Conservation and Restoration of Objects
Wood - Mobile and Immobile Objects of Cultural Value, Historic Musical Instruments
Venue | S21, 22, 23
The subject of study Conservation and Restoration of Objects - Wood focuses essentially on three areas: movable cultural property, immovable cultural property and historic musical instruments. This broad spectrum can encompass constructional elements, all kinds of furniture and furnishings, and wooden keyboard and wind instruments. Many technical constructions, models and folkloric and ethnological objects also fall within this field of work.
Materials developed for the treatment of wooden surfaces range from stains and simple paint coatings with every imaginable binder and pigment, fine varnishes and polishes to elaborate polychromy, metallic applications and modern coating systems.
Furthermore, combinations with other materials such as metals, gems, glass, tortoiseshell, mother of pearl, ivory, bone and horn may occur. Interaction between the various manufacturing techniques, construction-related problems and the typical characteristics and susceptibilities of these materials necessarily result in complex forms of defect and damage.
The survey, examination and analysis of damage must take all of these factors into consideration; besides the artistic, historic and cultural dimension, fundamental premises, such as function and use, also determine decision making on methodology and the restoration concept. Development and realisation of the latter demands nothing less of the student than the training of appropriate manual skills and the acquisition of specific conservation techniques.
Interdisciplinary work and, above all, holistic appreciation and comprehension are therefore particularly promoted in this specialisation.