Non-destructive characterisation of iron gall ink drawings: Not such a galling problem

TALANTA

卷:81

Article

Strlic, Matija¹  Csefalvayova, Linda¹  Kolar, Jana²  Menart, Eva³  Kosek, Joanna⁴  Barry, Caroline⁴  Higgitt, Catherine⁴  Cassar, May¹ 

[1] UCL, Ctr Sustainable Heritage, London WC1E 6BT, England

[2] Morana RTD Doo, SI-1295 Ivancna Gorica, Slovenia

[3] Univ Ljubljana, Fac Chem & Chem Technol, Ljubljana 1000, Slovenia

[4] British Museum, London WC1B 3DG, England

关键词: NIR spectroscopy;    Historic paper;    Acidity;    Cellulose;    Chemometrics;    Lifetime prediction;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.talanta.2009.12.017

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Iron gall inks are of extraordinary historical significance considering their widespread use for over a millennium. Due to their corrosiveness, which is a consequence of their acidity and content of transition metals, iron gall inks accelerate the degradation of the writing or drawing support, which in this study is rag paper. Characterisation of acidity (pH) and degree of polymerisation (DP) of cellulose in paper is thus of high interest as it enables the estimation of material stability and assessment of risks associated with its handling. Based on a well-characterised set of samples with iron gall ink from the 18th and 19th centuries, we developed a near infrared spectroscopic method with partial least squares calibration for non-destructive determination of pH and DP of both inked areas and paper. Using this method, 27 18th and 19th century iron gall ink drawings from the British Museum collection were analysed and in all cases, inked areas turned out to be more acidic and degraded than the surrounding paper. Based on the obtained DP data, we were able to estimate the time needed for the inked areas to degrade to the point when they become at risk of damage due to handling. Using the average uncertainty of the calculated lifetime, we propose a quantitative stability classification method which could contribute to the curatorial and conservation decision-making process. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

Free