This paper presents a multi-analytical investigation performed for the study of the ecclesiastical vestment, with insignia, of Pope Pius VII, painted from the end of the 18th up to the beginning of the 19th century, made of five clothing... more
This paper presents a multi-analytical investigation performed for the study of the ecclesiastical vestment, with insignia, of Pope Pius VII, painted from the end of the 18th up to the beginning of the 19th century, made of five clothing elements: chasuble, stole, maniple, chalice veil and purse. The aim of this research was to assess the conservation state of the silk and painted backgrounds; to define the manufacturing technique of the work; to localize, if present, the underdrawing and any retouching; to identify the pigments and, where possible, the binders used. A diagnostic protocol was developed based on preliminary investigations through multiband imaging techniques known as MBI (visible, ultraviolet-induced visible luminescence (UVL), near-infrared reflected (NIR) and infrared reflected false color (IRRFC) photography). The images acquired with MBI techniques ensured a more specific choice of spots to be analyzed directly in situ by non-invasive techniques. In particular, p...
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During the restoration of St. Bernard’s liturgical vestments, cloth fragments were selected from the chasuble, the braiding, the gloves, the miter and the chalice veil. The samples were characterized chromatically by means of the Munsell... more
During the restoration of St. Bernard’s liturgical vestments, cloth fragments were selected from the chasuble, the braiding, the gloves, the miter and the chalice veil. The samples were characterized chromatically by means of the Munsell system in conditions of transmitted light. The morphology of the different fibers was investigated with an image analyzer. Chasuble: The components of the blue embroidery, the braiding and the lining were studied. The outer fabric of the chasuble consists of silk fibers and Calotropis sp. The lining is made of Gossypium sp. and Hibiscus sp. fibers. Chasuble braiding: The partly green ribbon sewn at the center of the chasuble is made of Cannabis sp. The weave is made of silk and Hibiscus sp. filaments. The red braiding is made of Gossypium sp., and the brown braiding of Cannabis sp. fibers. Chalice veil: The cloth is made of Calotropis sp. The Glove is made of filaments of Gossypium sp. and Calotropis sp., and its red braiding of Hibiscus sp. Miter: The morphological investigation was performed on the outer part. The miter is made of degummed silk and has a Z torsion. The lining is made of Linum usitatissimum L.. fibers. Conclusions: The combination of all the identified elements points to a moment in the history of the natural landscape that is associated with the agrarian and commercial organization that arose in Italy out of the gradual breakdown of the late Roman world. In early medieval times, the cultivation of flax, hemp and cotton crops that were relatively easy to grow and process reflected a domestic type of economy. Silk was reintroduced to Italy at the beginning of the tenth century by merchants from Amalfi who imported it from Constantinople.