Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) to Differentiate Historical Inks, Deployed on a Stained and Faded Ninth-Century Fragment of Boethius Reused as Binding Material: Proving a Concept
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Alessandra Sorbello Staub
Dr. Alessandra Sorbello Staub is director of the Seminary Library of Fulda and lecturer in medieval History at the University of Stuttgart. Her current research focuses on medieval technical texts, manuscripts and book history as well as on library history. She took her first degree in medieval German at the University of Catania (Italy) and earned her PhD in Medieval Studies at the University of Würzburg. Before advanced training in library science in Frankfurt she was DAAD-Fellow at the University of Bonn and at the German Department of the University of Pennsylvania.
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Johannes Staub
Dr. Johannes Staub is a staff member of the Medieval Latin Dictionary Project of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and leads the Bibliotheca Fuldensis Institute at the Fulda Faculty of Theology. His current research focuses on medieval Latin lexicography and also on the scriptorium, library and texts of medieval Fulda. He graduated with a PhD in medieval Latin at the University of Heidelberg and was DAAD-Fellow in Florence. He is member of the SISMEL.Dipl. Nutritional Scientist
Inga Richter is managing the molecular and cell biology lab. She is trained in analytical and spectroscopic methods for biochemical analyses.Prof. Marc Birringer is Full Professor for Nutritional and Environmental Biochemistry at the Department of Nutritional and Consumer Studies of Fulda University of Applied Sciences. His research is focussed on biological ageing processes. He is author and co-author of more than 50 publications and reviews in the field of nutritional biochemistry. He is currently Dean of the department.
Abstract
In this paper we describe the use of a dual-wavelength near-infrared laser scanner (NILS) to reveal ink differences in a ninth century Boethius fragment. The scanning system worked at 680 and 780 nm excitation wavelength with a maximal resolution of 21 µm. Fresh images were recorded at both wavelengths and compared with others based on conventional methods, such as UV photography and infrared reflectography. Whereas the latter secured no new information for mapping and distinguishing via inks the layered genesis of the manuscript, images of the fragment based on infrared laser fluorescence revealed the different inks used to elaborate the manuscript. The method revealed and distinguished the respective inks used for glosses, other marginal notes, neumes and the main text. Furthermore, corrections and additions invisible under other types of light were discovered by NILS in combination with paleographic methods. The scope and limitations of NILS when used to investigate stained or faded reused parchment (Makulatur) and/or restored manuscripts are discussed in detail.
Résumé
Utilisation du Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) sur un fragment de Boèce taché et estompé du IXème siècle réutilisé comme matériau de reliure: preuve d’un concept
Dans cet article, nous décrivons l’utilisation du Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) à double longueur d’onde pour révéler les différences d’encres sur un fragment de Boèce du neuvième siècle. Le système de balayage fonctionne à 680 et 780 nm de longueur d’onde d’excitation avec une résolution maximale de 21 μm. Ces images ont été enregistrées aux deux longueurs d’onde et comparées avec d’autres images obtenues par des méthodes classiques, telles que la photographie UV et réflectographie infrarouge. Alors que ces dernières méthodes n’apportent aucune nouvelle information sur la cartographie des encres et ne permettent pas de distinguer la genèse des différentes couches du manuscrit, les images du fragment obtenues par fluorescence laser infrarouge révèlent les différentes encres utilisées pour l’élaboration du manuscrit. La méthode permet de distinguer les encres respectivement utilisées pour les zones brillantes, les notes de musiques, les annotations et le texte principal. De plus, des corrections et des ajouts invisibles sous d’autres types de lumière ont été découverts par NILS en combinaison avec des méthodes d’analyses calligraphiques. La portée et les limites de NILS lorsque cet outil est utilisé pour examiner des parchemins tachés ou estompés et réutilisés (brouillon) et/ou des manuscrits restaurés sont discutés en détail.
Zusammenfassung
Die Anwendung von Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) bei einem Boethius-Einbandfragment aus dem 9. Jahrhundert: Grundlagen einer Machtbarkeitsstudie
In dieser Studie beschreiben wir die Anwendung eines Zwei-Wellenlängen Laserscanners im nahen Infrarotbereich (NILS), um die Verwendung von unterschiedlichen Tinten in einem Boethius Fragment aus dem 9. Jahrhundert zu untersuchen. Das Scan-System arbeitet bei Anregungswellenlängen von 680 und 780 nm mit einer maximalen Auflösung von 21 μm. Jeweils neue Bilder wurden bei beiden Wellenlängen aufgenommen und mit anderen, auf der Basis konventioneller Methoden, wie UV-Fotografie und Infrarotreflektographie aufgenommenen Bildern verglichen. Während letztere keine neuen Informationen für die Zuordnung und Unterscheidung der zu unterschiedlichen Zeiten verwendeten Tinten ergaben, zeigten Bilder des Fragments auf Basis von Infrarot-Laserfluoreszenz die verschiedenen Tinten, die bei der Bearbeitung des Manuskripts verwendet wurden. Das vorgestellte Verfahren kann die jeweiligen Tinten, die für Glossen, andere Randbemerkungen, Neumen und Haupttext verwendet wurden, sichtbar machen und unterscheiden. Ferner wurden Korrekturen und Ergänzungen, die bei anderer Beleuchtung unsichtbar waren, mittels NILS in Kombination mit paläographischen Methoden entdeckt. Der Umfang und die Grenzen der NILS bei der Untersuchung von fleckigen oder verblassten wiederverwendeten Pergamenten (Makulatur) und/oder restaurierten Manuskripten werden ausführlich diskutiert.
About the authors
Dr. Alessandra Sorbello Staub is director of the Seminary Library of Fulda and lecturer in medieval History at the University of Stuttgart. Her current research focuses on medieval technical texts, manuscripts and book history as well as on library history. She took her first degree in medieval German at the University of Catania (Italy) and earned her PhD in Medieval Studies at the University of Würzburg. Before advanced training in library science in Frankfurt she was DAAD-Fellow at the University of Bonn and at the German Department of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Johannes Staub is a staff member of the Medieval Latin Dictionary Project of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and leads the Bibliotheca Fuldensis Institute at the Fulda Faculty of Theology. His current research focuses on medieval Latin lexicography and also on the scriptorium, library and texts of medieval Fulda. He graduated with a PhD in medieval Latin at the University of Heidelberg and was DAAD-Fellow in Florence. He is member of the SISMEL.
Dipl. Nutritional Scientist Inga Richter is managing the molecular and cell biology lab. She is trained in analytical and spectroscopic methods for biochemical analyses.
Prof. Marc Birringer is Full Professor for Nutritional and Environmental Biochemistry at the Department of Nutritional and Consumer Studies of Fulda University of Applied Sciences. His research is focussed on biological ageing processes. He is author and co-author of more than 50 publications and reviews in the field of nutritional biochemistry. He is currently Dean of the department.
Acknowledgments
We thank Prof. Dr. Jochen Sander and Fabian Wolf (Städel Museum, Städelsches Kunstinstitut Frankfurt am Main) for infrared reflectography pictures taken with the Osiris A-1. The technical assistence of Sophia Birringer is highly appreciated. We wish to thank the members of the Institute Bibliotheca Fuldensis for encouraging and useful discussions and Prof. Michael I. Allen for proof reading the manuscript. We thank for the financial support of the “Interne Forschungsförderung” from the University of Applied Sciences Fulda.
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©2016 by De Gruyter
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) to Differentiate Historical Inks, Deployed on a Stained and Faded Ninth-Century Fragment of Boethius Reused as Binding Material: Proving a Concept
- Fungicidal Effects of Plant Smoldering Fumes on Archival Paper-based Documents
- The Influence of Temperature on the Application of Cyclododecane in Paper Conservation
- Historical Persian Recipes for Paper Dyes
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Frontmatter
- Near-Infrared Laser Scanning (NILS) to Differentiate Historical Inks, Deployed on a Stained and Faded Ninth-Century Fragment of Boethius Reused as Binding Material: Proving a Concept
- Fungicidal Effects of Plant Smoldering Fumes on Archival Paper-based Documents
- The Influence of Temperature on the Application of Cyclododecane in Paper Conservation
- Historical Persian Recipes for Paper Dyes
