in order of arrival
Dendrochronology: Tool of Truth or Deception by Stewart Pollens
Since the 1950s, dendrochronology has been used in dating the spruce wood used in making the tops of violins. In recent years, it has been used to an increasing degree in the authentication process, though in fact this technique cannot date or authenticate an object made of wood—it can only indicate the terminus post quem, or the earliest date that an instrument might have been constructed with a particular piece of wood. Those who rely upon the dates presented in dendrochronological reports (scholars, museum curators, dealers, auction houses, and violin purchasers) are generally not well informed about the underlying methodology and other factors that may influence the results.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the author employed the services of Dr. Peter Klein of the University of Hamburg to date the spruce tops of a number of violins, including the “Messiah” violin in the Ashmolean Museum. Shortly after Dr. Klein dated the last year-ring of this violin at 1738, several other dendrochronologists came up with different dates, ranging from 1682 to 1844. If dendrochronology is a reliable dating technique, how, one might ask, was this possible?
In an attempt to answer this question, the author measured the year rings of another instrument, a viola attributed to Gasparo da Salo, and used the Synchro Search graphing and statistical program to match the sequence against four well-regarded Alpine spruce master chronologies, including several that had been employed by the dendrochronologists who dated the “Messiah.” Dozens of matches were discovered, with end dates ranging from 1500 through 1959 that had Gleichläufigkeits of 60% or better, and eleven matches ranging from 1657 to 1953 with Gleichläufigkeits of 65% or better. Furthermore, there were few concordances among the dates discovered using these four master chronologies. This multitude of matches would appear to be at odds with virtually all of the dendrochronological reports regarding violins that have appeared in scientific journals, museum publications, and auction catalogs, which universally announce the discovery of solitary matches. What emerged from the author’s study was a clearer understanding of this dating technique as well as troubling new questions about the way results are interpreted and reported.
Digital X-Radiography of Musical Instruments by Ana Sofia Silva, conservator, Portugal
In the present day, it is well known that the X-radiography is a powerful examination technique in conservation of musical instruments, which can be testified by its extensive application in organological research and study.
The whole atmosphere of early music revival throughout the late 20th century, including changes in musical attitudes as well as in new technical demand for appropriate instruments and faithful replicas, was the primary cause for the application of X-rays in musical instruments. This new non-destructive technique could give much valuable information without compromising any original instrument, which until then, were the main and direct sources of information. This came also to agree with museum’s new conservation approach in keeping instruments in their original state, instead of proceeding to their restoration.
The digital X-radiography is an innovative equipment associated to an old technique, which allows studying the objects in a much deeper way and with all the advantages that a digital image and the treatment of a computerized image can bring.
A case study where this technology was applied to a small collection of musical instruments that are in the custody of Ecomuseu Municipal do Seixal, in Portugal, is briefly presented, where the main features of the equipment used, as well as the results obtained during the work, are discussed.
On the field - universal measurement by Patricia Lopez Bastos, ANIMUSIC – Associação Nacional de Instrumentos Musicais
The project of a database of all types of musical instruments (BDIM-Base de Dados de Instrumentos Musicais) in Portugal lead to the setting of guidelines for cataloguing and analytical description, which includes an universal methodology for instrument measurement. A special, simple and practical tool was created for what we call "general measuring", in fact the main information needed when we first approach an instrument and do not have it physically present (as in catalogues). Considering the conditions in which we work, sometimes without access to sophisticated tools or even to electrical power, likely to happen while investigating open air ceremonial rocks, for instance, in the middle of a desert or a forest, and dealing with either large or small sizes and different shapes of objects in the most bizarre occasions, we have to apply a minimal but accurate system. Probably what best provokes the "sparkling" of creativity is "need". On our field work, embracing all sorts of objects from the most elusive shapes to the most complex setting of sound production, we had to envisage a "processus" that could be used on a consistent way, and so providing a systematic balance of values. This communication presents some of the practical solutions in dealing with this topic, drawn from our field work experience.
Investigating and Preventing the Deterioration of Historic Brass Instruments in EUCHMI by Panagiotis Poulopoulos & Arnold Myers, The University of Edinburgh
Brass instruments are characterised by a wide variety of design and construction features and a complexity of acoustical properties as a result of their major development especially over the last two centuries. The Edinburgh University Collection of Historic Musical Instruments (EUCHMI) owns a quite large and representative selection of historic brass instruments currently displayed or stored in the Reid Concert Hall Museum of Instruments.
Since 2008 EUCHMI has initiated a Condition Survey and Conservation project in order to investigate and prevent the deterioration of brass instruments. The project has so far allowed the evaluation of the storage and display conditions in EUCHMI, and has indicated various cases of corrosion and decay commonly identified on brass and other metal wind instruments. This paper will provide a brief overview of the project presenting its main aims and results and emphasising on the effective collaboration between different specialists such as museum curators, conservators, musical instrument makers and organologists.
Moreover, a widespread problem with brass musical instruments has been loss of mobility of the tuning-slides of instruments in museum collections. This paper describes an investigation into the long-term properties of slide lubricants and the application of the results, leading to the solution to the problem adopted by EUCHMI.
The paper also illustrates a number of issues relating to display and storage practices in EUCHMI, suggesting methods for the better preservation of instruments of significant historic value. The conclusions will be supported by the relevant literature and cases studies of instruments in EUCHMI.
Transformations by Robert L. Barclay
Over long periods of use, historic artifacts become transformed through wear and tear, regular maintenance, and changes in fashion. Historic musical instruments are especially prone to transformation because they are often made of fragile materials, chosen for their resonance above their durability. This paper follows the paths of both musical and non-musical objects, showing how, over long periods of use, they become ‘copies of themselves’. It is argued that the transformation itself does not detract from the aesthetic and emotional value that the object embodies. Because of this, the potential for misunderstanding and deception as a result of the act of restoration is discussed.
Documentation by Robert L. Barclay
The key function that distinguishes restoration from conservation is documentation. This paper provides a very brief history of the development of conservation as a discipline, showing how the thinking diverged from pure restoration bench practice, and how scientific disciplines became in engaged in understanding the nature of deterioration and its causes. The paper then discusses the functions of documentation in assuring a permanent record of actions, and a continuity of the musical instrument’s technical biography.
Non-invasive structural analysis of bowed stringed instruments by Franco Zanini, Sincrotrone Trieste
Computed tomography (CT) provides the modern luthier and acoustic scientist with a unique tool for characterization of normal structure, defects, and repair and for accurate measurements of wood thickness and density. CT-derived information aids in the replication of original masterpieces and have an important role in the valuation, insurance, and identification of valuable stringed instruments such as violins, violas and cellos.
The value of an historical instrument may decrease considerably if a defect or repair is discovered. For example, a violin with a crack in the sound post region of the back plate is conventionally valued at only 50% of the same instrument without the defect. Moreover, it is well known that many serious abnormal conditions may be concealed with glue, filler material, retouch, or varnish. Abnormal conditions that affect bowed stringed instruments include cracking, warping, and wormholes (caused by the infestation of larvae).
Feasibility studies have been carried out at the SYRMEP beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste with the aim of demonstrating the advantages and evaluating the effectiveness of synchrotron radiation X-ray microtomography as a suitable technique for non-destructive analysis of bowed stringed intruments. The particular geometry of the X-ray beam and the use of a novel detector allow structural evaluation of the main details of the instruments with unprecedented richness of details. This, in turn, will allow precise dendrochronological investigation of historical violins, as well as the characterization of their structure, defects, wood thickness and density.
Synchrotron radiation microtomography: a tool for non-invasive analysis of historical musical instruments by Franco Zanini, Sincrotrone Trieste
A right strategy for restoration and conservation of historical musical instruments must include a chemical and physical characterization of the samples to be examined, in order to understand provenance, age, present conditions, and presence of previous restoration procedures. This approach is limited by a series of problems related to the peculiar characteristics of the instruments. In most cases these are objects of relatively large dimensions, and even microsampling of this objects is absolutely out of question. Moreover, any analytical technique must be absolutely non-destructive, and must take into account an accurate monitoring of the environmental conditions, expecially temperature and humidity.
We present here, in the fiedl of structural analyses, preliminary results concerning the use of synchrtron radiation microtomography applied to musical instruments of great historical importance from the Museo Correr in Venice. The first example is the organ by Lorenzo Gusnasco from pavia, built in Veneice around 1494. Originally designed with 96 paper pipes, has now only 52. In this case it has been possible to obtain extremely detailed information on the techniques used to manufacture the pipes, and to evaluate the kind of wood and its present condition, expecially regarding presence and activity of larvae. Knowledge of these details is of vital importance in order to define a correct restoration strategy.
Similar tests have been carried out on a wooden bass recorder by Johann Cristoph Denner (Nurnberg, beginning of XVIII century) and a similar instrument in ivory attributed to Denner and built in the same period. In this case we obtained in a non-destructive way information about the materials used, in order to evaluate the consevation methods used until now, but the technique allows to characterize previous restoration protocols and to design new procedures.
Preliminary analyses are extremely encouraging, for the quality of the information obtained in view ot the protection of musical instruments of high historical and artistic value.
Surface cleaning of musical instruments - towards a more conscious approach by Claudio Canevari, Civica Scuola di Liuteria di Milano
Restoration of bowed and plucked musical instruments quite commonly yields into contradictions among conservation, musical function and business: the restorers consider surface finishes and varnishes as a stylistic element fundamental and almost untouchable; however, they often follow a trend that leads to achieve glossy surfaces or polished to a mirror shine, almost always obtained with abrasives or other highly aggressive materials.
The experimentation of conservative methods attempting to respect the surfaces and the patina on musical instruments are fairly recent; having examined the most frequent situations to deal with, the nature of foreign materials to be removed, and the characteristics of areas to clean, a systematic approach already in use in other areas of restoration has been suggested, based on low aggressiveness of the cleaning agents.
Summing up, most situations can be solved with the use of aqueous cleaners made up of surfactants and chelating agents, if necessary with addictives to increase the viscosity of the cleaner to limit the absorption of water by strongly hydrophile materials such as wood or glues.
A required step will be the study of the impact of a cleaning intervention on the integrity of the areas, comparing methods and materials commonly used by restorers and those that are proposed as an alternative.
The testing before and after the cleaning to verify the presence of residues (with analytical chemistry techniques) and the deterioration of the samples' surface (with advanced control systems such as optical profilometry) will provide a first batch of information to start the comparison and to define guidelines for the cleaning step in a musical instrument restoration process.
The Journey through the wind channel
3D-Computed tomography for the documentation and restoration of musical instruments by Klaus Martius and Markus Raquet, Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg
Computed tomography has shown to be a valuable tool in investigating and measuring historic musical instruments without physical contact.
The CT system, introduced in the 1970ies, combines conventional x-ray techniques with computer technology. It provides a method for the visualisation and analysis of surfaces, bodies and internal structures of artefacts based on the density of material.
The Germanisches Nationalmuseum has tested computed tomography since 1988, examining violins, viola da gambas, lutes, trumpet mutes, a serpent and recorders.
The application of medicinal CT providing cross-sections (MPRs) at any position is quite suitable to reveal the inner construction of instruments (violin arching, barring systems, lute geometry). However, for an accurate measurement of woodwind instruments a much higher resolution as offered by technical CT is essential .
Several instruments were measured during the last four years in collaboration with the University of Applied Sciences Aalen,
The 3D-CT of woodwinds offers accurate representations of outline profiles, wall thicknesses, bore shapes, undercuttings of fingerholes, wind channels and labium cutting. By rotating 3D reconstructions (surface and volume rendering) virtual endoscopy can be generated together with virtual sectional views. The aim was the documentation of tool marks and other traces from the manufacturing process.
The digital images also make damage, distortion, deformation and hidden cracks visible and offer clues to their possible causes. Thus the museum personnel is enabled to develop objective criteria for the decision whether an instrument may be played or not.
Finally, 3D-CT examination helped with the restoration of a late 18th century Tangentenflügel by Johann Friedrich Schmahl.
Multipurpose digital archive by Lorenzo Moretti - ENEA, AIDA
In the recent years, digital archives are totally replacing those on paper and Internet is becoming the main access channel to the digital material contained in them.
The core of the technology is a system for digital archiving. It allows for the storage of the digital representations of different types of objects (e.g. paintings, photographies, sculptures, advertising objects, drawings, historical posters, musical instruments, etc.). Such objects are represented digitally by images, text documents and structured information.
In addition, the system allows for integration of the digital archive within the context of activities in which it is used. In particular, it allows to associate business and other information to the entities stored in the archive. The system has standard modules which allow for storing data about clients, suppliers or business activities. In alternative, it can be easily integrated with other information systems. In this way the user can find not only digital representations of the objects, but also all related information regarding their life like purchase, exhibitions in which they have been shown, restoring, clients which bought it, maintenance information, price, evaluation, additional information found on the web and other.
The system is created for being used by a single person because this is the typical situation in many places but a system to be used by more than one person can be created too.
The system can be used for:
• archiving of big collections containing multiple types of objects
• planning and management of exhibitions
• creation of personalized catalogues for exclusive client
• creation of art books
• restoration planning and management
• web site management.
The software works totally offline; the user decides which data will be visible on the web site.
The image files can be of any type but generally TIFF for the high resolution and JPEG for others. The system allows for the storage, creation and manipulation of images of different resolution within the digital archive. Depending on his requirements, the user can store several images of the same object, with different resolutions, different scale, with or without watermarks and so on.
In output the system can be connected to mobile phone, to a tablet like iPad and to web site.
Some features
• scalable distributed architecture;
• manipulation of high resolution images within the archive;
• unlimited number of records;
• runtime application for a single person, another solution for a small group of person in a local network;
• flexible securing of the archive and business information;
• friendly-user interface, easy to learn;
• planning and management of exhibitions;
• creation of books and / or catalogues of art;
• management of restoration;
• multi-language;
• single point of access to all information regarding an object, from image to traceability information, regarding business activities, clients, suppliers, and many others;
• any query can be saved and manipulated for any kind of output;
• stock portability across multiple devices: smartphone (e.g. iPhone), tablet like iPad, web;
• customization based on customer requirements;
• modularity.
Query output
• to transfer text data and high resolution images to the principal desktop publishing software, Adobe InDesign for creating art book, exclusive newsletter and other;
• to create PDF with different layouts for newsletter, for a client, etc;
• many kinds of graphics output.
Web module
• total management of a remote website, normal and mobile version, with database and last news;
• image copyright protection with digital watermark over web image;
• internal web browser;
• internal FTP client for documents and images out of archive;
• simple button to send one record online on Web site or to delete one record online;
• total security of the data: the database on the web can be quickly re-created directly from the software.
Smartphone module (iPhone/Blackberry only)
• to transfer whole archive with data and images into a mobile phone (third party application is needed);
• to modify your mobile archive in your smartphone totally offline;
• integration with the phone, sms and map application;
• sync the mobile archive with the principal archive on the computer.
Stereomicroscope and SEM microanalysis study of musical instruments from Correr museum in Venice by Stefania Bruni 1, Giuseppe Maino 1,2,4, Carmela Vaccaro 3, Lisa Volpe 1,3,4 and Emanuele Marconi 2,5.
1 ENEA, the Italian Agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development, via Martiri di Monte Sole, 4 40129 – Bologna, Italy
2 Facoltà di Conservazione dei Beni Culturali, University of Bologna, via Mariani,5 48100 Ravenna, Italy
3 Earth Sciences Department, Block B, Room 113, via Saragat, 1, Ferrara University - 44100 Ferrara, Italy
4 A.I.D.A. Analysis and computer science documentation for works of art (Spinner 2010)
5 Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Direzione Regionale per i Beni Culturali e Paesaggistici della Lombardia
In the Cultural Heritage studies electron microscopy analysis is of great help to identify artistic techniques and it is very important for restoration and conservation of works of art. The Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), with respect to traditional optical microscopes, can provide three-dimensional images, with higher magnification. Moreover, SEM analysis, once combined with an EDXRS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometry) system, can be used to catch X-rays from the atoms of the elements and to yield the chemical composition of the sample.
Many applications of SEM analysis, combined with an EDXRS system, are performed on paintings and frescoes, stained glasses, sculptures as well as archaeological objects and extensively and successfully applied to the investigation of many different types of artistic and historical assets.
This and other characteristics have allowed identifying many features, thus providing important information to define the artistic technique of many different types of works.
The electron microscopy laboratory in Bologna ENEA, the Italian Agency for new technologies, energy and sustainable economic development, has carried out numerous projects in the cultural heritage domain applying the SEM for restoration and preservation of artworks.
Recently, the laboratory has developed its instrumentation by implementing an advanced Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), which in addition to traditional SEMs allows for:
• Observation and analysis of samples without preparation treatments (direct observation and microanalysis). That is, the samples are not destroyed and can be used accordingly;
• High magnification capabilities with resulting resolution of the order of 3 nanometres;
• Large samples (up to 10cm) can be directly observed and analysed;
• Integration of observation and microanalysis procedures within the same system.
The new microscopy can provide data of high scientific value, which cannot be obtained with the traditional SEM and allows an accurate analysis of the sample surfaces, showing their morphology and chemical composition.
In cultural heritage domain, information such as artistic techniques, paint materials, presence of cracks, damages or weaknesses can be obtained by applying SEM analysis, as previously outlined. These data are essential for selecting the most appropriate restoration and conservation actions.
In this work some relevant results to applications of scanning electron microscopy and microanalysis are shown about the study of samples taken from a few different musical instruments from collection of civic venetian museums “Correr”, namely a contrabass with lion head (Venice XVIII century), a organo of Lorenzo Guarnasco da Pavia (Venice 1494) and a painted spinet of Franciscus Patavinus (Padova 1552).
Cataloguing software. SIRBeC experience applied to musical instruments by Marino Delfino - TAI s.a.s.
The artistic interest of public heritage is determined primarily by owners of entities, typically through scientific study and cataloguing, according to the technical standards promulgated by MiBAC (Ministero per i Beni e le Attività Culturali) under Article 17 of the Code of Cultural Heritage and Landscape. Cataloguing is a tool of fundamental importance because it provides the basis for the protection, enhancement and preservation of artistic heritage.
In Lombardy Region SIRBeC system has been active for several years; SIRBeC system is distributed to involved institutions in the territory, typically museums, foundations and public institutions, which carry cataloguing of the assets under their responsibility following the standards issued by MiBAC. At regional level, while maintaining compliance with national standards, the local system has developed some specific extensions that allow to enlarge the scope of interest, dealing with issues not fully covered by national systems. A typical case is the realization of the card "State of Conservation of Cultural Heritage", which allows to record comprehensive information about the condition of the assets and especially with a vision that takes into account the strong correlation between the asset and the environment in which it is preserved.
The “Museum of Musical Instruments” at Castello Sforzesco in Milan was the first institution to explore the use of the card "State of Conservation" as a tool to complement the classic cataloguing, representing, from this point of view, one of the most advanced examples in the specific field of art applied to musical instruments. Today the museum has set up a database of about 650 pieces of his collection; for 250 of these have already been filled out the card "Conservation" and it is still active a campaign for the realization of the remaining cards, planned to be completed by the end of 2011.
Use of silicone dental rubber as low impact measurement method by Emanuele Marconi - University of Bologna and Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Soprintendenza Regionale Lombarda
In the 1950s the rubber base materials, first in the form of the polysulfide and later the silicone, began to be used as dental impression. Since 15 years are used in Musical Instruments restoration to prepare moulds.
From the negative impression a plaster cast can be obtained, from which we get dimensional information.
The use of silicon rubber as low impact measurement method represents a tool for surfaces preservation, avoiding contacts between surfaces and metal instruments as callipers or rulers.
It’s a time save and low cost method during surveys or dimensional drawings and allows to obtain exact reproductions of convex parts.
A mathematical journey in the music world: Computing tools for acoustic fingerprint and watermarking by Giuseppe Maino, University of Bologna
An acoustic fingerprint is a content-based compact signature, namely a computing code generated from an audiowaveform and summarizing it by means of suitable algorithms without the need of metadata or watermarking embedding. Therefore, in principle any audio recording can be identified by its acoustic fingerprint, allowing for many different applications such as broadcast monitoring, identification of music and video, peer to peer network monitoring, sound effect library management, etc.. I present a review of state of art in this field as well as typical results on real cases. Finally, a few open-source projects are described with main objectives and obtained results.
Shipping fragile objects safely by Paul Marcon, Canadian Conservation Institute
The basic requirements for shipping fragile museum objects or musical instruments are similar to those that apply to the shipment of fragile commercial goods. They include well made containers, effective cushioning, an understanding of how the objects and packaging components interact (packaging dynamics) and an assessment of the durability of the items being shipped. A useful base of information from packaging field is directly transferrable to shipments of fragile object or instruments, but information on the durability of these objects is not usually available and attempts at estimating it are often inaccurate. Despite this limitation, a high assurance of safe shipment is still possible. This presentation will provide a brief overview of how things go wrong during shipment and what can be done to help ensure the safe shipment of fragile objects. It will provide a summary of helpful information from the packaging field and several simple design tools that have been derived from this information. It will also discuss a few important details that can help ensure safe shipment and will discuss how these important details can be realized in practical ways.
