Filling in Losses in Parchment Bound Volumes – Part I: Assessment of Parchment and Paper Fibres in Reconstituted Parchment
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Julia Wikarski
Julia Wikarski completed her degree in the subject of Conservation and Restoration of Paper, Photography, Books and Archive Materials in 2012 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. She was awarded the honorary prize of the Academy of Fine Arts for her diploma thesis, which focused on infill materials on parchment bound volumes. In 2011 she started working at the National Library in Vienna as a book conservator for the digitisation project “Austrian Books Online”. In 2014 she was a guest lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna.
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Sigrid Eyb-Green
Sigrid Eyb-Green teaches paper conservation at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Sigrid completed a five year conservation program at the same institution, specialising in art on paper. She started her career as a free-lance conservator in New York and Vienna before she commenced teaching in 2002. In 2009, she finished her doctoral thesis.Wolfgang Baatz is head of the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After completing a five year conservation training at the Academy, he worked 16 years as a freelance conservator. During this time he also graduated from a ten semester chemistry program at the Technical University Vienna, before returning to the Academy with a full professorship in 1994 and expanding the institute. He is also co-founder of ENCoRE and present chairman.
Abstract
Reconstituted parchment is, besides Japanese paper and parchment, a feasible and widely used material for filling in losses in parchment. This study investigates changes in haptic and visual qualities of the material caused by modifications with different ingredients like paper and parchment fibres. Additionally, selected procedures processing parchment to parchment powder were examined. As a brief introduction, the paper gives an overview over the existing types of reconstituted parchment that are used traditionally in parchment conservation. In addition it attempts to clarify the terminology for this material. Parchment powder was produced with simple and readily available equipment, by different methods: sanding, grating, grinding, shredding, milling and ice-crushing. The different types of home-made powder were compared to a pre-fabricated parchment powder obtained from a parchment maker. The test series showed that the type of preparation of parchment powder influences the fibre texture which in turn affects the material’s properties visually and haptically. While all methods are clearly more time-consuming than buying ready-to-use material, some preparations, e.g. grating, shredding and ice-crushing, showed superior properties.
Zusammenfassung
Fehlstellenergänzung an Pergamenteinbänden – Teil I
Der Einfluss von Pergament- und Papierfasern auf die Eigenschaften von rekonstituiertem Pergament
Rekonstituiertes Pergament ist neben Japanpapier und Pergament ein gut geeignetes Material, um Fehlstellen in Pergament zu schließen. In der vorliegenden Studie wurden die Veränderungen von haptischen und visuellen Qualitäten des Materials untersucht, die durch Modifikationen seiner Bestandteile, also von Papier- und Pergamentfasern, verursacht werden. Darüber hinaus wurden ausgewählte Verfahren zur Verarbeitung von Pergament zu Pergamentpulver getestet. Zunächst gibt der Artikel einen kurzen Überblick über die unterschiedlichen Rezepturen für rekonstituiertes Pergament, die traditionell in der Pergamentrestaurierung angewendet werden. In diesem Zusammenhang wird auch versucht, terminologische Fragen in Bezug auf das Material zu klären.
Pergamentpulver wurde mit einfach handzuhabenden und leicht verfügbaren Geräten mit unterschiedlichen Methoden hergestellt: Pergament wurde geschliffen, gerieben, gemahlen, gehäckselt und in gefrorenem Zustand gehäckselt. Diese unterschiedlichen, selbst hergestellten Pulver wurden mit vorgefertigtem, im Handel erhältlichem Pergamentpulver verglichen. In dieser Testreihe konnte gezeigt werden, wie die Herstellungsart von Pergamentpulver die Faserstruktur beeinflusst, welche wiederum die haptischen und visuellen Eigenschaften des rekonstituierten Pergaments bestimmen. Zwar sind alle beschriebenen Verfahren deutlich zeitaufwändiger als die Verwendung eines fertig verarbeiteten Pulvers, allerdings konnten durch manche Herstellungsmethoden wie etwa Reiben, Häckseln und in gefrorenem Zustand gehäckselte Pergamentfasern von besserer Qualität erzeugt werden.
Résumé
Comblement de lacune dans les volumes reliés en parchemin – 1ère partie:
Evaluation des fibres de parchemin et de papier dans le parchemin reconstitué
Le parchemin reconstitué, en plus du papier japonais et du parchemin, est un matériau réalisable et largement utilisé pour combler les lacunes dans le parchemin.
Cette étude se concentre sur les changements de qualités tactiles et visuelles du matériau causés par la modification de différents composants tels que les fibres de papiers et de parchemin. De plus, certaines procédures permettant la transformation du parchemin en poudre de parchemin ont été étudiées.
Cet article présente en introduction les différents types de parchemins reconstitués existants traditionnellement utilisés dans le domaine de la restauration de parchemin. De plus, cet article tente de clarifier la terminologie de ce matériau.
La poudre de parchemin est produite avec un équipement simple et prêt à l’emploi selon différentes méthodes: ponçage, râpage, broyage, déchiquetage, écrasement, etc. Les différents types de poudres de parchemin artisanales ont été comparés avec une poudre de parchemin préfabriquée obtenue chez un fabriquant de parchemin. Les séries de tests montrent que la façon dont la poudre de parchemin est préparée influence la texture des fibres ce qui affecte les propriétés visuelles et tactiles du matériau. Bien que toutes les méthodes exigent plus de temps que l’achat d’une poudre prête à l’emploi, certaines préparations comme le râpage, déchiquetage et le pilage montrent des propriétés supérieures.
About the authors
Julia Wikarski completed her degree in the subject of Conservation and Restoration of Paper, Photography, Books and Archive Materials in 2012 at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna. She was awarded the honorary prize of the Academy of Fine Arts for her diploma thesis, which focused on infill materials on parchment bound volumes. In 2011 she started working at the National Library in Vienna as a book conservator for the digitisation project “Austrian Books Online”. In 2014 she was a guest lecturer at the Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna.
Sigrid Eyb-Green teaches paper conservation at the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. Sigrid completed a five year conservation program at the same institution, specialising in art on paper. She started her career as a free-lance conservator in New York and Vienna before she commenced teaching in 2002. In 2009, she finished her doctoral thesis.
Wolfgang Baatz is head of the Institute for Conservation-Restoration, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After completing a five year conservation training at the Academy, he worked 16 years as a freelance conservator. During this time he also graduated from a ten semester chemistry program at the Technical University Vienna, before returning to the Academy with a full professorship in 1994 and expanding the institute. He is also co-founder of ENCoRE and present chairman.
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Materials & Equipment
| Leafcasting materials | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Sulphate pulp, “white” (alkalischer Aufschluss), #30 110 | GMW Gabi Kleindorfer |
| Sulphate pulp, “nature”, dyed, #30 510 | |
| Mitsumata fibres, #70902100 | Japico – Feinpapier-Vertriebs GmbH |
| Linters fibres | Austrian National Library, Institute for conservation, unknown source |
| Parchment powder | Altenburger Pergament & Trommelfell GmbH |
| Calf parchment, “Kalb hell” (~0.15 mm) | Altenburger Pergament & Trommelfell GmbH |
| Fleece & films | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Hollytex®Melinex® | Deffner & Johann GmbH |
| Viledon® Vliesstoff (30 g/m2) | GMW Gabi Kleindorfer |
| Chiffon | Komolka Stoffe, Wien |
| Fabrication of parchment powder | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Bladed coffee grinder, Kenwood CG100 | Kenwood |
| Drill, MICROMOT- NG 2/E, 0–20,000/min | Proxxon |
| Cordless Screwdriver – TCM JDA-22, 2002, 0–900/minSandpaper sleeve with resin-bonded corundum, 60 gritCeramic grinding stick from pink corundum, 60 grit | |
| Nutmeg grater | “Küchenprofi” Solingen |
| Salt and pepper mill, “depot”, ceramic grinder, stepless adjustment from coarse to fine | WMF |
| Blender, Powerblend MX 2050 | Braun |
| Production parchment-fibre-paper | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Suction unit | DI Manfred Mayer, TU Graz |
| Perspex cube | Own production |
| Examination & measuring shrinkage temperature | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Transmitted light and polarizing microscope, Zeiss Axioplan 2 | Zeiss |
| Mikroskop – Leica MZ7 5Wild M3B | LeicaWild |
| Infrarot Thermometer – Voltcraft IR-1001A | Voltcraft |
| Heatplate type M22/1 | Framo Gerätetechnik |
| Digital camera, Canon Powershot S70 | Canon |
| Mikrometer – “Digimatic Micrometer” No. 293-521-30 | Mitutoyo |
| Adhesives | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| MH 50 (sold)MH 1000, #40 801Klucel G, 41 500 | Deffner & Johann GmbH, Röthlein |
| Rice starchWheat starch | Neuber’s Enkel Gross Drogerie, Wien |
| Isinglass | Störleim-Manufaktur – Eva Przybylo, Brilon |
| Solvents | Manufacturer/Distributor |
| Ethanol, 93%Isopropanol | Neuber’s Enkel Gross Drogerie, Wien |
©2015 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Washing, Spraying and Brushing. A Comparison of Paper Deacidification by Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles
- Filling in Losses in Parchment Bound Volumes – Part I: Assessment of Parchment and Paper Fibres in Reconstituted Parchment
- Filling in Losses in Parchment Bound Volumes – Part II: Comparing Infill Materials with Regard to Their Climate Stability and Their Application in the Spine Area
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Washing, Spraying and Brushing. A Comparison of Paper Deacidification by Magnesium Hydroxide Nanoparticles
- Filling in Losses in Parchment Bound Volumes – Part I: Assessment of Parchment and Paper Fibres in Reconstituted Parchment
- Filling in Losses in Parchment Bound Volumes – Part II: Comparing Infill Materials with Regard to Their Climate Stability and Their Application in the Spine Area
