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The Treatment of an Unbaked Mud Statue from Ancient Egypt

2009; Routledge; Volume: 48; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1179/019713609804528052

1945-2330

Christina Rozeik,

Ancient Egypt and Archaeology

AbstractAbstractUnbaked mud can be problematic because of its fragility and its extreme sensitivity to moisture. This paper describes a treatment that was carried out on an ancient Egyptian statue in the Fitzwilliam Museum. The statue was found in Abydos in 1901, and shortly afterwards was reconstructed using animal glue and cotton wool gap fills. These repairs were unsightly and the object was also very unstable and friable. The old repairs were reversed after first masking areas of vulnerable mud with cyclododecane to prevent water damage. Water was applied in the form of a Laponite poultice, through a separating layer of Bondina polyester sheet. Cyclododecane was also used to reduce staining of the porous substrate during subsequent consolidation with polyvinyl butyral and as a temporary support during intervention. The treatment significantly improved the stability and appearance of the statue, making it suitable for long-term display.TÍTULO—O tratamento de uma escultura de barro cru do antigo EgitoRESUMO—Barro cru pode ser problemático por causa de sua fragilidade e sua extrema sensibilidade `a umidade. Este trabalho descreve um tratamento que foi realizado em uma escultura do antigo Egito no Fitzwilliam Museum (Museu Fitzwilliam). A escultura foi encontrada em Abydos, em 1901, e pouco depois reconstruída usando cola animal e preenchimento das lacunas com algodao. Esses reparos tinham má aparencia e o objeto estava também muito instável e friável. Os reparos antigos foram revertidos primeiro disfarçando áreas de barro vulnerável com ciclododecano para prevenir danos causados pela água. A água foi aplicada na forma de um cataplasma de Laponita, através de uma camada de separaçao de folha de poliéster Bondina. Ciclododecano tambéem foi usado para reduzir a descoloraçao dos substratos porosos durante a consolidaçao subseq u¨ente com polivinil butiral, e como um suporte temporário durante a intervençao. O tratamento melhorou significativamente a estabilidade e aparencia da escultura, tornando-a adequada para exposiçao de longo prazo.Unbaked mud can be problematic because of its fragility and its extreme sensitivity to moisture. This paper describes a treatment that was carried out on an ancient Egyptian statue in the Fitzwilliam Museum. The statue was found in Abydos in 1901, and shortly afterwards was reconstructed using animal glue and cotton wool gap fills. These repairs were unsightly and the object was also very unstable and friable. The old repairs were reversed after first masking areas of vulnerable mud with cyclododecane to prevent water damage. Water was applied in the form of a Laponite poultice, through a separating layer of Bondina polyester sheet. Cyclododecane was also used to reduce staining of the porous substrate during subsequent consolidation with polyvinyl butyral and as a temporary support during intervention. The treatment significantly improved the stability and appearance of the statue, making it suitable for long-term display.TITRE—Le traitement d'une statue en argile provenant de l' ´ Egypte ancienneRÉSUMÉ —L'argile séchée mais non cuite peut etre un défi à traiter, car ce matériau est fragile et extremement sensible à l'humidité. Cet article décrit le traitement d'une statue de l'Égypte ancienne, dans la collection du Fitzwilliam Museum (Musée Fitzwilliam). La statue a été découverte à Abydos en 1901 et peu après, elle fut restaurée au moyen de colle animale et d'ouate en coton pour le comblement des lacunes. Cette restauration était inesthétique; de plus la statue était très instable et sa surface, friable. Le traitement a consisté à enlever les anciennes restaurations, après avoir masqué les surfaces vulnérables en argile à l'aide de cyclododécane pour éviter tout risque de dommages dus à l'eau. De l'eau a été utilisée sous forme de compresses à base de Laponite, avec une feuille du non-tissé en polyester Bondina comme couche intercalaire. Le cyclododécane a aussi été utilisé afin de réeduire les risques de taches sur l'argile poreuse au cours du traitement de consolidation, effectué à l'aide du polyvinyle de butyral. Enfin, le cyclododécane s'est aussi avéré utile pour former un support temporaire durant le traitement. Le traitement a considérablement amélioré la stabilité et l'apparence de la statue, ce qui permet maintenant de l'exposer en permanence.TITULO—Tratamiento de una estatua de barro no horneado del antiguo EgiptoRESUMEN—El barro no horneado puede ser problemático debido a su fragilidad y su sensibilidad extrema a la humedad. Este artículo describe un tratamiento que fue llevado a cabo en una estatua egipcia antigua en el Fitzwilliam Musem (Museo Fitzwilliam). La estatua fue encontrada en Abydos en 1901 y poco después reconstruida usando cola animal y rellenos de algod ón. Estas reparaciones eran antiestéticas y el objeto tambiéen era muy instable y frágil. Las reparaciones antiguas fueron revertidas después de proteger las áreas de barro vulnerable con ciclodecano para prevenir da nos por el agua. Se aplic ó agua en forma de cataplasmas de Laponita a través de una capa separadora de hojas Bondina de poliéester. El ciclodecano fue usado también para reducir el que el sustrato poroso se manchara durante la consolidaci ón con polivinilo butiral, y como un soporte temporal durante la intervenci ón. El tratamiento mejor ó significativamente la estabilidad y apariencia de la estatua y la dejo en condiciones adecuadas para ser expuesta por periodos largos.