Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies
Parchment is the primary writing medium of the majority of documents with cultural importance. Unfortunately, this material suffers of several mechanisms of degradation that affect its chemical-physical structure and the readability of text. Due to the unique and delicate character of these objects,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Spectroscopy |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2081548 |
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| author | L. Pronti M. Perino M. Cursi M. L. Santarelli A. C. Felici M. P. Bracciale |
| author_facet | L. Pronti M. Perino M. Cursi M. L. Santarelli A. C. Felici M. P. Bracciale |
| author_sort | L. Pronti |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Parchment is the primary writing medium of the majority of documents with cultural importance. Unfortunately, this material suffers of several mechanisms of degradation that affect its chemical-physical structure and the readability of text. Due to the unique and delicate character of these objects, the use of nondestructive techniques is mandatory. In this work, three partially degraded handwritten parchments dating back to the XIV-XV centuries were analyzed by means of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, µ-ATR Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and reflectance and UV-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. The elemental and molecular results provided the identification of the inks, pigments, and superficial treatments. In particular, all manuscripts have been written with iron gall inks, while the capital letters have been realized with cinnabar and azurite. Furthermore, multispectral UV fluorescence imaging and multispectral VIS-NIR imaging proved to be a good approach for the digital restoration of manuscripts that suffer from the loss of inked areas or from the presence of brown spotting. Indeed, using ultraviolet radiation and collecting the images at different spectral ranges is possible to enhance the readability of the text, while by illuminating with visible light and by collecting the images at longer wavelengths, the hiding effect of brown spots can be attenuated. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-31c4db671b98440fac7735c4c3628140 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2314-4920 2314-4939 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Spectroscopy |
| spelling | doaj-art-31c4db671b98440fac7735c4c36281402025-02-03T05:46:36ZengWileyJournal of Spectroscopy2314-49202314-49392018-01-01201810.1155/2018/20815482081548Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case StudiesL. Pronti0M. Perino1M. Cursi2M. L. Santarelli3A. C. Felici4M. P. Bracciale5Department of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Laboratory of Non-Destructive Analysis and Archaeometry (LANDA), Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of History, Cultures and Religions, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of History, Cultures and Religions, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemical Engineering Materials and Environment and CISTeC-Research Center on Science and Technology for the Preservation of Historical-architectural Heritage, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Basic and Applied Sciences for Engineering, Laboratory of Non-Destructive Analysis and Archaeometry (LANDA), Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, ItalyDepartment of Chemical Engineering Materials and Environment and CISTeC-Research Center on Science and Technology for the Preservation of Historical-architectural Heritage, Sapienza University of Rome, 00184 Rome, ItalyParchment is the primary writing medium of the majority of documents with cultural importance. Unfortunately, this material suffers of several mechanisms of degradation that affect its chemical-physical structure and the readability of text. Due to the unique and delicate character of these objects, the use of nondestructive techniques is mandatory. In this work, three partially degraded handwritten parchments dating back to the XIV-XV centuries were analyzed by means of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, µ-ATR Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and reflectance and UV-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. The elemental and molecular results provided the identification of the inks, pigments, and superficial treatments. In particular, all manuscripts have been written with iron gall inks, while the capital letters have been realized with cinnabar and azurite. Furthermore, multispectral UV fluorescence imaging and multispectral VIS-NIR imaging proved to be a good approach for the digital restoration of manuscripts that suffer from the loss of inked areas or from the presence of brown spotting. Indeed, using ultraviolet radiation and collecting the images at different spectral ranges is possible to enhance the readability of the text, while by illuminating with visible light and by collecting the images at longer wavelengths, the hiding effect of brown spots can be attenuated.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2081548 |
| spellingShingle | L. Pronti M. Perino M. Cursi M. L. Santarelli A. C. Felici M. P. Bracciale Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies Journal of Spectroscopy |
| title | Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies |
| title_full | Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies |
| title_fullStr | Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies |
| title_short | Characterization and Digital Restauration of XIV-XV Centuries Written Parchments by Means of Nondestructive Techniques: Three Case Studies |
| title_sort | characterization and digital restauration of xiv xv centuries written parchments by means of nondestructive techniques three case studies |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/2081548 |
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