Science Applied for the Investigation of Imperial Gate from Eighteenth Century Wooden Church of Nicula Monastery

Abstract

Part of an indestructible component of any orthodox church, the Imperial Gates represent an important symbol in our cultural heritage. But in many cases the Imperial Gates from the wooden churches were damaged. In order to preserve and restore them, the scientific investigations of the Imperial Gate belonging to Nicula Monastery wooden church were performed by employing nondestructive and destructive methods. The wood essence was established, with its “health” status being investigated by FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) spectroscopy and DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) thermal analysis. The painting materials employed by popular artists were determined by FTIR and XRF (X-ray fluorescence) spectroscopy as gypsum, calcite (rear background), lead white (Archangel Clothes), lead-minium (Archangel Clothes, leaf), iron oxide (Imperial Gate frame), malachite (green), Prussian blue (blue), orpiment (yellow), aliphatic, ester, and protein (probably egg yolk degradation products). Using similar colors as in the original artwork (resulting from the scientific investigation of the pigments) a 3D reconstruction has been performed. The restored Imperial Gates are placed in the old Nicula wooden church, being included into a tourist and religious circuit.

Component Materials, 3D Digital Restoration, and Documentation of the Imperial Gates from the Wooden Church of Voivodeni, Sălaj County, Romania

“…The painting was deteriorated and needed immediate preservation and restoration. The investigation of the component materials (support materials and the painting layer) was completed through XRF and FTIR spectroscopic methods [10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. The sampling points for XRF and FTIR spectroscopy investigations are presented in Figure 2.…”

Multidisciplinary Investigation of the Imperial Gates of the 17th Century Wooden Church in Sălișca, Cluj County, Romania

“…Instruments like x-ray fluoroscopy (XRF) [7], Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy [8], x-ray diffraction/scanning electron microscope (XRD/SEM) [9], and Raman spectroscopy [10] have been used to investigate the art and archaeological objects. Several papers were dedicated to the scientific investigation of some religious art objects [11] like: wooden [12] and glass icons [13,14], diptych [15] and triptych icons [16], old wooden stalls [17], mural paintings [18][19][20], and Imperial Gates [21][22][23][24]. Databases for painting materials for different art objects have also been presented [12].…”

Scientific investigations of the Imperial Gates from the Petrindu wooden church, Salaj County, Romania

“…There is a continuous interest in their conservation and restoration, because they are a part of our history and Christian identity. In order to preserve their state of conservation, to understand the degradation processes, and to perform accurate restoration, specific physical chemical investigations are required . Among them, researchers use non‐destructive methods as X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) for in situ identification of constituent materials, and FTIR spectroscopy for pigments, binders, and wood structure .…”

“…In order to preserve their state of conservation, to understand the degradation processes, and to perform accurate restoration, specific physical chemical investigations are required . Among them, researchers use non‐destructive methods as X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) for in situ identification of constituent materials, and FTIR spectroscopy for pigments, binders, and wood structure . Some microdestructive methods are also employed, mainly used for artwork with a higher degree of degradation: Raman microspectroscopy, optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with an energy‐dispersing detector, and Gas chromatography ‐ mass spectrometry (GS/MS) techniques .…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5] Among them, researchers use non-destructive methods as X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) [6][7][8] for in situ identification of constituent materials, and FTIR spectroscopy for pigments, binders, and wood structure. [9][10][11][12] Some microdestructive methods are also employed, mainly used for artwork with a higher degree of degradation: Raman microspectroscopy, [13][14][15] optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with an energy-dispersing detector, and Gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GS/MS) techniques. [16,17] For FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray 2D microanalysis, very thin sections (1-20 μm) are prepared in order to minimize the damage produced to the artwork.…”