This bachelor’s thesis discusses the conservation-restoration of a devotional item from the National Museum of Slovenia, dated to the end of the 18th century. The item is a mirror polished with religious iconography, placed inside a carved polychrome wooden frame.
In the first part of the thesis, we focus on item description and techniques and materials most commonly used in the 18th century to make such mirrors, how shiny water gilding was achieved and how wood was painted to imitate marble. The discussion also extends to problems these techniques and materials could present for the conservation of such objects in the long run.
Next, we move on to the documentation prior to any procedure, as well as the conservation-restoration plan and subsequent procedure. Originally the main problems seemed to be the surface dirt and the two locations where the structure of the item was compromised – namely where the mirror and wooden frame were broken. After we took the devotional item apart, we noticed that the piece of paper behind the mirror as well as the item’s construction also presented certain problems.
The final part examines the success of the procedure, gives suggestions on future ones and future handling and storage, while also presenting the final conclusions of the bachelor’s thesis.
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