Wood analysis and restoration of a baroque sculpture

Martin Zupančič and Andrej Jazbec and Katarina Čufar (2004) Wood analysis and restoration of a baroque sculpture. Les=Wood: revija o lesu in pohištvu, 56 (9). pp. 283-286. ISSN 0024-1067

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Abstract

The baroque statue of St. Mary with Jesus from the 17th century was severely damaged when it was brought to the restoration workshop. We decided to reconstruct its original appearance with help of wood biology. We examined the following features: colour of the wood, occurrence of sapwood, heartwood and discoloured wood, presence of pith, bark and included bark, orientation of grain, texture, homogeneity, occurrence of tension wood, juvenile wood and reaction zones. We concluded that the main part of the original version of the sculpture was made of one larger piece of lime wood (Tilia sp.). The wood was taken from a tree where the stem divides into larger branches. The artist used the natural branching to make the upper part of the statue, one branch for St. Mary and one for Jesus. He also took advantage of the natural eccentricity of the stem. We found out that the original version of the statue was later put apart by sawing so that it could be dressed in textile. Finally we present the statue after restoration.

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