Very little is usually said about the work of conservators, even though they are the ones who ultimately transform the artefacts found during excavations into exhibits and preserve them for future generations.
What are you working on at the moment?
Work is currently under way to restore the artefacts from the 2024 Visegrád excavations at the King Matthias Museum’s restoration workshop. The main task is the conservation treatment of ceramic, glass, coin and bronze artefacts originating from the areas of Solomon’s Tower, the Valley Wall, Sibrik Hill, the Upper Castle and the Franciscan Monastery. The quantity of excavated artefacts emerging from these historical sites is exceptionally diverse and varied. Our aim in carrying out restoration is to preserve these artefacts and facilitate their examination and scientific interpretation. Reconstruction, that is, the rebuilding of archaeological objects, is a means of restoring their original appearance and form. The largest quantity of artefacts unearthed at excavation sites consists of pottery shards. The process begins with cleaning and sorting, followed by the identification and gluing together of pieces that fit along the fracture lines. This process does not always result in the complete reconstruction of a vessel’s form, but in many cases the profiles of details or traces of decoration visible on the fragments are sufficient for their identification. Among the most notable finds from this year’s excavations are the coins; their cleaning and conservation are vital for determining the age of the excavated layers. Due to the quality of the coinage from that period and the centuries they have spent buried in the ground, the surfaces may be covered by a thick layer of corrosion, which can often only be removed with the aid of a microscope and through patient cleaning.
From a restorer’s perspective, what can be said about the condition and integrity of the sensational Benedetto da Maiano find?
It’s true that even a restorer’s heart skips a beat when they come across such a sensational find.
Routine conservation interventions in such cases require even more careful and carefully considered treatment procedures. The first priority is to determine the material composition, and then to establish the cleaning sequence accordingly. Where possible, we apply the gentlest method to the object, as we wish to preserve the cultural information contained within the carvings. The fragments of white marble, which once adorned the altar of the Franciscan church, have suffered physical damage resulting from vandalism and destruction. However, the church’s medieval crypt has preserved several details of this valuable work for us. After excavation, whilst the fragments were still damp with earth, we were able to remove the soil deposits adhering to the surface. Although wet cleaning removed most of the deposits, in some places a hard, calcareous film stubbornly clung to the surface. However, a mild acetic acid treatment applied locally proved effective in removing it. During the cleaning process, we also succeeded in revealing and preserving the painted layers, which may indicate the former positioning of the altar fragments.
Do you have a favourite subject?
Challenging pieces are always a pleasure to work on, as they involve reconstructing authentic artefacts from fragments, missing parts and items that have been partially destroyed. As a silicate conservator, my work largely involves the reconstruction of ceramic objects. One of the initial steps in the process is sorting through hundreds of fragments, followed by gluing together pieces that fit the fracture surface. By filling in the gaps with plaster, we restore the original form, which can then be measured and scientifically analysed.
In addition to the so-called ‘form pots’, the fragments of stove tiles – components of medieval heating systems – form a distinct group of artefacts and are among the most valuable finds from the excavations. We are fortunate in that, for centuries, ornate earthenware stoves heated the buildings in Visegrád. However, the tiny elements of these ruined stoves mostly come to the surface in a fragmented or incomplete state, scattered and far from their original locations. It is a rare exception when an archaeologist excavating at a single site comes across the collapsed remains of a stove. Excavations carried out in 1991 in the north-western courtyard of the Royal Palace brought to light a large quantity of fragments from a tiled stove dating from the time of King Matthias. The number of broken pieces, glazed green and decorated with coats of arms and figures of knights, approached the thousands. Piecing them back together, filling in the gaps and reconstructing the individual tile types was a fascinating task. The complete stove model can still be viewed today in the permanent exhibition at the King Matthias Museum.
Is glass, pottery or some other type of artefact the most challenging for a restorer to work with?
It is difficult to determine which aspect presents the greatest challenge, as this is largely determined by the extent of deterioration in each type of artefact. The time spent beneath the ground exerts an extremely significant physical and chemical impact on the fragments. Soil moisture contains vast quantities of hydrated salts, which, upon excavation, can even lead to the destruction of the artefact. In such cases, the finds must be conserved as a matter of urgency, and only then can cleaning begin. Glass artefacts are particularly vulnerable to the physical pressure of the soil, as they are extremely fragile and, due to their thin walls, shatter into tiny pieces. Reassembling the fragments is a little more difficult in this case, as the glass shards tend to slip over one another. The assembly is then secured with a temporary surface-fixing tape; once we are satisfied that the fit is precise, we apply the final, specialised adhesive to the fracture surface. Artifacts that were originally created by placing different materials side by side require complex restoration procedures. An 18th-century rosary cross found in a grave, with inlaid and mother-of-pearl decorated surfaces, and its surrounding copper casing, require different cleaning and conservation solutions. In such cases, non-destructive separation is the best course of action to ensure that targeted treatment appropriate to the material composition can be carried out.
Is there a piece of work of yours that you are particularly proud of, either because of its rarity or because of the end result?
Every type of artefact that we manage to save or restore to a condition close to its original state gives us a great sense of satisfaction, as restoration enables us to stabilise their condition; through studying them and making technical observations, we also gain an insight into the material culture of historical periods. These items are also on display to the public as part of exhibitions, accompanied by explanatory texts.
What kind of archaeological finds do you come across most often in Visegrád?
Visegrád and its surroundings present an extremely varied picture in terms of archaeological finds. To highlight just a few: Bronze Age ceramic urns, Roman artefacts, early medieval household vessels, and medieval decorative ware. The frequency of finds is always linked to the period of the settlement remains or structure uncovered at the excavation site. As artefacts made from organic materials unfortunately decompose underground, the finds are predominantly dominated by pottery, metal and bone objects.
Are there any artefacts from Visegrád that, thanks (in part) to their good condition when found, have been successfully restored to a state that is almost „as good as new”?
The condition of every group of artefacts discovered depends on the conditions they were subjected to whilst buried for centuries. The tiled stove, dating from the time of King Matthias, was unearthed in a previously relatively undisturbed area of the Royal Palace. When the medieval building fell into ruin, the stove, along with the walls and interior vaults, collapsed into the rubble. Although the building was rebuilt during the Baroque period, this did not affect the majority of the tile fragments. This extraordinary find came to light again in 1991, and following its recovery, the fragments were sorted and glued back together in the restoration workshop. This exciting jigsaw puzzle revealed the large-surface elements of the stove tiles. The main characteristic of medieval tiled stoves is that the angular base and the horizontal rows of the tower-like upper section were formed by tiles of identical size and pattern, laid in an alternating pattern. As a result, there are many identical fragments among the collapsed pieces of the stove, which complement one another in terms of their three-dimensional form. The purpose of the plaster additions to the model was to create, from each type, a reference specimen incorporating the original fragments, which could serve as a basis for reproduction or the creation of copies. The overall dimensions of the heating appliance were reconstructed on the basis of the size, shape and sculptural characteristics of the restored stove tiles.
To what extent can a restorer give free rein to their imagination when they have to reconstruct something from fragments? How should we picture such a process?
From an ethical perspective, authenticity is a strict requirement in the conservation of artworks. A false or unverifiable reconstruction can trigger a series of misunderstandings. In the case of moulded pottery, missing parts are only replaced where the complete profile is unambiguous. The reconstruction of stove tiles is always based on the original fragment. One viable method of completing truncated or fragmentary tiles is to use copies made from analogous pieces. Indeed, numerous stove tiles with Gothic patterns have been successfully reconstructed from just a few tiny fragments. Exemplars decorated with carved, geometric forms were once produced using a drafting process; therefore, with the aid of a scale drawing, the exact position of the original pieces can be determined once again. For the reconstruction, we use modelling plaster, which can be shaped, carved and painted to achieve the desired form. In restoration, the possibility of reversibility is always a very important consideration; to this end, we only use conservation agents, adhesives and supplementary materials that can be removed from the objects at any time.
Could you tell us a little about how you started out in the profession: how did you become a restorer, and when did you first become interested in archaeology?
I had already worked at the Visegrád Museum during summer holidays whilst still at secondary school; perhaps that was when the idea first took root in my mind. Shortly after finishing secondary school, I joined the restoration workshop at the Visegrád Museum. Eventually, Miklós Héjj, then director of the King Matthias Museum, took me on as an assistant restorer. Later, I had the opportunity to complete a basic course, followed by a specialist course in silicate restoration.
All my professional colleagues here were incredibly helpful and always shared their experience and knowledge. The artworks they have rescued remain the centrepieces of our exhibitions to this day.
I must certainly mention Mrs Pálné Scheili and Éva Szőke, as well as Imre Tavas, who is sadly no longer with us.
Thank you very much for sharing all this fascinating information with us, and for bringing us a little closer, through this conversation, to the world of restorers – a world so rarely discussed and scarcely known to those outside the profession.
6 August 2024.
