Articles

Virtual cleaning of works of art using deep convolutional neural networks

A varnish layer that is applied to a painting, generally to protect it, yellows over time, deteriorating the original look of the painting. This prompts conservators to undertake a cleaning process to remove t...

Authors: Morteza Maali Amiri and David W Messinger

The color change analysis of historic wooden remains after fire-suppression by fluorinated chemical gases

Many wooden Chinese historic buildings are destroyed due to the ravages of frequent fire disasters. The fire risk of historic buildings are highly enlarged since a long-time weathered wooden structures in the ...

Authors: Wei Ke, Wanyu Yang, Biao Zhou, Kai Wang, Jiazhi Sun, Xukun Sun, Min Xu, Qingqing Chen, Bo Qiu, Wei Wang and Xuan Wang

The Network Initiative for Conservation Science (NICS): a model of collaboration and resource sharing among neighbor museums

Authors: Federica Pozzi and Elena Basso

Metadata schema and ontology for capturing and processing of 3D cultural heritage objects

Motivated by the increased use of 3D acquisition of objects by cultural heritage institutions, we were investigating ontologies and metadata schemes for the acquisition process to provide details about the 3D ...

Authors: Timo Homburg, Anja Cramer, Laura Raddatz and Hubert Mara

Interdisciplinary approach to studying written nomadic sources in the context of modern historiology

This article uses an interdisciplinary approach to analyze textual sources from nomadic civilization. Linguistic analysis has been increasingly used due to the emergence of a huge array of autochthonous and au...

Authors: Akmaral Ibrayeva, Assemgul Temirkhanova, Zaure Kartova, Tlegen Sadykov, Nurbolat Abuov and Anatoliy Pleshakov

The story of the “Qiulai” qin unraveled by radiocarbon dating, Chinese inscriptions and material characterization

An ancient table zither qin, an emblematic stringed instrument of traditional Chinese music, has been rediscovered in the museum collection of the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (inv.4224, CNAM collec...

Authors: Marie-Gabrielle Durier, Alexandre Girard-Muscagorry, Christine Hatté, Tiphaine Fabris, Cyrille Foasso, Witold Nowik and Stéphane Vaiedelich

Materials and techniques used for the “Vienna Moamin”: multianalytical investigation of a book about hunting with falcons from the thirteenth century

A multianalytical approach was used to characterize the materials in the “Vienna Moamin”, an outstanding richly illustrated manuscript from the late thirteenth century, which was made in Italy and is now kept ...

Authors: Wilfried Vetter, Bernadette Frühmann, Federica Cappa and Manfred Schreiner

Ancient mural classification methods based on a multichannel separable network

Ancient murals are of high artistic value and boast rich content. The accurate classification of murals is a challenging task for researchers and can be arduous even for experienced researchers. The image clas...

Authors: Jianfang Cao, Yiming Jia, Huiming Chen, Minmin Yan and Zeyu Chen

Joint development of cultural heritage protection and tourism: the case of Mount Lushan cultural landscape heritage site

The joint development of cultural heritage protection and tourism is an essential part of sustainable heritage tourism. Mount Lushan in China is such a site which in the past has had shortcomings in heritage p...

Authors: Cai Zhenrao, Fang Chaoyang, Zhang Qian and Chen Fulong

Effects of yellow natural dyes on handmade Daqian paper

Natural yellow plant dyes and traditional medicines were used widely on historical papers in ancient China for religious reasons and conservation considerations. This study aims to evaluate some traditional ye...

Authors: Yanbing Luo and Xiujuan Zhang

Analytical investigation of the feather decoration technique of a seventeenth to eighteenth century Chinese imperial hanging screen

Decoration with feathers is a universal phenomenon in human history. Objects decorated with feathers were regarded as fine artworks and hence were enormously prized. In ancient China, dotting a surface with bl...

Authors: An Gu, Na Wang, Yan-ju Kong, Jia-yu Hou, Gen Li and Yong Lei

The pottery production from the Deh Dumen Bronze Age graveyard (South-Western Iran): a chemical, mineralogical and physical study

A collection of pottery vessels uncovered during the first season of excavations in the Deh Dumen Bronze Age graveyard (the second half of the third millennium BC) located in south-western Iran were studied by...

Authors: Omid Oudbashi, Reza Naseri, Giuseppe Cultrone, Isabel Egartner and Anna Arizzi

Eye-tracking support for architects, conservators, and museologists. Anastylosis as pretext for research and discussion

Conservators, museologists, and architects make extremely complex decisions capable of affecting the way people perceive monuments. One might give this idea deeper consideration while pondering anastylosis. On...

Authors: Marta Rusnak

A quantitative description of the spatial–temporal distribution and evolution pattern of world cultural heritage

Depicting the temporal and spatial evolution pattern of global world cultural heritage systematically and finely is the basis of heritage recognition and protection. In this study, 869 world cultural heritage ...

Authors: Liang Yongqi, Yang Ruixia, Wang Pu, Yang Anlin and Chen Guolong

Restoring scratched cine-film via reducing light scattering

Scratches on cine-film significantly affect the quality of projected film images forming blackness or brightness. Only blackness can be restored by restoration dispersion. However, why the scratches can or can...

Authors: Qingmeng Xu, Feifan Xu, Hongjie Luo and Daodao Hu

Beam characterization of a microfading tester: evaluation of several methods

Microfading testing allows to evaluate the sensitivity to light of a specific artwork. Characterization of the illumination spot is important to determine its shape, dimensions, light distribution, and intensi...

Authors: Paweł Świt, Marco Gargano and Julio M. del Hoyo-Meléndez

Evolution of the viscoelastic properties of painting stratigraphies: a moisture weathering and nanoindentation approach

In this investigation on the mechanical behaviour of paint films, we use a new ferrule-top nanoindentation protocol developed for cultural heritage studies to examine the impact of repeated relative humidity v...

Authors: Mathilde Tiennot, Davide Iannuzzi and Erma Hermens

The Boyen Fortress: structural analysis of selecting complementary forms of use for a proposed adaptive reuse project

Extending the life cycle of heritage buildings through their adaptive reuse can ensure their survival and is concordant with the policy of sustainable development. Selecting a new form of use for heritage buil...

Authors: Grzegorz Śladowski, Bartłomiej Szewczyk, Krzysztof Barnaś, Olga Kania and Janusz Barnaś

The use of Robinia pseudoacacia L fruit extract as a green corrosion inhibitor in the protection of copper-based objects

The most important inhibitors used in bronze disease are BTA and AMT. While these inhibitors control corrosion, they are toxic and cancerous. In this study, the acacia fruit extract (200 ppm to 1800 ppm) was u...

Authors: Vahid Pourzarghan and Bahman Fazeli-Nasab

Geotechnical modelling of the climate change impact on world heritage properties in Alexandria, Egypt

Alexandria is one of the Mediterranean UNESCO World Heritage sites at risk from coastal flooding and erosion due to sea-level rise. The city’s position on the Mediterranean coast means it is especially vulnera...

Authors: Sayed Hemeda

Towards a better understanding of hot-mixed mortars for the conservation of historic buildings: the role of water temperature and steam during lime slaking

According to various historic accounts and material evidence, the practice of producing lime mortars by mixing the quicklime with the sand (i.e. hot-mixing) before first slaking it with water was much more com...

Authors: Cecilia Pesce, Martha C. Godina, Alison Henry and Giovanni Pesce

Structured-light 3D scanning of exhibited historical clothing—a first-ever methodical trial and its results

Historical costumes are part of cultural heritage. Unlike architectural monuments, they are very fragile, which exacerbates the problems of their protection and popularisation. A big help in this can be the di...

Authors: Jerzy Montusiewicz, Marek Miłosz, Jacek Kęsik and Kamil Żyła

A comparative case study of MTInSAR approaches for deformation monitoring of the cultural landscape of the Shanhaiguan section of the Great Wall

The Great Wall of China is one of the largest architectural heritage sites globally, and its sustainability is a significant concern. However, its large extent and diverse characteristics are challenges for de...

Authors: Hang Xu, Fulong Chen and Wei Zhou

A multi-analytical study of historical coated plaster surfaces: the examination of a nineteenth-century V&A cast of a tombstone

A multi-analytical study was designed to characterise historical coated plaster surfaces. The method was applied to investigate the surface coatings of the nineteenth-century plaster cast of the tombstone of t...

Authors: Valentina Risdonne, Charlotte Hubbard, Johanna Puisto and Charis Theodorakopoulos

After the paint has dried: a review of testing techniques for studying the mechanical properties of artists’ paint

While the chemistry of artists’ paints has previously been studied and reviewed, these studies only capture a portion of the properties affecting the response of paint materials. The mechanical properties of a...

Authors: Gwen dePolo, Marc Walton, Katrien Keune and Kenneth R. Shull

A copper alloy light cannon from Grodno: an example of early firearms from Eastern Europe

The paper discusses a recent find of a copper alloy light cannon discovered at the Old Castle in Grodno, Belarus. The research aim was to analyse the artefact in all its possible aspects, including archaeologi...

Authors: Grzegorz Żabiński, Piotr Strzyż, Tomasz Goryczka, Krzysztof Aniołek and Ewelina Miśta-Jakubowska

The use of ground glass in red glazes: structural 3D imaging and mechanical behaviour using optical coherence tomography and nanoindentation

In this study we investigate the impact of the addition of colourless glass particles to red glazes, as seen in many 15th-17th-century easel paintings. With the use of reconstructions, we examined the influenc...

Authors: Mitra Almasian, Mathilde Tiennot, Lionel D. Fiske and Erma Hermens

Comparative chemical investigations of alum treated archaeological wood from various museum collections

From the mid-1800s to the late 1960s, conservation by alum salts (KAl(SO₄)₂·12H₂O—potassium aluminium sulphate), using various recipes, was a common method to prevent shrinkage and to strengthen waterlogged archa...

Authors: Jeannette Jacqueline Łucejko, Caitlin M. A. McQueen, Malin Sahlstedt, Francesca Modugno, Maria Perla Colombini and Susan Braovac

Structural stability and microscale behaviors of the fortress wall from the sixth century Baekje Kingdom in ancient Korea

The Gongsanseong Fortress in Gongju, Republic of Korea, is one of the most essential remains for historical research of Baekje Kingdom, and reinforces on the fortress wall has continuously been implemented sin...

Authors: Jun Hyoung Park, Seok Tae Park and Chan Hee Lee

UNESCO World Heritage properties in changing and dynamic environments: change detection methods using optical and radar satellite data

The article presents recent capabilities of active and passive earth observation sensors along with related processing image chains, for monitoring UNESCO World Heritage properties. Exceptional heritage sites ...

Authors: Athos Agapiou

The practice of writing inside an Egyptian monastic settlement: preliminary material characterisation of the inks used on Coptic manuscripts from the Monastery of Apa Apollo at Bawit

Over the last few years, the Federal Institute for material research (BAM, Berlin) together with the Centre for the Study of Manuscript Cultures (CSMC, University of Hamburg) have initiated a systematic materi...

Authors: Tea Ghigo and María Jesús Albarrán Martínez

Characterization of glass beads from Nanhai I shipwreck and new evidence of lead tin yellow type II in China

Glass beads excavated from Nanhai I shipwreck were investigated with scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM–EDS), Raman spectroscopy, multi-collector inductively coupled plasma m...

Authors: Chenxin Tian, Yihang Zhou, Kai Wang, Jian Sun, Yong Cui and Dongbo Hu

Colors and dyes of archaeological textiles from Tarapacá in the Atacama Desert (South Central Andes)

This work concerns the study of colors and dyes identified on archaeological textiles from the Atacama Desert. The different garments and ornaments come from the excavation of two important pre-Columbian cemet...

Authors: Marcela Sepúlveda, Cecilia Lemp Urzúa, José Cárcamo-Vega, Edgar Casanova-Gónzalez, Sebastián Gutiérrez, Miguel Ángel Maynez-Rojas, Benjamín Ballester and José Luis Ruvalcaba-Sil

Characterisation of materials and techniques in first archaeological findings of Nasca wall paintings

The pre-Colombian wall paintings in Peru were already known from north and central coast sites, but little information exists on the southern coast corresponding to the Nasca region. The recent excavations on ...

Authors: Nathalie Boucherie, Witold Nowik and Nathalie Pingaud

Correction to: The authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa to its country of origin (Ecuador)

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Craig D. Byron, Adam M. Kiefer, Joanna Thomas, Sagar Patel, Amy Jenkins, Anthony L. Fratino and Todd Anderson

The history of rescuing reinforcement and the preliminary study of preventive protection system for the cliff of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China

Based on the research results and practical engineering experience pertaining to the protection and reinforcement of the cliff of the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, China, this paper presents a method that is mai...

Authors: Xudong Wang, Yanwu Wang, Qinglin Guo, Qiangqiang Pei and Guojing Zhao

Exploring the limits of color accuracy in technical photography

The growing importance of publishing art collections online has led to increasingly strict tolerances on digital photography of art objects. There are two internationally recognized sets of guidelines for crea...

Authors: Eric Kirchner, Carola van Wijk, Henni van Beek and Tammo Koster

Chemical studies of Chinese coinage II: from Qin to Yuan (221 BCE–1368 CE)

This paper surveys of the chemical composition of the copper alloy coinage in China from the Qin Dynasty to the end of the Yuan Dynasty (221 BCE–1368 CE). It shows a dramatic change in the alloying practice us...

Authors: A. M. Pollard and Ruiliang Liu

Technical features of a ninth-century silver vessel of southern China uncovered from Famen Monastery, Shaanxi province

Silver art is an important feature of the Tang dynasty in China and the manufacturing center for silver shifted from north to south after the mid-eighth century CE. The typology, stylistics, and iconography of...

Authors: Panpan Tan, Junchang Yang and Xinlai Ren

A Guarneri violin in the attic: the power of dendrochronology for analysing musical instruments

Dendrochronology is the science that dates wooden artefacts by measuring annual growth rings visible in the wood. And, in the case of musical instruments, the method is non-invasive. In addition, dendrochronol...

Authors: Mauro Bernabei

The authentication and repatriation of a ceremonial tsantsa to its country of origin (Ecuador)

Tsantsas, commonly referred to as “shrunken heads”, are unique and valuable antiquities that were produced by the Shuar, Achuar, Awajún/Aguaruna, Wampís/Huambisa, and Candoshi-Shampra (SAAWC) peoples until the mi...

Authors: Craig D. Byron, Adam M. Kiefer, Joanna Thomas, Sagar Patel, Amy Jenkins, Anthony L. Fratino and Todd Anderson

An analytical study of the Huexotzinco Codex using X-ray fluorescence, fiber optic reflectance spectroscopy, and portable Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy

The Huexotzinco Codex is one of the earliest surviving manuscripts from the early colonial period of Mexico. The codex pertains to the legal case of conquistador Hernán Cortés and contains paintings and docume...

Authors: Tana Elizabeth Villafana, Mary Elizabeth Haude and Amanda Satorius

Factors affecting the value revitalization of Qajar religious schools in Tehran

Nowadays, due to natural erosion and urban development, Qajar religious schools in Tehran have undergone adverse physical changes. Moreover, the semantic and intangible values of them have faded over time, suc...

Authors: Mohammad Sadegh Taher Tolou Del, Bahram Saleh Sedghpour and Sina Kamali Tabrizi

The cultural and heritage tourist, SEM analysis: the case of The Citadel of the Catholic King

This study researches the loyalty of travelers to destinations which include material cultural heritage. It analyzes the loyalty of visitors to a destination with cultural heritage sites in order to provide re...

Authors: Ricardo David Hernández-Rojas, Juan Antonio Jimber del Río, Alberto Ibáñez Fernández and Arnaldo Vergara-Romero

Correction to: A review of analytical methods for assessing preservation in waterlogged archaeological wood and their application in practice

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Kirsty E. High and Kirsty E. H. Penkman

Mössbauer study of iron gall inks on historical documents

Iron gall ink was used in the Western world as a permanent writing material already in late Roman times and throughout the Middle Ages, until it became obsolete in the twentieth century. There is much interest...

Authors: A. Lerf, F. E. Wagner, M. Dreher, T. Espejo and J.-L. Pérez-Rodríguez

Characterizing the sealing materials of the merchant ship Nanhai I of the Southern Song Dynasty

Nanhai I is a highly valuable shipwreck of the Southern Song Dynasty for studying various topics, including the shipbuilding techniques. The sealing materials are of significant importance to ensure the ship’s...

Authors: Yihang Zhou, Kai Wang, Jian Sun, Yong Cui and Dongbo Hu

China and the steppe: technological study of precious metalwork from Xigoupan Tomb 2 (4th–3rd c. BCE) in the Ordos region, Inner Mongolia

Technology employed by the ancient goldsmiths is traceable through archaeometallurgy. Using non-destructive analytical methods, namely, a 3D digital microscopy and a scanning electron microscopy with energy di...

Authors: Yan Liu, Rui Li, Junchang Yang, Ruiliang Liu, Guoxing Zhao and Panpan Tan

A comparative study on the extraction effects of common agents on collagen-based binders in mural paintings

In this paper, a comparative study was conducted on the extraction effects of six agents for collagen-based mural painting binders. These agents were used to extract the residual proteins in the non-aged and t...

Authors: Jianghao Du, Zhanyun Zhu, Junchang Yang, Jia Wang and Xiaotong Jiang

NaCl-related weathering of stone: the importance of kinetics and salt mixtures in environmental risk assessment

Salt weathering is one of the most important causes of deterioration in the built environment. Two crucial aspects need further investigation to understand the processes and find suitable measures: the impact ...

Authors: Sebastiaan Godts, Scott Allan Orr, Julie Desarnaud, Michael Steiger, Katrin Wilhelm, Hilde De Clercq, Veerle Cnudde and Tim De Kock