Conference Presentations by Stamatina Nera
2nd International Meeting for the Conservation & Documentation of Ecclesiastical Artefacts (IMCDEA) ABSTRACTS, 2016
Quite commonly, " worn " , " old " , " rusty " and " rotten " ecclesiastical and litourgical obje... more Quite commonly, " worn " , " old " , " rusty " and " rotten " ecclesiastical and litourgical objects end up unwanted and disposed of, burnt or burried following the customs of Eastern Orthodox Church, and replaced by modern ones lacking the artistic and historical value of their predecessors. This paper discusses research, conservation, reuse and exhibition as alternatives to neglect, replacement and destruction. The case study of this paper is a wood-carved church tabernacle or artophorion discovered in a tavern on a Greek island. Its small door was spotted hanging on a wall of a private museum a few kilometres away. The object was identified by the abbot of a local monastery as originally placed on the altar of a small glebe church, serving to keep the reserved sacrament. The tabernacle, reunited with its door, was transported to the TEI of Ionian Islands for study and conservation upon request of the abbot. The external appearance of the tabernacle gave few clues about its original grandeur. Similar objects were often shaped like miniature churches with a cross on their top, and whether wrought of precious metals or wood-carved, they were usually elaborately decorated or gilded. However, this artophorion was nearly entirely covered in white paint; the cross that used to ornate its top and some of its relief decorative elements were missing, and some wooden additions had been loosely nailed on the carved decorative buttresses of its facade. Careful study of the object resulted in a better understanding of its construction materials and methodology. Cleaning tests and sampling indicated that the object had been over-painted several times. Conservation, which is currently in progress, has been revealing a burnished, water gilded artefact of great beauty and craftsmanship that deserves to be treated in respect for what it represents in terms of religion and aesthetic excellence.
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Conference Presentations by Stamatina Nera