Thanks for the note. Tons (possibly literally) of wood in
ethnographic objects, including painted ones, have been frozen
without incident (e.g., the Museum of the American Indian). The
tricky part of Western paintings may be the gesso ground, which is
typically made with gelatine, and has a different response to RH
changes than either the wood or the paint layers.
What is interesting is that since multiple-layer things would seem to
create problems for freezing, it looks like no one has done it for
panel paintings - they use anoxia instead.
I seem to remember a recent bit of research on measuring the actual
changes in RH during freezing, which turned out to be less dire than
previously thought. So I guess some real research with mock-ups is
needed. In some climates, freezing is free!
I would still be interested in any pertinent experience, particularly
since many of the cautions about freezing have turned out not to be a
problem in real life, and since I would like to add this issue to the
freezing section of the pest website.
B.
Wood should not be frozen, it can crack. You may also lose part
of the painted surface due to expansion and contraction.
In this case anoxic treatment is a better choice, less shock.
Bill
ACI
In a message dated 6/9/2010 1:33:22 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
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I need some info asap. My question is about low-temperature
treatment of icons - egg tempera on wooden panels. I would like to
hear from anyone who has done "freezing" on these or similar items -
polychrome sculpture, for example - and how it turned out. Any signs
of enhanced cracking? Any indications of the thoroughness of the
kill?
Many thanks.
Barbara Appelbaum
--
Appelbaum & Himmelstein
444 Central Park West
New York, NY 10025
Conservation of Works of Art
212-666-4630
[email protected]
www.AandHconservation.org
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Appelbaum & Himmelstein
444 Central Park West
New York, NY 10025
Conservation of Works of Art
212-666-4630
[email protected]
www.AandHconservation.org
