UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

Guest
2024-11-27 9:30
 HOME     CONFERENCES     SEARCH            LOGIN     NEW USER     IMAGES   


Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2014 Meeting


Section: Optics, Spectroscopy, Plasma and Lasers


Title:
Characterization of historical violin varnishes using ATR-FTIR spectroscopy


Authors:
Raluca CRISTACHE(1), IOANA MARIA CORTEA(2), I. SANDU(3)


Affiliation:
1) "Al.I.Cuza" University of Iaši, Faculty of Geography, Iaši, Romania

2) National Institute for Research and Development in Optoelectronics INOE 2000, Bucharest, Romania

3) "Al.I.Cuza" University of Iaši, ARHEOINVEST Interdisciplinary Platform, Iaši, Romania


E-mail
ioana.cortea@inoe.ro


Keywords:
historical musical instruments, varnish technique, natural resins, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy, SEM-EDX


Abstract:
Traditional, historical varnishing techniques applied on ancient musical instruments have been increasingly studied within the last decades, a comprehensive physico-chemical characterization of these coatings being important not only for art historical analysis of artifacts but for proper restoration and conservation treatments as well. In this paper we discuss the chemical composition and micro-structure of materials used in violin varnishes, with a case study focused on a copy of 1712 Antonio Stradivari violin made in 1963 by Romanian master luthiers in Reghin. Defined as a clear, protective layer of organic film-making substances coated onto the surface, musical instrument varnishes are in general various mixtures of natural products - drying oils, essential oils, tree resins, gums, etc. – that may be difficult to analyze due their complex composition and natural variability. The results obtained in our study, on micro-samples without any special pre-treatment, by the use of Fourier Transform Infrared – Attenuated Total Reflectance (FTIR-ATR) Spectroscopy, highlights characteristic absorption bands that indicate the presence of Dammar resin and siccative oils. Additional data on regard the varnish layers and the ground coating are discussed via Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with X-Ray Analysis (SEM-EDX).