Retreatment and Conservation of a Wooden Panel Previously Treated With Bees Wax

El Hadidi, Nesrin M.N.; Abdel-monem, Hamdy; Mohamed, Mourad; Hashem, Ghada

doi:10.21608/arcs.2020.33541.1006

Retreatment and Conservation of a Wooden Panel Previously Treated With Bees Wax

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

² G.M.of Conservation department, Museum of Islamic Art

³ MA Student, Conservation Department, Faculty of Archaeology, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt

10.21608/arcs.2020.33541.1006

Abstract

The aim of this research is to study the deteriorating effect of bees wax, which was a commonly used conservation/restoration material in archaeological wooden artifacts. An experimental study was conducted, in which bees wax applied on pine wood samples and aged by exposure to direct and indirect sunlight during the months of Mai and June in Giza/ Egypt for 50 consecutive days, when the average temperature was + 40˚C during the day. Discs of bees wax were exposed to the same ageing conditions. The surface of all samples was examined using a digital USB microscope, color change was measured and FTIR spectroscopy was conducted to assess the changes that occur in both wood and beeswax, in order to determine the deteriorating effect of wax on wood directly after application and after exposure to direct and indirect sunlight. After obtaining the results from the experimental study, a wooden panel in the museum of Islamic Art in Cairo, which had been mainly treated with bees wax in the past, was chosen for the applied part of this research. The panel was carefully documented before taking the decision to remove previous treatments prior to the retreatment using microcrystalline cellulose and Klucel G.

Highlights

The process of retreatment of a wooden panel at the Islamic Museum of Art in Cairo was preceded by an experimental study on the effects of bees wax on wood.
Bees wax samples and pine samples treated with wax were exposed to direct and indirect sunlight for 50 consecutive days to study the initial effects of deterioration.
For assessment of deterioration USB digital microscope images, color change measurements and FTIR spectroscopy were used.

Keywords