Varnish Technology during the 16th–18th Century: The Use of Pumice and Bone ash as Solid Driers

Zumbühl, Stefan; Soulier, Jacques Balthazar; Zindel, Christophe (2021). Varnish Technology during the 16th–18th Century: The Use of Pumice and Bone ash as Solid Driers Journal of Cultural Heritage, 47, pp. 59-68. Elsevier 10.1016/j.culher.2020.10.001

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The historical varnish technology is of interest to various fields in cultural heritage. To understand the material properties of these historic surface coatings it is important to get insight in the technological background, i.e. the relationship between the material and the processing method. This study has specif- ically focused on the use of pumice stone and bone ash often mentioned in historical sources as driers for oil-based coating systems. For this purpose lute and Italian violins from the period between the 16th to the mid 18th century were examined. Both, the main organic composition of the varnish and the addition of mineral additives were considered. Based on the analytical data and the corresponding information from historical written sources, the siccativation of oil-based varnishes with pumice stone and bone ash was simulated experimentally. The results of these reconstructions confirm that the technological know-how behind these varnishes is far more complex than it may appear at first glance and that the organic and inorganic components must be regarded as a balanced technological system where each of the various components has a specific function. In this context, these inorganic additives effectively induced accel- erated drying, improved the mechanical film properties of young films and showed a stabilizing effect on the long-term degradation during aging.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	Bern Academy of the Arts Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Materiality in Art and Culture Bern Academy of the Arts > Institute Materiality in Art and Culture > Material analyses
Name:	Zumbühl, Stefan0000-0002-8896-2938; Soulier, Jacques Balthazar0000-0003-3639-2213 and Zindel, Christophe
ISSN:	1296-2074
Publisher:	Elsevier
Funders:	[UNSPECIFIED] Karolina Blaberg Stiftung
Projects:	[UNSPECIFIED] Elucidating the Technology of Historical Violin Varnishes
Language:	English
Submitter:	Stefan Zumbühl
Date Deposited:	19 Nov 2021 10:45
Last Modified:	27 Oct 2023 11:29
Publisher DOI:	10.1016/j.culher.2020.10.001
ARBOR DOI:	10.24451/arbor.15684
URI:	https://arbor.bfh.ch/id/eprint/15684