Paper Conservation: Decisions & Compromises

Treatment
The aim of the treatment was to preserve and stabilize,
physically and chemically, the text block
and binding, without neglecting the material
integrity of the object and its meaning, while
maintaining cultural evidence with a spiritual
dimension. According to the principle of minimum
intervention and respecting the principle
of maximum retrievability, stable materials and
methods were used which, in addition, would
not impede future treatments.
A complete photographic survey was conducted
for further information and in order to register
the remedial conservation process, allowing
comparisons between the state before and after
the intervention. The treatment consisted of the
different phases described below.
The first step was cleaning general dirt that
was mainly concentrated along the leaves hinge
by mechanical means, using soft brushes, smoke
sponge and spatulas.
Afterwards, as the glue layer present along
the leaves hinge was too thick and the use of
mechanical means to remove it could contribute
to the increase of gaps and tears, we decided to
remove dirt with a swab dipped in a solution of
50% H2O/50% CH3CH2OH, softening the glue
and allowing its removal, without causing further
damage in the leaves.
Subsequently, the bifolia and the deteriorated
folium hinges were strengthened. In the first
case, to strengthen the outer bifolia, a strip of
parchment with a thickness identical to the
original one was pasted with wheat starch paste.
Simultaneously, in the inner bifolia, a strip of
synthetic collagen was pasted to ensure its resistance
during the sewing.
Only large missing areas were filled. The replacement
of the three truncated leaves was
made with the inclusion of three new parchment
sheets with similar characteristics of the
original ones but in a perfectly recognizable way,
respecting the authenticity of the work and evidences
of its individual history.
After mechanical cleaning, the fly-leafs and
paste-down papers were subject to a deionizedwater
bath. At room temperature there were no
satisfactory results, since the paper exhibited impermeable
zones, so the temperature was gradually
increased (not exceeding 40ºC). Afterwards,
an increase in whiteness was observed during
deacidification in a calcium hydroxide bath to
create an alkaline reserve. The strengthening
of these papers with Japanese paper and wheat
starch paste was then made, allowing further
sewing and pasting-down.
Throughout the treatment, the bifolia were
kept under controlled weight in order to maintain
the shape in which they would be sewn. On
the other hand, leaves with creases and without
substantial illuminations were subjected to an
ultrasonic humidification and were left in the
press, with moderate weight, cushioned with
blotters.
After consolidating the bookbinding’s leather
with Klucel G ® solution, 2% -CH2CH(OH)CH3
/98% CH3CH2OH, it was cleaned with a bistoury
and spatulas.
The remedial conservation measures achieved
a major goal: avoiding the increase in size of the
manuscript spine. The rebinding phase, already
in process, requires leaving the necessary space
along the joint for full protection of the text
block.
Conclusion
Throughout the treatment of the text block the
main concern was interfering as little as possible
with historical evidence, while ensuring the
physical and chemical stability of the whole, and
the reversibility of the materials and techniques
applied. During rebinding we will follow a similar
philosophy in terms of criteria and conservation
aims.
The treatment required complex decisions covering
different areas of knowledge such as history
of ownership, past and present conservation
and restoration techniques, as well as authenticity
and work ethics issues.
In short, this was a rich and representative
case study of what is possible to find in the world
of graphic documents, covering a vast range of
materials (from paper, to skins, and rich illuminations)
and different historical periods (15 th
century text versus an 18th/19th century binding),
providing interesting challenges in terms of
decision making.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Mafra National Palace for
their contribution to this project. Dr.
Marcello Picollo thanks the Foundation
FCT-MCTES for its financial support.
ICOM-CC Graphic Documents Working Group Interim Meeting | Vienna 17 – 19 April 2013
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