Itemised fibre analysis and additive results and images of original museum catalogue cards

Transcription

1 A p p e n d i x A Itemised fibre analysis and additive results and images of original museum catalogue cards Readers Please note: The black and white images of the bonader and the images of the catalogue cards are the property of Länsmuseet Halmstad, as such they are subject to copyright. The images have been reproduced with their permission. The images of the samples taken from the bonader are the property of the author. They are not subject to copyright; please use them as you would like. J a c o b T h o m a s 67

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3 HM 9996 Sunnerbo School A Sample HM 9996 was taken from a bonad painted within Sunnerbo School. It depicts a the flight of the magi and the adoration of the magi. The dimensions are 242x49.5 cm. The work is undated and unsigned; it entered the museum s collection in Image 26 Front painted surface of sample HM 9996, 11x magnification. The painted surface is in moderate condition with some flaking, and individual fibres can be discerned at the torn edge. The paper is thin and well formed. The fibres are long and seem to be in good condition. Image 27 Reverse surface of sample HM 9996, 60x magnification. The fibres are predominantly with few coloured fibres present. The paper shows good, even formation. The paper seems to be coated on both surfaces with some sort of surface treatment; deposits of a white substance are visible in the image. Though dirty, the paper is in good condition and represents one of the best papers from the sample set. Image 28 HM 9996, 40x magnification dark field. Treatment with Aluminon reagent, indicates that aluminium is evenly distributed throughout the paper matrix. J a c o b T h o m a s 69

4 Images 29, 30, 31 HM 9996, Graff C stain 40x, 400x, and 100x magnification, dark field. The fibres stained predominantly red to reddish orange indicating low lignin rag pulp or other highly purified pulp. There are several anomalous, unidentified fibres fibres; these stain green and yellow indicating increased lignin. The green staining fibres show evidence of mechanical processing and their colour indicates cooking or chemical processing. They have retained their quaternary structure and seem to be wood pulp, but this has not been verified. The yellow fibre with extensive longitudinal fraying could also be wood pulp. Image 32 and 33 HM 9996, Neocarmine 40x and 200x magnification, dark field. This paper did not stain strongly with neocarmine. It is possible to identify some cotton and wool fibres, but most are so disrupted that positive identification is impossible. However, it is possible to identify what appears to be wood pulp in the lower image. Images 34 HM 9996, 100x magnification, dark field. Fluoroglucinol test for lignin. This paper has is predominantly lignin free with a few fibres staining strongly for the presence of lignin. J a c o b T h o m a s 70

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7 HM 9995 Sunnerbo School B Sample HM 9995 was taken from a bonad painted within the Sunnerbo School. It depicts Moses returning with the Ten Commandments to find the children of Israel worshipping the golden calf. The dimensions are 252 x 57.5 cm. The work is undated and unsigned; it entered the museum s collection in Image 35 Front painted surface of sample HM 9995, 11x magnification. The ground treatment is visible on much of the paper surface as well as a small patch of black paint. The fibres visible at the torn edge are short, but the overall the paper is still supple. It is of medium thickness and does not cleave easily. Image 36 Reverse surface of sample HM 9995, 60x magnification. This paper mostly made from pulp originating from rougher rag fibres. There is an overhand knot visible of the paper surface. The fibres are predominantly white with a few coloured wool fibres. Image 37 HM 9995, 100x magnification dark field. Treatment with Aluminon reagent, indicates that aluminium is evenly distributed throughout the paper matrix. The fibres have been aggressively beaten and are highly disrupted giving aluminium good access to the fibrils. Jacob Thomas Bonader on Paper 73

8 Images 38 and 39 HM 9995, Graff C stain 40x and 100x magnification, dark field. The fibres stained predominantly red to reddish orange indicating a low lignin rag source. There are some high lignin fibres present; these fibres stain yellow, but they do not morphologically resemble wood pulp, they are likely jute fibre from used ropes or coarse sacks. Image 40 HM 9995, Fluoroglucinol test for lignin. 100x magnification, dark field. The paper contains little lignin, what is there is confined to the jute fibres mentioned above. Jacob Thomas Bonader on Paper 74

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11 HM 4587 Sunnerbo School B Sample HM 4587 was taken from a bonad painted within the Sunnerbo School. It depicts a series of scenes from both the Old and New Testaments. They are, from left to right, Samson and the lion, the sacrifice of Isaac, Cain murdering Abel, and Zacheus in the mulberry tree. The dimensions are x 50 cm. The work is dated 1863 and is unsigned; it entered the museum s collection in Image 41 Front painted surface of sample HM 4587, 11x magnification. The painted surface is brittle and flaking, and individual fibres can be discerned at the torn edge. The fibres are long and remain supple even in a dry state. The paper is thin, soft, and wrinkled. Image 42 Reverse surface of sample HM 4587, 60x magnification. There is a large population of long coloured fibres, mostly blue and red fibres, but some black, brown, and green are also present. These coloured fibres can be cotton, linen or wool/hair. Image 43 HM 4587, 40x magnification, dark field. Aluminon reagent. The aluminium is again evenly distributed throughout the sheet. Again the aluminium seems to be bound to an inter-fibre material, but it also seems to be localised around the cellulosic fibres. As a side not, aluminon reagent is an excellent tool for identifying atypical fibres in the paper matrix. This is due to the fibres ability to act as an adsorbant surface for the aluminium, highly processed cellulosic fibres adsorb more aluminium than protein fibres or lesser processed cellulosic fibres. J a c o b T h o m a s 77

12 Images 44 and 45 HM 4587, Graff C stain 40x and 100x magnification, dark field. The bulk of the fibres resisted the stain, though they took on a pale orange hue. This indicates that they are predominantly older rag pulp. There are some identifiable wood fibres present, that they stain yellow indicates that they were not chemically processed. Image 46 HM 4587, Neocarmine 100x magnification, dark field. In this image it is easy to identify the coloured wool fibres (yellow, orange, and green) from the coloured cellulosic fibres (blue and red). Image 47 HM 4587, fluoroglucinol, 40x magnification, dark field. The pulp is nearly lignin free with the exception of a few fibres of unprocessed wood pulp. It seems that this was added to bulk out a thin vat of rag pulp. There is evidence of the wood pulp being mechanically cut and having undergone some beating in a Hollander, but on the whole it appears raw, and more like a cheap filler, than a fibre source. Jacob Thomas Bonader on Paper 78

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15 HM 4838 Västergötland Sample HM 4838 was taken from a bonad/bård painted within Västragötland. It depicts a repeated stylised, floral motif. The dimensions are 120x56 cm. The work is undated and unsigned; it entered the museum s collection in Image 48 Front painted surface of sample HM 4838, 11x magnification. The painted surface is brittle and flaking, and individual fibres can be discerned at the torn edge. The paper is thick and easily cleaves into planes. The fibres are relatively long, and they remain supple even in a dry state. Manipulation of the sample generates a powdery residue. This residue could be from a surface treatment, an added filler, a degraded sizing agent, or degraded cellulosic fibres. Image 49 Reverse surface of sample HM 4838, 60x magnification. The fibres are predominantly white with some blue, red and brown fibres distributed over the paper surface. There seems to be a large amount of filler or a surface treatment visible on the reverse side. Image 50 HM 4838, 40x magnification, dark field. Treatment with Aluminon reagent, indicates that aluminium is evenly distributed throughout the paper matrix, though much of the aluminium seems to be bound to the observed inter-fibre material. Alum was added during the formation process for numerous reasons, but the deposition pattern indicates that the alum is complexed to something other than the fibres. This substance could be saponified rosin and/or starch (size) or it could be detached microfibrils (fines). J a c o b T h o m a s 81

16 Image 51 HM 4838, Graff C stain 200x magnification, dark field. The fibres stained predominantly red to reddish orange. The red fibres are low in lignin and are likely from a rag source, while the reddish orange to brownish orange fibres contain more lignin. Some of the fibres have the characteristic knees of linen or hemp fibres, while some show characteristics of cotton, and others of jute. This paper is predominantly mixed rag pulp in origin, with some coarser fibres which were probably from used ropes or nets. Image 52 HM 4838, Neocarmine 100x magnification, dark field. This stain allows for quick identification of cellulosic and proteinaceous fibres. Cellulose stains red, blue, purple, while protein stains yellow, orange, and brown. From the image it is possible to locate individual wool fibres within the paper matrix. This stain will act upon previously dyed fibres to a lesser, but still recognisable, extent. Images 53 and 54 HM 4838, Fluorglucinol test for lignin 200x magnification (with detail), dark field. Spot testing on the paper revealed that the bulk of the material is lignin free within the test parameters, however there are atypical fibres in the paper which test strongly positive for lignin. These fibres can be identified as wood pulp from a coniferous source. Their presence is not surprising as the paper dates from a period of when ground wood pulp was first used. However, despite the evidence of mechanical cutting, this material is not ground wood, and since the bulk of the fibres are from rag sources, their presence is best explained as filler added to bulk out a thin vat. This filler would have been added in the final stages of beating. J a c o b T h o m a s 82

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