Alt italienischer Lack
In order to better understand the varnish tradition of the 16th-18th century, the original coatings of stringed musical instruments manufactured by various lute and violin makers, were examined and compared to historic sources.
Fiche signalétique
- Départements participants Haute école des arts de Berne
- Institut(s) Institut Matérialité dans l'art et la culture
- Unité(s) de recherche Technologie dans l'art et la culture
- Organisation d'encouragement Autres
- Durée 01.06.2018 - 31.05.2021
- Direction du projet Dr. Stefan Zumbühl
- Équipe du projet Jacques Balthazar Soulier
- Partenaire Karolina Blaberg Stiftung
Situation
The analytical data unveiled, that the varnishes were made from drying oil and resins from the Pinaceae family, with the addition of pumice and bone ash. First mentions on the use of these additives as drying agents date back to the time well before violin making. To evaluate the effect of pumice and bone ash as drying agents, oil/colophony varnishes containing different amounts of pumice and bone ash were produced. Due to the fineness of the solid and the high viscosity of the varnish, the components can be mixed to a stable suspension. Varnishes with ground pumice remain quite transparent, since the refractive index of pumice powder is very close to that of oil and colophony. Depending on the concentration of solids, however, they may show an inherent brownish colour.
