MARIE STEWART
Greek and Roman Ceramic Vessels
In preparation for the installation of objects in the newly renovated Ancient Greek, Roman, and Byzantine galleries at the Museum of Fine Arts in late 2021, I completed examination and treatment of a number of Greek and Roman ceramic vessels. A condition survey of all objects planned to be included in the galleries was done in 2019 and identified a number of vessels that needed to be fully disassembled and reassembled with a stable adhesive. The majority of the vessels I treated, including amphorae, kylike, skyphoi, kraters, and oinochoae, had been previously broken and reconstructed from multiple fragments and included areas of restoration. They were deemed to be adequately stable and did not require a structural treatment. Instead, the treatments I completed focused on surface cleaning, redoing small fills and adjusting discolored inpainting.
The Greek black-figure skyphos, dating from about 510 BC, is decorated on the exterior with black gloss, red slip, and white slip to depict two heads of gorgons. Past treatment of the small vessel to reconstruct it from fragments resulted in stable joins and small fills, most notably along the joins. Treatment appears to have been interrupted before all of the fills and inpainting could be completed.
Joins and fill material in areas of original black gloss were inpainted, however fills in the original ceramic areas remained unpainted and unstable in several small sections. The current treatment started with removing/reducing areas of fills that were unstable, covering the original ceramic surface, and too proud of the surface. The fill material was soluble in deionized water and could be removed with cotton swabs. New fills were created using Modostuc, confined only to areas of loss, which were then inpainted with Golden acrylic paints and Golden polymer varnish with UVLS (matte).
Drinking cup (skyphos) with face of a gorgon, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Drinking cup (skyphos) with face of a gorgon, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Drinking cup (skyphos) with face of a gorgon, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Drinking cup (skyphos) with face of a gorgon, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Drinking cup (skyphos) with face of a gorgon, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
The large black-figure amphora dates from the Greek archaic period, about 540 BC, and is decorated with warriors, women, attendants, and horses harnessed to a chariot using black gloss, white slip, and red slip. The vessel had once again been reconstructed from several dozen fragments, two large fills, and a number of small fills. The inpaint that was used on the joins and fills no longer matched the color of sheen level of the original surfaces. Treatment began with an overall surface cleaning that was completed with cotton swabs dampened with deionized water, removing grey surface grime. The large number of discolored joins and small fills on the amphora presented a challenge time-wise.
Tests done with deionized water and solvents suggested that toning the discolored inpaint would be a more judicious use of time than removing the inpaint, reducing and resurfacing the fills, and adding new inpaint. Golden acrylic paints and polymer varnishes with UVLS (gloss and satin) were used to tone the fills and joins. A fairly concentrated mixture of paint to medium was needed to achieve coverage over the discolored paint. In areas where the appropriate sheen level was not matched with this mixture, a second thin and dilute layer of lightly tinted medium was added. Several joins and small black-toned fills are present on side A of the amphora among the reins/harness of the horse in the foreground. The intricate details of the reins that were originally created by thin incisions through the black gloss into the ceramic are interrupted by the fills. For purposes of continuity, the lines of the reins were added to the fill to the extent that it was possible to confidently infer their original location. Golden acrylic paint was used in a color that matches the color of the incised lines.
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Surface cleaning
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Adjusting inpointing
Two-handled jar (amphora) with cover depicting the harnessing of a chariot, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
The small black-figure Greek kylix with centaurs fighting, dating from approximately 545-540 BC, had slightly uneven and rough fills and the red-brown-colored inpaint was darker than the color of the original ceramic. After a light surface cleaning, select areas of the ‘ceramic’ inpaint were removed with acetone. Areas of uneven fill material were also reduced with deionized water.
The fills were built back up using Modostuc acrylic spackle, creating a smoother surface that better conformed to the shape of the kylix. The fills, including both the newly formed ones and areas that weren’t reduced, were inpainted to match the original color of the ceramic using Golden fluid acrylic paints and a combination of Golden polymer varnish with UVLS (satin) and Golden polymer varnish with UVLS (matte).
Drinking cup (kylix) with centaurs fighting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Drinking cup (kylix) with centaurs fighting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Drinking cup (kylix) with centaurs fighting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, During Treatment
Drinking cup (kylix) with centaurs fighting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Drinking cup (kylix) with centaurs fighting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, During Treatment
The Greek volute krater from the Classical period, about 450 BC, is decorated in the red-figure technique to illustrate scenes of a departing warrior. In addition to the warrior, which may be identified as Achilles, several other male and female figures are depicted carrying small objects and instruments for war. The structural repairs that were made to reconstruct the vessel from numerous fragments have significantly aged, but appear to be stable overall. In addition to adhesive, metal rivets were also used in the reconstruction; at least four are identifiable under a layer of a black-painted fill material/adhesive combination at the bottom of the interior of the krater.
The numerous medium to large sized fills added during the reconstruction make up approximately one-third of the vessel. Many of the larger-sized fills, which are quite smooth and well-shaped, have been toned with an even, matte black layer of paint that is complementary to the original black gloss. The joins and small fills in areas without black gloss, on the other hand, are slightly raised and their inpaint does not match that of the original ceramic surface. In a similar fashion to the amphora discussed above, tests to remove the discolored inpaint proved too timely to complete overall. The majority of the small fills and joins were toned with a thin layer of watercolors to better match the original surfaces. Several joins that had been overfilled during the previous reconstruction were treated to reduce the discolored inpaint and fill material using ethanol and water, respectively. They were then inpainted, again using watercolors. In consultation with the curator, minor figural details were added to two fills to better integrate and understand the scene.
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, During Treatment showing tests to remove discolored inpainting
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Before Treatment
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Surface cleaning
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Adjusting inpointing
Volute krater (mixing bowl) with warrior's farewell, possibly Achilles departing Skyros, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, After Treatment