Möglichkeiten der schonenden Abnahme von Silbersulfid auf fragilen Silberobjekten

Erprobung von Restaurierungsmethoden für den Merkel’schen Tafelaufsatz von 1549 aus dem Rijksmuseum Amsterdam

Abstract

Ways of gently removing silver sulphide from fragile objects. Testing conservation methods in the case of the Merkel centrepiece of 1549 in Amsterdam’s Rijksmuseum
Silver objects react with sulphurous air pollutants and vapours from surrounding materials, forming a silver sulphide layer on their surface. This also applies to Wenzel Jamnitzer’s masterpiece of 1549. His casts directly from nature are too fragile, however, to be treated by standard cleaning methods. This article discusses various techniques for removing silver sulphide layers from fragile objects. It is based on the author’s diploma thesis of 2011, in cooperation with the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and the Fachhochschule Potsdam. Cleaning tests were done on small silver plates and reproductions of natural casts, including dried soapwort roots, SurTec 104, two acids, electrolytic reduction, laser cleaning, and reduction by atmospheric pressure plasma. Electrolytic reduction using a customized pen performed best.