentle approach to energy efficiency is reached by interdisciplinary cooperation, where energy conservation is integrated with the conservation of cultural property. The goal is to create a solid knowledge-based framework in order to facilitate long-term sustainable management of historical property of high cultural value. Read more...

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February 2011

e-conservation magazine offers the possibility to publish bilingual articles in the html version. Articles in English may also be published in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian, at authors request.

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article

SCIENCE AND RESTORATION AT THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETATION

By Dimitrios Doumas

The article discusses the relationship between art history/ curatorship, conservation and conservation science within the context of the art museum. It identifies the physicality of artworks as the underpinning of interpretation and the meaning-making process entailed in the museum experience; hence it denotes the pivotal role conservation and particularly restoration play within this framework. It stresses the significance of the analytical examination of works of art as an art historical tool rather than a conservation aid. Thus, it draws attention to the interplay between scientifically obtained information, which analytical work produces and the subjective standards, which restoration encompasses. Finally, it advocates the artistic dimension of conservation and asserts that visual appreciation and aesthetic understanding are prerequisites for any kind of restoration intervention carried out on artworks.

SCIENCE AND RESTORATION AT THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETATION

In the last few years the term interdisciplinarity has been one of the most widely spoken words amongst museum professionals, and the implications it brings forth for the interpretation of collections and the interrelations between museum staff have proved essentially rewarding. Being conscious of their role, museum staff members have to consider that they form part of an integrated team of specialists who discern each individual task within the context of the wider function of the museum [1]. The multidisciplinary nature of museum work dictates the necessity for balance between connoisseurship, science and technical expertise. Curatorial work and art historical research can be facilitated and revised with the aid of conservation and conservation science and vice versa. This paper discusses the interrelationship between conservation, art history and conservation science and stresses the importance of visual appreciation that constitutes perhaps a common language, as it enables holistic interpretation of artworks.

leaves no room for errors and, because of that, conservators turn into critical interpreters. Restoration reconstructs a unified image of artworks and in that sense it forms a strong and lucid visual language that can be far more important and powerful than any interpretative and communicative medium employed by curators (e.g. labels, wall-texts). Curators through textual interpretation communicate the experience of artworks. Yet, apart from any factual information (e.g. dates, provenance, technique, ownership and contextualization), much of which depends to some extent on conservation and conservation science work, curatorial interpretation may entail many different and subjective deductions, which nevertheless can all be reasonable enough. Thus, it encompasses pluralism, hence relativism. Objectivity is required, but not as an absolute principle. Having said that, curatorial interpretation could be regarded as objective if it is rationally coherent and solid to the extent that it can withstand criticism and interrogation [2]. Museum work is primarily a matter of plain and simple seeing, including seeing beyond the skin of the object; and yet, the cognitive system of meaning-making, which curatorial work encompasses, is eventually structured by the objects materiality. This signifies, on the one hand, the pivotal role conservators play in the making of the museum experience; on the other hand, textual and visual interpretation of artworks can only be effective when what the eyes see and what is extracted through scientific analysis are not at variance with each other. Eventually, their combination will help the sentient conservator perform restoration sensibly. Conservators juggle between the aesthetic experience a work of art offers and their involvement with its material nature. The latter implies that their perception and attitude as viewers are affected and in fact determined by their urge to rescue an object and by
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Forms of Interpretation and the Interpretation of Forms The museum experience is primarily artefactual; as a communicative process it is direct and at the same time weak; however strong and immediate, it remains fleeting unless the meanings it incarnates are encoded in language. The core difference between curatorship and conservation, as they affect the meaning and the form of works of art lies exactly in the way each realm constructs interpretation. Conservators, mainly through restoration and to a lesser extent conservation, establish visual interpretation. To interfere with the physical nature of the work even in a passive way - is a determinant that may have irreversible implications for the perception of artworks and this fact
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their tendency to repair the damage they see, both of which may deprive them of the pleasure of appreciation. Analysis and Restoration: Impartial Enquiry and Subjective Performance Art curators and conservators are confronted by the dual nature of art. Art is not simply a matter of producing and viewing tangible objects, nor can it be transformed into a science of ideas deprived of its subject matter [3]. Art depends on materials and techniques that acquire unique historical importance and signification. Artists use matter and transfigure it into art and experience conveyed across a series of historical records [4]. Works of art integrate a combination of attributes, which on the one hand designate resemblance and analogy with the sensible world, whereas at the same time signify remoteness and detachment from the tangible. In this sense, artworks are material objects with symbolic meaning and distinctive experience [4]. Assuming that works of art differ from any other man-made object in that their creators have a certain non-utilitarian intention, also considering that their form signifies their meaning and that their meaning designates their form, it can be concluded that the more the proportion of emphasis on idea and form approaches a state of equilibrium, the more eloquently will the work reveal what is called content [5, p. 62]. It is the unity of these three constituents resulting in aesthetic experience curators and conservators aim to re-establish in an artwork. This standpoint is quite critical when one weighs the fact that in humanities the work of art is aesthetically recreated whereas in science it is rationally investigated. The visuality of artworks integrates an intellectual attestation and a physical object [6], hence understanding derives if visitors establish a relation between the works meaning and intention. This relation is reflected in the works form. Within this
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framework, restoration, as a series of processes that interfere with the artworks appearance, has a profound impact on its aesthetic, historical and social significance. Restoration, as an interdisciplinary act devoted to the reinstatement of visuality uses science and art historical knowledge. It is thus based on the interplay between scientific objectivity and subjectivity; a dialogue between measurable progress, which analytical work may bring forth, and nonmeasurable interpretation of culture [7]. The invaluable role of science in conservation cannot be questioned (particularly when it comes to issues like dating, attribution, authentication etc.), and surely it has contributed considerably to the accomplishments of conservators at a professional level. Science plays an essential role as it equips the profession with a methodology enquiry. In effect, it has played a part in establishing conservation as an academic discipline because it turns mere observation into conclusion as it makes a deduction valid by proof [8]. Nevertheless, the application of science to conservation has some limitations. In theory, science enables conservators to distinguish between cause and effect, understand deterioration processes and know material technology. Experimentation with materials and methods produces technical knowledge that allows conservators to intervene efficiently as regards treatment performance. This may indicate those products and procedures, which have better properties and outcome than others, but the final decision as to how and when these are applied rests upon the conservators judgement to resolve on those options that best satisfy certain needs, because treatments can only be appropriate or suitable to particular objects and for their specifically intended environment. In this sense, conservators enjoy the benefit of choice amongst a variety of tested materials that meet
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SCIENCE AND RESTORATION AT THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETATION

the three major conservation criteria: stability, longevity and reversibility/retreatability. In terms of getting insights into the nature of artworks, science in everyday practice does not always (or fully) determine treatment decisions and planning. The decision, for instance, to remove overpaintings may result from the outcome of technical examination with imaging techniques such as x-radiography, infrared and ultraviolet spectra. Additionally, instrumental analysis methods that range from simple microscopic examination of paint cross-sections to the more sophisticated x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive x-raymicroanalysis (SEM-EDX) can verify the presence of pigments, which may be inconsistent with the presumed dating of a painting, and this is a straightforward process that results in concrete evidence. The presence of chrome yellow, for instance, in an early Renaissance painting would be an indication either that the work must have undergone alteration at some point from the 19th century onwards or that it is a fake [9]. In any case, what we see in the painting, what we think we see and what the painting actually is can all be different. On the other hand, the question to reconstruct the losses of a painting totally, partially or not to touch them at all is dictated by factors that do not relate to solid scientific facts. These consist mainly in the aesthetic integrity of the work as this derives from the original (or earlier) condition of the work, or to be more precise, from the presumed idea of its original or earlier condition, as well as the extent of its deterioration and past intervention. Other factors include the works art historical context, the aesthetic requirements of the institution (i.e. certain institutions opt for full reconstruction of losses for their displays, whereas others resolve on minimum intervention) and the conservators subjective visual judgement and technical performance. So, an artworks image is
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dependent upon the marriage of scientifically obtained data and subjective perception based to a large extent on aesthetic understanding. Having said that, it becomes obvious, that science can be equally useful to art curators, since it can be corrective to art historical knowledge, as it is to conservators, for it validates certain treatments that would otherwise be uncontrolled and/or controversial. The relationship between connoisseurship, conservation and conservation science can be delicate. Unquestionably, conservation scientists play a key role. They, by definition, are essentially concerned with hard facts while nuances of artistic input are not their realm. Inevitably, even though conservation scientists are accredited, on occasion, with a definitive role (e.g. detection of fakes and forgeries, identification of previous interventions), their participation is subsidiary. Just like curators and conservators, they too are involved in the artwork, but only to a finite extent. While scientists concentrate on the works physicality, the results of their research are used by museum experts, combined with other pieces of information and applied to such aspects of the work that go far beyond its corporeal nature. Besides, the rest of the object is the prerogative of the art historians considerations and the restorers manipulations [10, p. 446]. All these domains work on a stage at which the artefact assumes its museological context and enters the realm of public viewing. While conservators aim at establishing the relationship between substance and process, and an artists visual idiom, art historians based initially on what is seen consider their arguments within a certain socio-cultural context and scientists, by analytically studying the nature of materials, can set up historical perspective anew. Each viewpoint shapes a different statement, which attempts to determine the visual and intellectual process of artistic endeavour to the extent that
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it affects the meaning of the work. Getting insights into the experience of producing art is totally different from the messages of the finished work. Yet, despite the fact that the experience of creating art differs from the completed work, the two should enlighten each other; however, the crosssection of a paint sample, for instance, may provide information on the technical aspects of creation, but it is not really illuminating in terms of the initial idea the artwork has emerged from or the artists state of mind before and during the creative process. Obtaining information and putting this information in context are different mechanisms. In a way, science deconstructs the creative process of art and by doing so it fails to capture the intangible aspect of an otherwise quite physical manipulation of concrete materials and techniques. The interaction of science with theory enables the understanding of relationships and mainly that of reason and intuition deliberation and spontaneity [11]. A paint cross-section can thus be meaningful if the experience of viewing and the experience of creating art are jointly taken in, hence artistic intent and vision, as these connect to physicality are deciphered. In this sense, it appears that the role of the conservator is that of an intermediary between the art historian/curator and the conservation scientist who eventually addresses art historical questions rather than conservation and restoration issues. Conservation science, thus adds to connoisseurship, which is the underpinning of curatorship. In the past, connoisseurship was based principally on the prominence of seeing. Traditional connoisseur curators performed mainly interpretation by description; thus they recounted their experience of a work and by doing so they appraised it and suggested ways of reading it [12]. Nowadays, connoisseurship relies, apart from secondary sources, on science and physical testing, and if scientific analysis results match visual evidence, then curators can claim to have conducted sustainable interpretations.
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Restoration as a Viewing Process and Artistic Empathy The dominant role of science in contemporary conservation practice results from sciences pursuit for objectivity. After centuries of arbitrariness, personal preferences and partiality, science offers rational thought and precludes assumptions in favour of pure facts. Nevertheless conservation has always had an artistic dimension, and this fixation with factual evidence may deprive the art conservator of the painterly attitude of dealing with objects. Even though restoration has been repeatedly accused in the past for precisely this sort of approach (mainly for excessive intervention/retouching, which resulted in beautification and adaptation to current trends, fashions and personal tastes), in order to empathize with the artists, conservators ought to act like them, but not in the unjustified way this was done in the past. Today, conservators have all the scientific equipment and technology necessary to work with precision in a systematic, evidence-based manner, which nonetheless might hold them back from assuming their artistic role. Since scientific conservation involves materials not ideas it considers the world from the point of view of hard material sciences [13]. Nevertheless, works of art are conveyors of multiple meanings, ideas, intentions, dreams and aspirations; they are products of their epoch and amalgamations of social, political, cultural, economic and personal circumstances in a given place, at a given time, and as such, their conservation and restoration incorporate the preservation and visual interpretation of intangible cultural qualities such as memory, symbolism, identity, intention, vision as well as a series of related information. If conservation is deprived of its artistic dimension, it is then reduced to a factual and material discipline. If the work of art is seen holistically, as a material
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SCIENCE AND RESTORATION AT THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETATION

entity and an envisioned creation, then analytical work is presumed just as much as artistic empathy is justified. Precisely as the artist has to overcome the fear of counterbalancing the dialectic during the creative process between reality and fiction [14], respectively, the conservator must empathize with the painter and see the artwork as a created readable visual fiction. If this is achieved then the work will have been considered first as a completed image despite its losses and deterioration - and as the result of a certain intention. Evidently, and as stated earlier, it might be hard for conservators to see a work of art disengaged from what they have been trained to look at and care for namely damage, wear and distortion. Nonetheless, it is important to appreciate the work for what it stands for first and then regard it as a subject of critical enquiry and physical intervention. Conservators can sometimes impose significant change in the way(s) the past is construed and may be reshaped due to the visual and aesthetic impact that their actions have on objects. In this sense, conservators introduce narratives of a works meaning, aging, decay, intervention, adaptation and reinterpretation [15]. In so doing, they take on an academic role - which for years was hardly ever acknowledged since the mighty curator was considered the one and only expert - and that is to edit the visible history of artworks and then decide which aspects to reveal or reconstruct and which to hide or play down. Works of art, just like any other functional object, are documents of the reality (or realities) they have emerged from. At the same time, they convey an indefinite quality, a sort of otherness that consists mainly in the particularity of artists and their standpoint towards the world. Conservation and particularly restoration, therefore, have to maintain a good balance between the documentary information works of art provide, which fixes their historical value, and their aesthetic dimension. Conservators
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are essentially accountable for what museum visitors physically see in artworks. The role of connoisseur curators and scientists in this burden- some responsibility is vital, as they advise on originality and intention, and since objective analyses cannot be definitive in terms of aesthetics, a choice eventually is made on what the eye tells about style and hand. Conclusions Visual appreciation therefore proves vital; looking precedes seeing and as a going-back-to-basics process it is rather the starting point that enables museum professionals to make allowance for any intellectual, technical and scientific enquiry. Such integration of personal and impersonal viewpoints is a necessary condition for understanding artistic intentions. In so doing, and before any treatment is undertaken, conservators pose serious questions that involve issues like what is it that they should preserve and restore, how do they justify their choices to place emphasis on certain aspects of the work while undermining others, and most importantly, whom do they treat objects for. Assuming that the realm of conservation and restoration is not about preserving material and structure only, and that the exhibition of artworks is not circumscribed into putting them on mere display, conservators face the challenge to perceive the object not only as it is now, but also as it was; to discern the many different ways it has changed and envision the possible ways it might continue to change. Bearing in mind that conservators act as liaison between the objects and the public, the perception of an artworks meaning is dependent upon the treatment it has undergone. To this end, visual interpretation and presentation are fundamental - a fact which denotes the significance of restoration as a museological act whose aesthetic implications may impinge on and, in effect, shape public perception of art.
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DIMITRIOS DOUMAS

Note Much of the discussion articulated in this article is based on my doctoral thesis Curatorship and Conservation: A Theoretical Enquiry into the Scope of Each Realm, their Interaction and the Consequences for the Perception of Works of Art, University of Lincoln, Lincoln UK, 2008. References
[1] J.R. Galser and A. Zenetou, Museums: A Place to Work Planning Museum Careers, Routledge, London/New York, 1996 [2] M. Shanks and I. Hodder, Processual, postprocessual and interpretive archaeologies in S. Knell (ed.), Museums in the Material World, Routledge, London/New York, 2007 [3] N. Davey, The hermeneutics of seeing, in I. Heywood and B. Sandywell (eds.), Interpreting Material Culture: Exploration in the Hermeneutics of the Visual, Routledge, London/New York, 1999 [4] M. Carter and A. Geczy, Re-Framing Art, Berg Publishers, Oxford, 2006 [5] E. Panofsky, The history of art as a humanistic discipline, in S.N. Price, K.M. Talley and A. Melucco Vaccaro (eds.), Historical and Philosophical Issues in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1996 [6] E. S. Skaug, Cleaning controversies and the two cultures: steps towards professional autonomy, in J. Bridgland (ed.), 11th Triennial Meeting, Edinburgh 1-6 September 1996, Preprints, Vol. I, ICOM-CC/James & James, London, 1996

Restoration Theory and the Perception of Art, Ghent University/VUB Brussels University, Brussels, 2004
[8] B. Appelbaum, Conservation Treatment Methodology, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2007 [9] M. E. Wiseman, A Closer Look: Deceptions and Discoveries, National Gallery Company Ltd., London, 2010 [10] G. Urbani, The science and art of conservation of cultural property, in S.N. Price, K.M. Talley and A. Melucco Vaccaro (eds.), Historical and Philosophical Issues in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 1996 [11] C. Mancusi-Ungaro, Material and method in modern art, in J. Hill-Stoner (ed.), Scientific Examination of Art: Modern Techniques in Conservation and Analysis, The Arthur Sackler Colloquium, March 19-21, 2003, The National Academies Press, Washington D.C., 2005, pp. 152-161 [12] D. Carrier, In praise of connoisseurship, in S. Knell (ed.), Museums in the Material World, Routledge, London/New York, 2007 [13] S. Muoz-Vias, Contemporary Theory of Conservation, Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, 2005 [14] L. Schneider-Adams, Exploring Art, Laurence King Publishing, London, 2002 [15] D. Bomford, The conservator as narrator: changed perspectives in the conservation of paintings, in M. Leonard (ed.), Personal Viewpoints: Thoughts about Paintings Conservation, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles, 2003
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[7] H. Schinzel, Touching Vision Essays on

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SCIENCE AND RESTORATION AT THE SERVICE OF INTERPRETATION

DIMITRIOS DOUMAS Paintings Conservator Contact: doumas@benaki.gr Dimitrios Doumas has been working as a paintings conservator at the Benaki Museum Conservation Department, Athens since 2001. He was conferred with the Doctor of Philosophy award in 2010 at the University of Lincoln, UK. His thesis titled Curatorship and Conservation: A Theoretical Enquiry into the Scope of Each Realm, their Interaction and the Consequences for the Perception of Works of Art explores the role of art conservators within the wider function of the art museum/gallery and particularly their relationship with curators. He received his Master of Arts in the Conservation of Historic Objects from De Montfort University, UK in 2000 after completing his undergraduate studies in Conservation and Restoration at the same university in 1999.

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AN EXTENSIVE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF THE ENZYME -AMYLASE USED IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION
on Silk Fibers Dyed with Safflower and Madder Dye By Harby E. Ahmed

Natural adhesives were used to fix archeological textiles onto textile, paper or wood supports. However, starch adhesives may be harmful on ageing. This paper describes the use of -amylase enzyme to remove adhesives from silk dyed fabrics. Silk fabrics were subjected to accelerated ageing. Natural dyes used in this study were safflower, madder and their mixture as found in real objects. The effect of enzyme concentrations and the treatment time were studied with respect to the mechanical behavior and color changes. The study proved that the use of enzymes in adhesive removal showed good results in a short treatment when compared to conventional methods.

HARBY E. AHMED

Introduction Adhesives are used in textile conservation to hold deteriorated and friable fibers together in order to improve physical strength of fibers or textiles. With ageing, natural adhesives, such as starch, become hard, rigid and even brittle causing mechanical damage to textiles. Furthermore, under ageing conditions the pH of adhesives may become acidic, to the degree that causes acid hydrolysis of fibers in humid conditions [1, 2]. The use of enzymes in conservation is an alternative when all other options have been exhausted or cannot be used. Enzyme treatments will be of great advantage if the layers of adhesive are very thick or resistant avoiding, thus, lengthy humidification or bathing periods. The enzyme -amylase is used in textile conservation to hydrolyze starch adhesives, cleaving at random internal 1,4 glycosidic bonds in both amylose and amylopectin, showing little or no activity on -1,6 bonds. This enzyme degrades starch into small polymeric fragments, known as dextrins and maltose, disaccharides which contain two glucose residues [3-6]. Method and materials - -amylase enzyme from Aspergillus Oryzae, type X-A, code A6211 (Sigma). One unit will liberate 1 mg of maltose from starch in 3 minutes. Ph= 6.9 at 20 C; - Starch from Riedel-de Haen. AG, Seelze, Hannover, code 18727; - Greek silk fabrics supplied by Tsiakiris Co., Soufli; - Natural dyes such as madder and safflower dye; - Mordents such as Al2(NH4)2(SO4)4.24H2O (Fluka). Samples Preparation The exhaustion method was used to prepare the dyeings using a liquor ratio (LR) of 1:20 (1 gm of
42

fabric per 20 ml of bath). In order to help the dye to adhere to the fabric, a mordant (alum) was added as concentrated solution (50 g/l) to give a final dye bath concentration of 2.5 g/L or 5 g/L. Consequently, the dyeings were washed three times in cold water (5 minutes, room temperature (25 C), LR 1:20.) to remove the unfixed dyestuff [7, 8]. The starch adhesive was applied on the samples as a solution which was absorbed by the fibers and solidified. Accelerated ageing was performed because it was important to simulate the characteristics and condition of a historical textile. Therefore, accelerated thermal ageing was done at a temperature of 120 C for different time periods of 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 days. Enzymatic treatment After ageing, the samples that were coated with starch were cut up into small pieces (2x2 cm) and were put in test tubes. Then, 5 ml of enzyme solution (-amylase in sodium phosphate buffer, pH = 6.9) was added to each tube and was incubated at different time intervals (0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0 h) at room temperature (25 C) and at 40 C. The enzyme concentration varied (1, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, and 50 U/ml) and was added to each fabric sample with and without stirring. Testing and Analysis Morphological study The surface morphology of the untreated samples was compared to the enzymatically treated fabrics using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Quanta 200 ESEM FEG from FEI [9].
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THE EFFECT OF -AMYLASE ENZYME IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION

Table 1. Structure of silk fabrics used in the experimental part. Legend: S. = Safflower; M. = Madder.

Samples Silk - Raw Silk S. + M. - original Silk S. original Silk M. original L* 89.87 80.84 61.40 72.90

Thread / cm Warp 32 32 32 32 Weft 25 25 25 25

Mechanical parameter T.ST 27.961 30.372 25.959 25.925 Color Coordinates Eb (mm) 15.852 16.531 12.821 12.562

Weight g/m2

Plain weave

25.4

Plain 1/1

Uncolored Silk Silk S. Alum Silk M.Alum Silk S. + M. - Alum

a* 0.574 0.839 24.44 11.32

b* 6.211 62.68 25.69 41.14

C* 6.214 62.68 35.46 42.67

h 84.8 89.24 46.42 74.62

X 72.34 55.50 34.82 46.57

Y 76.02 58.19 29.71 45.01

Z 73.53 15.22 16.79 21.32

Color Measurement The CIE-Lab values of the color changes were measured using a double beam Optimatch spectrophotometer (Datacolor Spectraflash SF 450, UK) (Table 1). Mechanical properties Mechanical parameters such as tensile strength and elongation were measured according to the ASTM D5035 method in the warp and weft directions. Silk fabric was cut into strip 30 cm length and 5 cm width. Five samples per treatment set were tested and the breaking load averaged for each sample [10]. X-ray diffraction analysis X-ray diffraction measurements of enzymatically treated and untreated samples were carried out
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with a SIEMENS X-Ray Diffractometer D 5000, given 40 kV Cu Ka, radiation of 30 mA. The diffractograms were recorded over 2 = 50 to 300 continuously at a scan rate of 20/min. Crystalline index (crystalline to amorphous ratio) can be calculated according to Segal [11]. Fourier transform infrared spectral analysis (FTIR) The infrared absorption spectra of the untreated and treated samples were measured in the range 5004000 cm-1 with a resolution of 4 cm-1 at room temperature with a Bruker FTIR Tensor 27 spectrometer using KBr pellets [12]. Results and discussion Effectiveness of amylase on starch adhesive paste removal The surface of the fibers after the application of the adhesive was investigated using a Scanning
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HARBY E. AHMED

Electron Microscope (SEM) and compared to the surface of the samples after the application of the enzyme. Figures 1 and 2 show samples before and after the enzyme treatment, where the surface difference can be noticed. The analysis of the conditions affecting the performance of the enzyme allowed to observe that its efficiency in removing a higher amount of hardened starch increases directly with its concentration in the treatment solution. As the enzyme concentration increases, the number of successful collisions also increases showing that the reaction rate is directly proportional to the enzyme concentration. Thus, the higher the enzyme concentration, the faster the reaction takes place. The effect of time was also analyzed. It was observed that there is a direct proportional relationship between the length of the treatment and the

higher efficiency of the enzyme to hydrolyze hardened starch. It was also noticed that applying the enzyme at 40 C resulted in a higher efficiency than applying it at 25 C. The enzymatic reaction is temperature dependent as it can be accelerated increasing the temperature. However, if the temperature is too high, the enzyme may be denatured. Every enzyme has an optimal temperature under which it is the most efficient. It has also been observed that aged starch coated fibers require a harder process of removing the starch in the same conditions in which the enzyme works. Longer contact time between starch adhesive paste and fibers leads to a high degree of polymerization and covalent bonding of the starch with the fibers. In other words, upon ageing chemical changes take place in the starch adhesive paste, sometimes resulting in chemical bond formation between the fiber substrates and the starch adhesive paste.

Figure 1. Microphotographs of silk fibers. Sample A shows a silk fiber coated with starch at 40% after thermal ageing at 120 0C for 12 days. The ageing induced the starch to shrunk, crack and become rigid and brittle. Samples B, C and D show silk fibers, also coated and aged as sample A, after the enzyme application done at concentrations of 5, 20 and 75 U/ml, respectively. The treatment was performed at 40 0C for 3 h with stirring.
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THE EFFECT OF -AMYLASE ENZYME IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION

Figure 2. Photographs of silk fibers. Figures A, B and C show silk samples dyed with safflower, madder and a mixture of safflower and madder respectively, coated with 40% starch concentration after thermal ageing at 120 0C for 12 days. The ageing induced the starch to shrunk, crack and become rigid and brittle. Figures D and E show stereoscope images of silk samples coated with 40% starch concentration after thermal ageing at 120 0C for 12 days. Sample F shows a stereoscope image of silk fibers, coated and aged after the enzyme application at concentration 75 U/ml. The treatment was done at 40 0C for 3 h with stirring.
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HARBY E. AHMED

Figure 3. The figures shows a decrease of the starch weight after buffer or enzyme application performed at concentration of 40 U/ml (A) and 75 U/ml (B) for silk fabric coated by 20% starch, at 120 C for 1 day to 12 days. Both treatments were done at 40 C for 0.5h to 3.0h with stirring.

On the other hand, SEM microphotographs show that the use of -amylase resulted in extensive cleaning of the fiber surfaces, with high effectiveness for small capillaries and the center of the yarn bundle. Furthermore, the samples weight was compared before and after the treatment and a direct correlation between the enzyme concentration and the time of enzymatic treatment with the percentage of weight loss was observed, as shown in figure 3. Effect of -amylase treatment conditions on the crystallinity X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of untreated and treated samples is presented in two ways. The first way presents the percentage of the crystallinity index of the untreated samples and of those treated by enzyme at different concentrations. There is a slight increase in the crystallinity index of the silk after enzymatic treatment as presented in Table 2.
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The second way is the Wide Angle X-ray (WAXS) diffractograms of the silk samples (Figure 4) that show a slight difference between the treated and the untreated fabrics due to the action of -amylase. It can be seen that the treated silk shows a slight increase in the peak intensity (counts) in both the amorphous and crystalline regions. This suggests that the treatment using amylase enzyme does not affect particularly the size and shape of crystallites of the silk samples. Furthermore, the ratio of the crystalline and amorphous fractions barely changed, thus the enzymatic treatment did not result in considerable decrystallization of the silk. Changes in crystallinity by amylase treatments may be indicated by the tensile properties of the samples. Therefore, there were no drastic changes on the size and shape of crystallites of the samples. Effect of -amylase treatment conditions on the functional groups The spectra obtained for the control sample and the treated samples (silk dyed with madder, safe-conser vation

THE EFFECT OF -AMYLASE ENZYME IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION

Table 2. Crystalline Index of treated silk fabrics.

Samples

Crystalline area 2 Counts 192 201 216 199 203 235 233

Amorphous area 2 12.960 o 12.491 o 13.056 o 13.836 o 12.890 o 13.117 o 13.365 o Counts 52.4 56.2 61.0 56.1 56.6 66.3 63.3

Crystallinity index (%) 72.70 72.03 71.48 71.80 72.36 71.78 72.83

Silk Raw Silk amylase - 25 U-1 h Silk amylase - 25 U-3 h Silk amylase - 50 U-1 h Silk amylase - 50 U-3 h Silk amylase - 75 U-1 h Silk amylase - 75 U-3 h

20.440 o 20.58 o 20.713 o 20.630 o 20.481 o 20.531 o 20.605 o

Figure 4. Wide Angle X-ray (WAXS) diffractogram of silk after enzyme application performed at concentrations of 25, 50 and 75 U/ml for 1 and 3 hours.

flower and mixture of madder and safflower dye) treated by -amylase enzyme in different concentrations (10, 20, 30, 50 and 75 U/ml) at different duration (1 and 3h) are reproduced in Table 3. FTIR did not detect changes between the three tested samples indicating the good stability of
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silk to different concentration of amylase enzyme. Generally, there are no drastic changes in the FTIR spectra among the treated and untreated samples. This can be explained by the absence of new chemical groups and the fact that none of the existing groups disappeared. These results show that the enzymatic treatment caused no significant damage to the fibers (Figure 5).
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HARBY E. AHMED

Table 3. Functional groups of dyed silk fabric after enzyme treatment and their respective wavenumbers as identified by FTIR.

Silk + S. + M. (cm-1) 3279 2924 2162 1705 1644 1619 1514 1443 1230 1167 1068 998 611

Silk + S. (cm-1) 3279 2924 2162 1705 1644 1619 1514 1443 1230 1167 1068 998 611

Silk + M. (cm-1) 3279 2924 2162 1705 1644 1619 1514 1443 1230 1167 1068 998 611

Functional Groups Broad band due to bonded O-H stretching - in case of silk, this band overlapped N-H stretching C-H stretching of saturated aliphatic groups Overtones or combination bands C=O stretching of the dye C=C stretching of the dye C=O stretching (amide I) C-N stretching + N-H bending (amide II) C-H bending (amide III) overlapped O-H bending C-O stretching of various hydroxyl groups

C-H out of plane

Legend: S. = Safflower; M. = Madder.

B
Figure 5. FTIR spectra of untreated and treated silk. Figure A compares an untreated silk sample with a sample of silk dyed with madder after -amylase treatment at different concentrations for 1 h. Figure B compares an untreated silk sample with a sample of silk dyed with safflower after -amylase treatment at different concentrations for 1 h.

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THE EFFECT OF -AMYLASE ENZYME IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION

Effect of -amylase on samples color Table 4 presents the color changes of colored silk dyed with madder dye, safflower dye and a mixture of madder and safflower using alum as mordant after amylase treatment with different enzyme concentrations for different periods of time.

The results show that the silk dyed with madder presents a small color difference (E) between 1.030 and 1.932. There is a slight decrease in brightness (L*) and in color chromaticity (C*). On the other hand, we can see a slight increase in color hue (h) of silk dyed with madder. Concerning the color changes of the colored silk

Table 4. Effect of -amylase concentration on the brightness (L), the hue (h), and the color chromaticity (C) of silk dyed with madder mordanted with alum. Legend: S. = Safflower; M. = Madder.

Silk + M. 10 U 1 h 10 U 3 h 20 U 1 h 20 U 3 h 30 U 1 h 30 U 3 h 40 U 1 h 40 U 3 h Silk + S. 10 U 1 h 10 U 3 h 20 U 1 h 20 U 3 h 30 U 1 h 30 U 3 h 40 U 1 h 40 U 3 h Silk + M. + S. 10 U 1 h 10 U 3 h 20 U 1 h 20 U 3 h 30 U 1 h 30 U 3 h 40 U 1 h 40 U 3 h

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E 1.030 1.173 1.151 1.173 1.216 1.431 1.442 1.932 E 1.251 1.546 1.179 1.445 1.544 1.714 1.574 1.932 E 0.984 1.470 1.583 1.299 1.552 1.785 1.493 2.006

L -0.520 -0.256 -0.273 -0.195 -0.541 -0.010 -0.113 -0.188 L 0.611 0.987 0.623 0.699 0.442 0.010 0.746 0.188 L 0.386 0.961 0.285 0.106 0.788 0.240 0.465 0.013

C -0.591 -0.904 -0.607 -0.617 -0.740 -0.627 -0.916 -0.787 C -0.534 -1.732 -0.425 -0.408 -0.271 -0.627 -0.508 -0.787 C 0.259 0.071 0.437 0.796 0.632 0.453 1.406 0.521

H -2.163 -0.141 -0.350 -0.954 -1.648 -1.508 -0.124 -0.464 H 0.906 1.423 0.906 1.197 0.601 1.508 0.855 0.464 H -0.388 1.331 0.259 1.021 2.012 1.287 -0.193 -0.075

Observations Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Darker, less red, less yellow Observations Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Lighter, less red, less yellow Observations Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Lighter, less red-yellow Less red-yellow
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HARBY E. AHMED

dyed with safflower dye, the samples show a color difference (E) between 1.216 and 2.351. There is a slight increase in the brightness (L*), a slight decrease in color chromaticity (C*), and a slight decrease in the color hue (h) of silk dyed with safflower. Table 4 also presents the color changes of colored silk dyed with mixture from safflower and madder dye. The results show that all these samples have color difference (E) between 0.984 and 2.002 and a slight brightness (L*) decrease. All of the treated samples had a color change of about 1.5, which is not easily detected by the human eye. This indicates that there are no drastic changes in the color shades or the hues of dyed silk fibers. Effect of -amylase on mechanical parameters of the samples Tensile strength and elongation of untreated and treated silk fabric samples are presented in Table 5. The treated silk samples show only a slight improvement in the elongation properties over the untreated samples, with an increase in enzyme concentration and enzymatic treatment time. This shows that there are no drastic changes in the mechanical parameters of the dyed silk fibers.

Conclusions
-amylase is considered an effective enzyme for

the removal of starch adhesive paste even at relatively low temperatures (room temperature). According to the results of this study, -amylase causes first an improvement in the mechanical parameters (Tensile Strength, Elongation and Crystallinity index) of silk fabrics and a slight change in the optical parameters of silk dyed with Madder, safflower dye or mixture of mordanted with alum. Furthermore, the fact that no drastic changes were recorded in the color shades or the hues as well as in the brightness values and the mechanical parameters of the samples proves the suitability of -amylase to remove the starch adhesive from archeological silk fabrics having either madder or safflower dye. Acknowledgments This paper was supported by the 2-years project New Strategies for Conservation of Ancient Egyptian Textiles with the Application on Some Selected Textile Objects" at the Museum of the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, and funded by STDF (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Egypt).

Table 5. The mechanical parameters of cotton samples after amylase treatment with different enzyme concentration 25, 50, 750 U at 40 C for different time periods - 1.0 h and 3.0 h. Legend: T.ST = Tensile strength; Eb= Elongation.

Samples Silk - Raw Warp direction Silk - amylase - 25 U - 1 h Silk - amylase - 25 U - 3 h Silk - amylase - 50 U - 1 h Silk - amylase- 50 U - 3 h Silk - amylase- 75 U - 1 h Silk - amylase- 75 U - 3 h

T. St. (kg force) 27.967 27.881 28.005 28.537 28.423 28.971 29.318

Eb (mm) 15.852 15.901 16.301 16.247 16.769 17.113 17.023

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THE EFFECT OF -AMYLASE ENZYME IN TEXTILE CONSERVATION

References [1] A. Tmr-Balzsy and D. Eastop, Chemical Principles of Textile Conservation, ButterworthHeinemann, 1998 [2] S. Landi, The Textile Conservators Manual, Butterworth-Heinemann, 1998 [3] I. Schwarz, "2. A Pre-packaged -Amylase Poulticing System: Albertina-Kompresse", The Book and Paper Group Annual 19, 2000, URL (accessed 1st September 2010) [4] A. Blher, I. Schwarz, G. Banik, G. Rmer, and E. Thobois, "The Albertina compress: a ready-to-use enzyme compress for removing starch paste", Restauro 105 (3), 1999 [5] S. Decoux, Enzyme used for Adhesive Removal in Paper Conservation: a Literature review, Journal of the Society of Archivists 23(2), 2002, pp. 187-195 [6] P. C. DeSantis, Some Observations on the use of Enzymes in Paper Conservation, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation 23(1), 1983, pp. 7-27, URL (accessed 1st September 2010) [7] H. Schweppe, Practical hints on dyeing with natural dyes : production of comparative dyeings for the identification of dyes on historic materials, Conservation Analytical Laboratory, Smithsonian Institution, 1986, URL (accessed 1st September 2010) [8] H. E. Ahmed , Y. Zidan and K. El-Nagar, Studies on dyeing with cochineal and ageing of silk dyed fabric, in R. Janaway and P. Wyeth (eds.), Scientific Analysis of Ancient and Historic Textiles, Archetype Publications,2005, pp. 246-250
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[9] J. Batcheller, "Optical and scanning electron microscopy techniques for the identification of hair fibres from Roman-Egyptian textiles", in R. Janaway and P. Wyeth (eds.), Scientific Analysis of Ancient and Historic Textiles, Archetype Publications, 2005, pp. 51-57 [10] P. G. Tortora, and R. S. Merkel, Fairchild's Dictionary of Textiles, Fairchild Publications, 7th Edition, 2007 [11] L. Segal, J.J. Greely, A.E. Martin Jr., and C.M. Conrad, An Empirical Method for Estimating the Degree of Crystallinity of Native Cellulose Using the X-Ray Diffractometer, Textile Research Journal 29(10), 1959, pp. 786794, doi: 10.1177/004051755902901003 [12] M. Baker, D. van der Reyden, and N. Ravenel, "FTIR Analysis of Coated Papers", The Book and Paper Group Annual 8, 1989, URL (accessed 1st September 2010)

HARBY E. AHMED
Conservator-restorer Contact: harbyezzeleden@yahoo.com Harby E. Ahmed is a conservator-restorer specialised in textiles. He started his training at the Conservation and Restoration Institute, in Kina, Egypt where he obtained a Diploma degree in 1993. He later obtained a Bachelor and Master degrees in Conservation and Restoration in 1997 and 2002, respectively, at the Cairo University, Egypt and a PhD on the use of enzymes for conservation of textiles from the Enzyme Biotechnology Department of the School of Chemical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in 2010. At the present he is a lecturer of Textiles Conservation at the Conservation Department of the Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University.
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case study
CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET
By Omar Abdel-Kareem

CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET

This study describes the conservation and restoration of a large carpet belonging to the Cairo University. The carpet was identified as Persian, being made in the city of Isfahan between 1850 and 1900 A.D. The initial examination indicated that the carpet was very soiled, with stains and extensive losses. These problems were thoroughly investigated before the treatment methodology was implemented. This study explores an innovative restoration technique for carpets, which consists in the replacement of the missing areas by using previously prepared pieces identical to the original but produced by a different technique and fixed in place by stitching. This method is reversible and in agreement with conservation ethics. After conservation, the carpet was prepared for display by using a Velcro strapping system.

Introduction Among the textile arts, carpets hold a special status [1]. Their deterioration leads to both a loss on the origin and history of the object and to the weakening of the carpet itself [2]. Historical carpets, representing one of the most artistic treasures, should be preserved for future generations [3]. Most of the times, carpets need conservation and restoration treatment before exhibition. There is a tendency for conservators to draw a distinct line between the restoration and the conservation treatment. This is especially true in the area of carpets, since parallel services exist for their restoration and conservation [4]. Both these involve intervention: a physical modification of the carpet with the intention of preserving or enhancing it physically and/or visually. In neither case the original state of the carpet can be recreated. Conservation is the treatment that places a carpet in serviceable condition for handling, study, and display, recognizing that an active intervention should not detract from the original components and visual aesthetics of the piece. Restoration is the treatment that places a carpet in serviceable condition primarily for its intended utilitarian use, striving to integrate the restoration with the original visual aesthetics as unobtrusively as possible [5]. Conservation aims to maintain the physical and visual integrity of the object while removing and adding the minimum material. Restoration
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aims to recreate the visual and physical appearance of the carpet as it is believed to have looked originally. This also raises the interesting question of the distinction between a restored carpet and a fake. This depends on the actual treatment carried out, or on the way in which the treated piece is presented to the public [6]. The most common treatments of carpets include cleaning, stabilization, exhibition and storage. This process should begin with a complete examination and documentation of the piece which usually includes the creation of photographic or video records [7]. Conservators have feared the use of restoration techniques primarily as a reaction to the treatments that compromised original artifacts in the attempt to compensate for losses. To avoid this problem, textile conservators turned to minimalism as a way of addressing loss [8]. Effective restoration can give a textile visual completeness and physical strength, which can be particularly successful for functional textiles, such as carpets and rugs. The main aim of this study is the conservation and restoration of a large rare Persian carpet belonging to the Cairo University. The project aimed to improve the long-term preservation of this carpet by making it safe and adequate for display. Also, this project aimed to stabilize and improve aesthetically the disfiguring losses of this carpet. The procedure was to combine the skills with an
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innovative technique to achieve aesthetic compensation for losses in oriental carpets. Description and condition Historical Context A large carpet belonging to the Cairo University (Figure 1) had been used as permanent floor covering at the Ahmed Lotfy hall, the University main hall. According to the design and decoration the carpet is Persian, being made in the city of Isfahan (actual Iran) between 1850 and 1900 A.D. The carpet contains Persian words, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, meaning that it was a present from Isfahan, and that it was made by Raheme. Technical Notes The dimensions of the carpet are 505 x 785 cm. The warp and weft are made from cotton and the weft is constructed by two threads run for every row of knots. The type of knot is Persian (Senna, or unsymmetrical knot). The number of knots is 36/cm2. The most present colors in the carpet are red, dark blue, light blue, white to beige and light gray-green. Condition report Initial examination indicated that the carpet condition was as follows: the whole surface was

Figure 1. General view of the carpet before the intervention.

very dirty, stiff and hard due to solid, sandy dust accumulated during the long term use as floor covering in the university. There were also some different additional stains on it and in some the knots were rotten or had disappeared completely. There were enormous holes in the carpet and the selvedges and edges suffered from wear and abrasion. Nevertheless, except for the aforementioned aspects, the carpet still appeared to be quite strong and in fair condition. Microscopic examination Small parts of each fiber were analyzed with an optical microscope. The results show that all the yarns from different colors of the knots (pile) are composed of wool (Figure 4). The fibers were generally in good condition although relatively dirty. The yarns of both warp and weft, and edges are made of cotton.

Figures 2 and 3. Persian inscriptions. Left: Reference to the provenance of the carpet, which was made in the city of Isfahan (actual Iran); Right: Reference to the name of the carpet maker: Raheme.

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CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET

Figure 4. Surface morphology of a fiber of knotting thread at 400x magnification.

Figure 5. SEM microphotograph showing the surface morphology of a fiber of knotting thread.

Scanning electron microscopy The observation of the surface morphology of fibers collected from some parts of the carpet by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a high degree of weakening and damage. The surface shows losses of the scale structure. There is a large amount of dust covering the surface, therefore the fibers appear opaque (Figure 5). This may be due to the microbiological deterioration (rot) of the wool fibers in these parts of the carpet. Despite these damages, the results showed that most of the carpet is in a fairly good condition. X-ray diffraction analysis The dust collected by vacuum cleaner from the carpet was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy. Spectra of the examined dust showed that the mineral composition of the dirt contained quartz, calcite, dolomite, albite and clay minerals. This composition is similar to that of common natural mineral dust in Cairo (Figure 6). Proposed treatment In order to achieve the main aim of the project, which was to improve the long-term preservation
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of this carpet, the proposed treatment included the following steps: cleaning and removal of the stains, stabilization of the selvedges and edges, stabilization of the weak and missing areas, compensation for the loss areas to stabilize and aesthetically improve disfiguring losses on the carpet and preparation for display. Conservation treatment Vacuum cleaning The initial investigation showed that most of the soiling is loose dust that can be cleaned using a

Figure 6. EXRD spectra of the dust showed that the main components of the dirt were inorganic substances of mineral origin, namely quartz, albite, calcite and dolomite.

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vacuum cleaner. To clean the carpet, the floor surface of a large room was covered with a sheet of polyethylene on which the carpet was rolled out face upwards. The suction head of the vacuum cleaner was used from top to bottom of the carpet to extract the loose dust from the surface. In the areas where the carpet was too weak, the procedure was carried out through a strong layer of polyester net (Figure 7). After finishing the surface cleaning, the carpet was covered with another sheet of polyethylene and then it was rolled up between the two sheets on a special PVC roller. This way the carpet was turned on, the top sheet of polyethylene was removed and the previous procedures were repeated on the other side (Figure 8). These procedures were repeated several times on both sides until no more dust could be removed by the vacuum cleaner. Stain removal Tests for colorfastness were carried out before any cleaning treatment. All the carpet dyes in the stained areas proved to be resistant in contact with the detergent (Synperonic N). Colorfastness test were also carried out on the other chemical that was used to remove the other soils. The stains were removed using a solution of 0.3 g/L of non-ionic detergent (Synperonic N) in deionized water, which was then rinsed with deionized water. Other stains were removed with using ethyl alcohol and deionized water 1:1 v/v (Figures 9 and 10). Restoration Stabilization techniques (lining) There are various methods to treat carpet edges that became weaken, damaged and abrasive [4, 9, 10]. However, the carried study confirms that a complete lining attached to the back of the
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Figures 7 and 8. Surface cleaning of the carpet on both sides by vacuum cleaning.

Figures 9 and 10. Example of a stained area before and after cleaning.
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CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET

carpet edges was the best method to stabilize loose elements, and support the carpet during display periods. The complete mounting will carry the overall stress and strain of the carpets weight while hanging on display. The procedure was applied as shown below. Preparation of mounting fabric Many steps were taken to clean and to remove shrinked linen fabric before using it in the mounting process. The fabric was washed and rinsed three times in deionized water in a home-style washing machine, using a pure, synthetic detergent without optical brightener (Synperonic N). The fabric was then partially dried in a home-style tumble dryer on high heat for 20 minutes. Still damp, the linen was laid flat on a glass table surface. The warp and weft were gently aligned, selvedges were cut and the linen was left to dry overnight [11]. Attaching the mounting fabric The carpet was laid out face down on a clean, flat surface. The carpet was flattened carefully, without any folding. Each one of the edges was backed completely with a sheet of linen fabric prepared previously (with appropriate area). The backing

mounting fabric was attached to the carpet using curved needles as they lie flat on work surface without tension. The linen fabric was sewn to the carpet overlapping the vertical rows of stitches (Figure 11). All stitches were done using needle and cotton threads. Different types of stitches were used in this work: herringbone stitches were done around the top and bottom edges, over-sewing was used to fix the selvages, and running stitches were used to join the linen fabric with the carpet. The fringe was also stitched to a linen backing to keep it aligned. The damaged areas were stitched using couching stitches and each fringe thread was fixed with over-casting stitches. The edges of split areas were mounted and stitched onto new linen patches using herringbone stitches (Figures 12-15). Compensation of the loss areas There are different methods to compensate loss areas [4, 7, 8, 12, 13]. These can be classified into

Figures 12 and 13. An area with lacuna before and after intervention.

Figure 11 Example the lining of the edges with linen fabric. The complete lining of the carpet was performed in order to stabilize loose elements and to support the carpet during display periods.

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Figures 14 and 15. An area with lacuna before and after intervention.

six repair techniques [14]: reknotting with the insertion of a partial or complete new foundation; embroidery techniques; inserting a carpet patch cut from another carpet; patching with fabric attached from the back using needles and threads; patching with fabric or with patch cut from another carpet using adhesive; and a complete lining attached to the carpet back with couching stitches used to stabilize loose elements, either to patches or to the lining itself (this technique is similar to traditional tapestry repair). The current study explores an innovative restoration technique for carpets consisting in the replacement of missing areas with pieces identical to the original, although previously made by a different technique, and fixed by stitching. This method is reversible and in agreement with conservation ethics (Figures 16-21).

Preparation of new pieces identical to the original The preparation of the new pieces was done in several steps: 1 - Identification of the exact area of any loose part by placing a sheet of thin transparent ramie fabric (pure cellulose) behind the area and outlining the lacuna, marking thus the correct size of the new piece (Figure 17). 2 - Recreation and design of the decoration on the identified areas in order to mimic the original pattern (Figure 18). The patterns of other similar areas have helped in this procedure once the patterns of most carpets are governed by rules of symmetry [13].

Figures 16 and 17. Compensation the loss areas. Example of a lacuna in the carpet (left), and designing process of the missing part in order to match the original one (right).

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CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET

3 - Fixing a cleaned undyed cotton fabric with appropriate area on a wooden frame. 4 - Fixing the prepared transparent ramie fabric with decoration on the cotton fabric up on the wooden frame (Figures 18-19). 5 - Dying threads of natural wool (100% wool with appropriate thickness) with high fastness dyes (in colors similar to the original ones). 6 - The decoration was performed using needles and wool threads with appropriate colors (Figure 18). The procedure was repeated until accumulating the adequate aesthetic appearance, similar to the original but still different and distinguishable as the piles are not knots, only plug accumulating threads. 7 -Additionally, fixing stitches using dyed cotton threads and needles were used to secure and fix the new developed relief part with the backing. 8 - The completed new compensation parts were carefully cut out from the wooden frame with pinking shears. Attachment of the new pieces to the carpet To attach the new pieces in their places on the carpet, the following steps were performed. Mounting and patching each hole with appropriate linen packing, attached by stitching with needle and threads. The edges of the hole were fixed by patches using herringbone stitches. The damaged warps ends and wefts of the carpet around the hole were left in place and secured on the backing linen fabric. Each new compensation part prepared previously was stitched directly into the appropriate lacuna of the carpet with the backing linen fabric stitched previously to the carpet (Figures 20-24).
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Figures 18-21. Compensation the loss areas. From up to down: preparation process of the new piece, the new piece finished, stitching the new piece onto the lacuna of the carpet, and general aspect of the lacuna area after intervention.
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Figures 22-24. Compensation of losses. Above left: example of a lacuna in the carpet; Above right: the new piece finished; and general aspect of the lacuna area after intervention.

Preparation for Display Since the early 1970s, conservators have used hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro to hang tapestries, carpets and other large flat textiles. These allow for even distribution of the weight and quick removal of objects in case of emergency [5]. The common and simplest technique of using Velcro system is stitching the soft side of Velcro with the top and bottom of the carpet or tapestry. The hook side of Velcro is attached (glued and nailed) to wooden battens [7, 10, 11, 15, 16].
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The application of the Velcro system could be performed because this carpet was in fair condition, allowing hanging. The only problem, however, was its extra weight. Therefore, additional support to the carpet was done by complete lining of the top and bottom edges of the carpet (about 1 meter along the width of the carpet). The application procedure of the Velcro system was done as follows: 1 - The treated carpet was laid face down on a clean, flat surface covered with a polyethylene sheet.
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CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION OF A RARE LARGE PERSIAN CARPET

2 - Careful measurements were done to identify the exact areas where the Velcro strips would be attached and to calculate the length of the Velcro strips, as well as to identify the appropriate frame that was required. 3 - The soft side of Velcro was sewn (using a sewing machine) to linen strips before being stitched onto the carpet. 4 - The prepared soft side of Velcro was fixed onto the carpet using needles and cotton threads (Figure 25). 5 - The hook side of the Velcro strips was glued and nailed onto the previously designed wooden battens. Conclusion XRD analysis showed that the main components of the dirt were inorganic substances (quartz, calcite, dolomite, albite and clay minerals). SEM examination of the fiber revealed a high degree of weakening due to the deterioration on some parts of the carpet while most of it is in a fairly good condition. The technique used in this study for compensation the loss parts of the carpet proved quite successful, providing an adequate aesthetic compensation for loss in the oriental carpets, as the visitors can not easily differentiate between original knots and the new fill. At the same time, the method respects the fundamental principles of restoration and recreates the visual and physical appearance of the carpet as it is believed to have looked originally. The technique used in this study respects the outset of the carpet: its visual and aesthetic continuity, the original materials, structural soundness,
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Figure 25. The back side of the carpet after intervention.

and reversibility. It also facilitates a minimum handling of the object as it can be done separately (on wooden frame) and then stitched directly into the lining fabric that stitched previously with the carpet. To prepare the carpet for hanging display, Velcro strapping was stitched to various areas on the back of the carpet, not only to the edges. This is because the carpet is too large and heavy. A complete lining attached to the back of the carpet edges is very important to stabilize loose elements, and to support the carpet during display periods. Notes The dating of the carpet was carried out by Prof. Dr. Rabie Khalifa, Professor of Islamic Monuments and Arts, Vice Dean of Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University. Acknowledgments I gratefully acknowledge Prof. Dr. Hussam Eldin Abdel-Hamid, Director of the Center of Conservation of Antiquities, Manuscripts and Museum Objects, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, for his encouragement and permission to publish this work. I would also like to thank the
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Figure 26. Final aspect of the carpet after intervention.

team of the project, Mr. Salah Madboli, Mr. Ali Saad, Mr. Mostafa Abdel-Salam and Mr. Wahid Abdo for their assistance. Finally, I would like to thank all the individuals who took the time to share their experience in this project. References [1] C. Bier, Carpet Condition: A Curator's Perception of the Hole, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 6-8 [2] A. Lister, Guidelines for the Conservation of Textiles, English Heritage, London, 1996 [3] R. B. Hutchison, From Restoration to Conservation: Parallels Between the Tradition of Tapestry Conservation and Carpet Conservation, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 9-12
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[4] H. F. Mailand, Traditional Methods and Alternatives for Cleaning, Repairing, and Exhibition Rugs, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 26-33 [5] S. W. Green, Preface, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 5 [6] K. Leath, and M. M. Brooks, Velcro TM and other hook and loop fasteners: a preliminary study of their stability and ageing characteristics, Textile Conservation Newsletter 34, 1998, pp. 5-11 [7] J. Merritt, A Survey of Current Practices in Europe, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 42-45 [8] Z. A. Perkins, J. Brako, and R. Mann, Woven Traditions: The Integration of Conservation
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and Restoration Techniques in the Treatment of Oriental Rugs, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 13-25 [9] A. H. Ennes, "The stabilization of edges and ends: gradations of intervention", The Textile Museum Journal, Volumes 29-30, 1990, pp. 34-41 [10] S. Landi, The Textile Conservators Manual, Butterworth-Heinemann, London, 1998 [11] S. Gates, One Hundred Anatolian Flatweaves: Conservation for Exhibition, Travel, and Storage, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 2930, 1991, pp. 65-76 [12] C. de Nola, C. Tonin, M. Bianchetto Songia, R. Peila, C. Vineis, R. Roggero, and L.E. Brancati, Conservation project of an early 19th century Turkish Ghiordes rug found to have significant pesticide (DDT) contamination: the result of a successful cooperation, in Preprints of the 13th Triennial Meeting Rio de Janeiro, 22-27 September 2002, ICOM-CC, Vol. II, 2002, pp. 730-735 [13] H. J. Exner, To Restore or Not to Restore, Oriental Rug Review, Volume 15 (6), 2004, pp. 1-11, available at URL [14] S. W. Green and J. Swetzoff, Compensation for Loss in Oriental Rugs: Traditional Methods and Passive Fills, The Textile Museum Journal, Volume 29-30, 1991, pp. 46-57 [15] Y. Maes, The Conservation/Restoration of the Sixteenth-Century Tapestry The Gathering of the Manna. The Conservation of Tapestries and Embroideries, Proceedings of Meetings at the Institute Royal du Patrimoine Artistique, Belgium, September 2124, 1987, The Getty
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Conservation Institute, California, 1989, pp. 103112 [16] M. Austin, Mounting Large Textiles, The Textile Specialty Group Postprints, 1996, pp. 14-16

OMAR ABDEL-KAREEM
Conservator-restorer Contact: omaa67@yahoo.com Omar Abdel-Kareem is associate Professor at the Conservation Department of the Faculty of Archaeology at Cairo University, Egypt. He specialized in textile conservation, having trained in different countries, namely at the Textile Conservation Center TCC (UK), The Hungarian National Museum and Faculty of Fine Art in Budapest (Hungary), Muse Historique des Tissus in Lyon (France), and Wawel Castle, Krakow (Poland). He has also training in application of analytical techniques such as HPLC, XRD, and FTIR and UV/VIS spectroscopy to textile conservation. He is the principle investigator of the Egyptian National Project funded by STDF New Strategies for Conservation of Ancient Egyptian Textiles with application on some selected textile objects from the Museum of Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University. He is a member of Med-Colour-Tech Project, supported by the European Commission. He has supervised 12 Master and PhD thesis in Cairo and Yarmouk University. He has published more than 40 articles in the conservation field.
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project

THE BACTRIA CULTURAL CENTRE:

A UNESCO-sponsored project in Mazar-e Sharif, war-struck northern Afghanistan Success or Failure?

by Alessandro Califano

THE BACTRIA CULTURAL CENTRE IN MAZAR-E SHARIF

South of the Tashqurgan road to Mazar-e Sharif, a cultural centre named after ancient Bactria is being built by ACTED and UNESCO in a new suburb. Started in 2007, it should be completed by 2017. But UNESCOs funds for the project are exhausted and no more funds have been found in the meantime, so no further action has taken place since the buildings foundations were completed in late 2008. In the light of a comparison between this project and another Bactria Cultural Centre built in Tajikistan, it could be considered that the Afghanistan-based one is not a success so far. It is also perfectly clear that in the current climate where security concerns for other provinces have top priority cultural heritage issues are lagging behind in getting both funding priority and consideration. However, UNESCOs strategy of considering as the main requirement for the funding the production of special dome tiles needed for the construction has been very effective: fostering traditional craftsmanship and passing on a traditional, high-quality building technique to the next generation of craftsmen is now a fact and so are the short and long-term benefits given to a local community in warstruck northern Afghanistan.

Introduction The case study of a UNESCO sponsored cultural centre providing on-site heritage related services in northern Afghanistan, and of its background including the actions to foster traditional building craftsmanship and preserve immaterial cultural heritage is compared to two other cases, in southern Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. Though not a complete success per se, this approach may be seen as potentially useful in similar situations in post-war and post-disaster countries. Project's background and setting About half an hour away from Mazar-e Sharif's downtown area, driving east towards the border with Uzbekistan, a new suburb is under construction. Stretched out to the south of the main road leading to Khulm (the old town of Tashkurgan, where the summer residence of the Afghanistan kings used to be), right below the hills building a geographical border to the vast northern steppe, the construction dominates the lower lands. It is a bit less dusty here, and there is a chance that rivulets flowing down the mountain will make their way to gardens and water reservoirs instead
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Inside the Bactria Cultural Centre land lot, looking south.

of quickly evaporating in the desert plain, even before reaching the Amu Darya river farther north. It is for this reason that the area had always been used as a pasture for sheep and goats by local herdsmen. According to my sources, the whole area was bought about five years ago, by or on behalf of Tajik Governor Atta Muhammad. He is now controlling the Balkh Region in the name of President Hamid Karzai's central government after the previous local leader, Uzbek Abdul Rashid Dostum, was called to other offices to the Afghan capital. Measurements and subdivision of the whole area in different-sized land lots followed quickly. Two
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Rendering of the Bactria Cultural Centre.

Looking south-east at the buildings eastern entrance to the inner court.

large roads were laid out through it, south of the Mazar-to-Tashkurgan road, while various northsouth diversions drove straight towards the hills. The very same reasons that made the area very good for herdsmen made it an excellent choice for builders and landlords too. In fact, a new satellite town dedicated to hosting foreign institutes and affluent members of society couldn't have been planned better: in the opposite direction of nearby Balkh's notorious hemp (Cannabis sativa) plantations, it enjoys a quiet and relatively unpolluted position, with lots of space to be freely rearranged, and with an extremely low acquisition price to start with. It is in this area that UNESCO and ACTED had planned to built a new cultural centre. The Bactria Centre, named after the ancient denomination of the wide area ranging from the mountain ranges of Hazarajat up to southern Tajikistan, had to cover multiple functions. Firstly, it was meant to foster local artistic efforts, and secondly to provide shelter to temporary exhibitions of both contemporary artefacts and of local archaeological findings. It was meant to be a hub of cultural activities part museum, part incubator, part dissemination centre. There had been some previous similar achievements in the same macro region: on the one hand the small on-site museum at Fayaz Tepe in Uzbekistan and a Buddhist monastery blossoming near today's
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Termez from the Kushan period down to the 5th century, restored by UNESCO and the Japanese government, and on the other the first Bactria Centre established by ACTED itself in Dushanbe, almost as soon as Tajikistan headed out of its lengthy and bloody civil war1. Socio-economic conditions in the three states being somehow similar, though Uzbekistan was, and still is, far better off than the other two, the past experience suggested that the opportunity was to be seized in the Mazar-e Sharif area as well. Project's description 2008 In an on-site visit I paid to the construction site in October 2008, together with Czech fellow photographer Roman Pekar, ACTED's chief engineer for all projects in Balkh, Mr. Isar, and Mr. Sayed, who is monitoring monument control at ACTED, told me that the actual construction work started in 2007. The contract said that work should be finished by 2017 although they were confident to be able to have everything ready by 2013. The project, for which UNESCO had generously contributed, was developed by architects of the Russian Federation and was then handed out to the local

1 Bactria Cultural Centre, Tajikistan, URL (ast consulted on

4 November 2010)
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THE BACTRIA CULTURAL CENTRE IN MAZAR-E SHARIF

branch of ACTED by UNESCO's office in Tashkent, which provided the funds. This might have been a rather uncommon procedure since Afghanistan already had its own UNESCO office in Kabul at that time. Ancient Bactria covered, however, the three locations, each now belonging to a different state. And since Barry Lane, at that time head of the UNESCO office in Tashkent, was very active in fostering both the Fayaz Tepe project in Termez and the first Bactria Centre in Dushanbe, it made sense that the impulse should come from one and the same source and some of the funds, as well. At the time of my visit, the about 8,000 square metre land lot was evened and fenced, while the building's foundations had been thoroughly laid out, emerging from the slightly sloping ground about 1.2 meters on the southern end to 1.6 meters on the northern end. The platform was laid out in a east-west direction, the north-south sides being the shortest. The main entrance was on the eastern side. Inside the one-storey building, chambers were clearly outlined in two rows: towards the outside the somewhat more spacious

Looking north-west over the buildings foundations.

ones and looking towards the inner court the less spacious ones. The wide central court was going to be landscaped as a garden while the vast outer space had room enough for another garden as well as for a large parking place. All chambers were going to be covered by circular domes, for which special tiles had been provided. In fact, UNESCO's main strategy was to foster traditional craftsmanship, and the funds provided were also meant to cover the production of the special dome tiles which were considered the main requirement for the granted funding. Neatly

Looking south ordinary (left) and special tiles (right) are heaped at the entrance.

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From left to right: measuring the regular construction tiles; measuring the special dome tiles height; and measuring the special dome tiles width.

stacked along the southern fence of the land lot, two brands of tiles were in fact waiting to be set in place. One was the coarser, rather fragile sort of semi-industrial construction bricks every construction worker uses in the area, those bricks that one can see being baked at small local manufacturing plants all around in the plains, high chimneys puffing out vast amounts of pollutants and fumes. The second ones were of a completely different kind: traditionally used in the region of Balkh for local long-lasting buildings, these tiles where comparatively larger, smoother and heavier. Completely handmade, the latter are prepared using a thick clay mix pressed into wooden forms, where the tiles rest for a while to let the water drip out, to finally be set out into the sun to dry out until hard. Resistance testing to both impact and pressure assure these tiles to be much more long-lasting than the usual construction bricks. The lengthy and accurate human labour involved in the production process, as well as the much higher care in choosing the raw material, caused however these techniques to be not only neglected, but even almost forgotten in present-day architecture, even in a region that had been originally famous for this very same high-end quality product. Project's description 2009 I had the opportunity to travel back to Afghanistan less than a year later, in May 2009, for a Kabulbased UNESCO consultancy contract. Though this
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of course implied that I would not have a chance to visit again the Bactria Centre building site on this occasion, I could nevertheless contact ACTED for a briefing about the further development since my previous visit to the country. Sadly, not very much has moved since. The funds granted by UNESCO have paid for the construction of the building's foundations, as well as for hoarding bricks and tiles for the further construction needs, but are now exhausted. In the mean time, no more funds have been found, and no more action has taken place. In fact, even the first phase had been a pretty difficult one, as confirmed by two sources: despite having the approval of Balkh's Governor Atta himself, as well as being able to rely on UNESCO funds for the foundations, there was much wrangling to gain approval for the rest of the construction. There was even the impression of some interference from the government side regarding this issue. On the other hand, as was perfectly clear and well stated by everybody, in the current climate seeing security concerns for other provinces having top priority it seemed that Culture was definitely lagging behind in getting both funding priority and consideration. ACTED itself had been very restricted in its action by not having enough funds. To this came staff changes in the Afghan offices of the NGO and a rising number of projects, so that they hadn't been
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THE BACTRIA CULTURAL CENTRE IN MAZAR-E SHARIF

in a condition to really follow up on this project. However, they were still hoping to come back to it in 2010, and would still continue to be looking for funds. But in comparison to the previously activated Bactria Centre in Dushanbe, it was evident that the situation in Afghanistan was either much more complex or, to say the least, by far not as positive in its medium-term prospective outcome. An evaluation attempt In the light of a comparison between the past and the prospective evolution of the two Bactria cultural centres, the one in Dushanbe and the one being presently built in Mazar-e Sharif (the museum at Fayaz Tepe being a positive achievement obtained on a much smaller scale), it could be deduced that the Afghanistan-based centre wasn't a success so far. Even more, that the continuing conditions of social and political uncertainty in many areas of the country, together with rising security and military related concerns, let many further difficulties be viewed ahead. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be completely fair to let an evaluation rest entirely on this basis. With the completion of the foundations and the preparation of all the tiles and bricks needed for further building, the most arduous part of the work has been done. Neatly sheltered under a double layer of plastic sheets and earth, the bricks, and even more the tile stacks, are securely protected for future use, while the presence of guards on site should deter theft. On the other hand, bricks being readily (and cheaply!) available in the whole area and tiles being of uncommon use theft prevention partially lies in the materials themselves. The relative optimism of engineer Isar reRight: Covering the special tiles to protect them even in the case of a long interruption of work at the construction site.
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Above: ACTED Chief Engineer Isar with a large fragment of the special tiles and detail of a special tiles fragment.

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garding a timely completion of the whole building can thus be better understood: even a long interruption of work at the construction site will not damage the part of the building completed so far, much less the material to be used to complete it. Funds for another year of activity should possibly bring it to its final shape, while some more time would of course be needed for its inner decoration, landscaping, and eventually planning its activities which will probably prove the toughest task to fully achieve. But if time schedule and milestones for bringing the building process to an end are to be considered more or less adequate, (while only time will tell what will become of the original plan to make it function as a hub for multi-purpose, heritage related activities, and whether it will compare to the lively proposals of its twin in Dushanbe), there is still another point to take into account. Choosing the peculiar and lengthy production process of old-fashioned hand-made tiles as the main requirement for their funding, UNESCO has had a primary role both in fostering traditional craftsmen's knowledge and passing it on to a younger generation of Afghan craftsmen, and in working towards the completion of a real and contemporary model that could proudly stand against the usual, pre-fabricated concrete-and-iron building solutions. This choice would then represent a real alternative solution, challenging the nefarious impact of mainstream cash-related building solutions which have no spin off effects at all on the local economy. Far from compromising with modern techniques, which in the end are generally revealed as only apparently cheaper than traditional building solutions and certainly much less environmentally friendly Barry Lane's project chose to involve local work forces, letting them participate in a complex but sustainable training and production process.
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Even if the final product of the Bactria Centre project seems still to be largely floating in the future this at least has been already achieved: passing on a traditional, high-quality building technique to the next generation of craftsmen is now already a fact. It can be considered a healthy and sound approach, combining traditional craftsmanship training, planning and actual building, with the help of external funds to foster sustainability and economy in a destitute, war-struck area. With all its shortcomings, it should be considered as a good case-study of how immediate and long-term benefits can be given to local communities, and of what could be done or maybe rather: could and should have been done in Afghanistan, to effectively help a country disrupted by 30 years of war. Credits: All pictures Alessandro Califano, 2008

ALESSANDRO CALIFANO
Curator Contact: califano.a@mclink.it Italian national, a Ph.D. in Oriental Studies, Alessandro Califano has been Research Scholar at J. Nehru Universitys School of Social Sciences (New Delhi), and Research Fellow in Museum Studies at the UBCs Museum of Anthropology (Vancouver). Senior Curator at Romes Heritage Department, he is also working on material and immaterial cultural heritage related projects as a free-lance Cultural Consultant in the Baltic area for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in Central Asia (Uzbekistan, Afghanistan) for UNESCO. He is a member of ICOM, ICOMOS-UK, and the Canadian Museums Association. Websites: http://museumstudies.tumblr.com http://twitter.com/a_califano http://www.slideshare.net/califano
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