Binding (of a religious book) - Romania

Artefact name

Binding (of a religious book)

Authors

Christian, Monique, Paula. Degrigny, Drieux, Homem (ENDLESS Metal, Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland)

Url

/artefacts/1577/

The object

                                            Description of the artefact
                                        
Back plate and spine of a binding (of a religious book) depicting the scene of the Annunciation. The metal sheets (fixed by rivets) are embossed and the back plate have four fixing holes. Deformed, locally torn, abraded on the reliefs, heavily tarnished but showing a yellowish metallic appearance and traces of greenish and whitish compounds in hollows.

                                            Type of artefact
                                        
Religious object

                                            Origin
                                        
Museum collection of Timisoara diocese, Timişoara, Timiş, Romania

                                            Recovering date
                                        
None

                                            Chronology category
                                        
None

                                            chronology tpq
                                        
                                            chronology taq
                                        
                                            Chronology comment
                                        
                                            Burial conditions / environment
                                        
Indoor atmosphere

                                            Artefact location
                                        
Museum collection of Timisoara diocese, Timişoara

                                            Owner
                                        
Museum collection of Timisoara diocese, Timişoara

                                            Inv. number
                                        
TMSC.DECK 001

                                            Recorded conservation data
                                        
No record but evidence of cleaning residues
Complementary information
None.

                                        Study area(s)
                                
                                            Credit HE-Arc CR, C.Degrigny
                                        
                                            Fig. 2: Location of areas observed: white compound (white arrow) and dark-red (dark-red arrow),
                                            
                                            Credit HE-Arc CR, C.Degrigny
                                        
                                            Fig. 3: Location of areas observed: light green compound (light green arrow) and dark green (dark green arrow),
                                            
                                            Credit HE-Arc CR, C.Degrigny
                                        
                                            Fig. 4: Location of the top part of the back side with indication of XRF analyse (red circle),
                                            
                                        Binocular observation and representation of the corrosion structure
                                
The schematic representation below gives an overview of the corrosion structure(s) encountered on the back side of the binding from a first visual macroscopic observation.

                                            Credit HE-Arc CR, C.Degrigny.
                                        
                                            Fig. 5: Stratigraphic representation of the back plate of the binding by macroscopic observation, with indication of the corrosion structure used to build the MiCorr stratigraphy of Fig. 4  (blue rectangular),
                                            
                                        MiCorr stratigraphy(ies) – Bi
                                
            Fig. 6: Stratigraphic representation of the corrosion structure of the back side of the binding observed macroscopically under binocular microscope using the MiCorr application with reference to Fig. 4. The characteristics of the strata, such as discontinuity, are accessible by clicking on the drawing that redirects you to the search tool by stratigraphy representation, Credit HE-Arc CR, C.Degrigny.

Sample(s)

                        
                                            Description of sample
                                        
                                            Alloy
                                        
None

                                            Technology
                                        
None

                                            Lab number of sample
                                        
                                            Sample location
                                        
None

                                            Responsible institution
                                        
None

                                            Date and aim of sampling
                                        
Complementary information
None.

Analyses and results

Analyses performed:
Non-invasive approach
XRF with handheld portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (Bruker Tracer® 5i). Alloys 2 mode, acquisition time 30s.

                                        Non invasive analysis
                                
XRF analysis of the back side of the binding was carried out on one representative area (Fig. 4). 
Results of the area observed indicate that the metal sheets are made of brass. The presence of Ag and Au seems to validate the hypothesis made in Fig. 5 and represented on the stratigraphy of Fig. 6.

Elements (mass %)
Cu
Zn
Ag
Au
Si
Al
Mg
S

%
+/-2σ

%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ
%
+/-2σ

1
54
0.3
29
0.2
3
0.1
2
0.1
7
0.2
3
0.5
2
0.5
1.5
0.04

Table 2: Chemical composition of the surface of the back side of the binding at one representative point shown in Fig. 4. Method of analysis: XRF, National Museum of Banat, Timisoara, Romania.

                                        Metal
                                
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the metal sheets are made of brass which has been silvered and then gilded. There is not enough information to determine whether they have been fully or partially coated.

                                            Microstructure
                                        
None

                                            First metal element
                                        
Cu

                                            Other metal elements
                                        
Zn, Ag, Au
Complementary information
None.

                                        Corrosion layers
                                
As mentioned before, the metal surface is heavily tarnished. Greenish compounds can be found locally, while and whitish compounds are usually found in hollows.

                                            Corrosion form
                                        
Passive

                                            Corrosion type
                                        
Silver tarnishing
Complementary information
None.

                                        MiCorr stratigraphy(ies) – CS

Synthesis of the binocular / cross-section examination of the corrosion structure

None.

Conclusion

The back plate and spine of the binding are made of brass sheets, silvered and gilded. They are heavily tarnished and it is supposed greenish and whitish compounds in hollows.

References