Welcome to the first JAIC issue of 2020. The papers included in this issue present a series of interesting problems and solutions in the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage. These include a conservation treatment carried out on a pair of linen underpants from the nineteenth century, two studies on the physical properties of materials, the creation and development of an archive related to the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage, and research carried out with the objective of contextualizing metalwork from the Liao Dynasty. The authors represent a broad cross section of research revealing current conservation and preservation trends.
This issue begins with an excellent treatment paper by Laura Mina dealing with the reduction of foxing stains on a textile object. The article focuses on a pair of fashionable European linen underpants from around 1830. The author begins with a material description of the object under question along with its cultural and historical significance. This is followed by a report on the treatment and an evaluation of the results. One interesting aspect is the crossover of paper and textile conservation. The author indicates that fewer publications deal with foxing problems on textiles, and for this reason, the literature and solution used in the study was mainly taken from paper conservation studies.
The next two articles in this issue present physical and mechanical studies conducted on plastic and paint materials, respectively. In their research article, Freeman and co-authors discuss a methodology for characterizing the mechanical properties of cross-sectional paint samples using nano-indentation. The authors describe the development and optimization of a measuring protocol, which provides an efficient way to study paint and resin surfaces of embedded samples. The advantages and limitations of nano-indentation for the investigation of the viscoelastic mechanical properties of artists’ materials are clearly presented in the paper. The authors also recognize that expanding the range of materials tested and developing mathematical models will help to better understand the long-term behavior of cultural heritage materials and support developing predictive tools for conservators. Understanding the physical properties of preservation materials continues to be a major research task for conservators and scientists working in archives and libraries. Furthermore, Hall and co-authors pay special attention to the properties of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) when used as encapsulation material for paper-based objects. The authors point out that while encapsulation using PET films can help to protect an object from its environment, smaller vapor and gases can still permeate the polymer film increasing the risk of damage to the object. Permeation can occur in two directions: into or out of the encapsulate. The authors were interested in determining the rate of water permeation out of the encapsulate taking into account various variables such as thickness of the PET film and the vapor pressure difference between the interior of the encapsulate and its environment. They also discuss the important role of relative humidity during these processes.
The paper by Pearlstein and Johnson presents a methodology for recording and archiving conservation education and training through a case study conducted at the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities in Erbil, Iraq. The work focused on the years 2008–2017 and included historical research, oral interviews, and the creation of a research archive maintained by the University of Delaware's Disaster Research Center. The authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of their methodological approach stressing problems such as relying on survey data, finding survey participants, and accessibility of the results. Nevertheless, the authors explain how the oral history interviews provided valuable insight into the development of the abovementioned institute with the possibility of applying their methodology to other post-conflict areas. This case study demonstrated the importance of sharing conservation expertise to contribute to humanitarian relief and development.
The last article by Mayberger describes the important contributions of technical study to understanding Liao Dynasty metalwork in the MFA Boston collection. Three examples of Khitan gilt metals are reevaluated given recent archaeological finds, resulting in a new understanding of the objects as embodying a history of complex cultural and material transfers. Each of the luxurious funerary items (a copper saddle, pair of gilt silver boots, and gilt silver crown) expresses Khitan elite status and beliefs about the afterlife through their manufacture, materials, and ornamental vocabulary. The contribution of this study is to weave together decades of technical analysis and conservation history with art historical and archaeological evidence, establishing the integral role of material analysis in understanding archaeological collections in museums. This paper was presented at the 2018 AIC Annual Meeting in the session: “Material Transfers and Translations” along with “Collecting Collections: Negotiating Material Value at the National Park Service,” by Bottkol and Campbell (JAIC 2019, Vol. 58:4). Both papers brought out the complexities of marrying changing interpretations with ethical conservation decisions. Bottkol and Campbell likewise discussed how the history of a collection, along with an object's history of conservation, embeds layers of meaning through transfers and translations (of ownership, place, or format). Conservators today need to be fluent in historical research, technical analysis, and contemporary conservation theories in order to appropriately assess the objects under our care-- translating between registers of meaning to accommodate disparate and at times conflicting pieces of evidence. In the end, both papers demonstrate success stories of how thoughtful conservation can allow objects to be better understood contextually, telling the multiplicity of stories they hold within.
We thank all the authors of this issue for submitting excellent articles, furthering the knowledge of materials, techniques, and modern thought. The work of JAIC's editorial staff and the continuous support of Taylor and Francis is also acknowledged.