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Martina Griesser studied chemistry at the Vienna University of Technology (PhD 1995).
From 1996, she was employed by the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna to set up the Conservation Science Department. Today, she is head of department, focusing on investigations of painting/manufacturing techniques of old master paintings and a great variety of artworks/objects, analysis of corrosion products, and preventive conservation measures. Since 1999, she has been a lecturer at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Institute of Conservation and Restoration. |
ABSTRACT
Studying the Materials and Technology of the Imperial Crown in Vienna: Insights into a Still Ongoing Interdisciplinary, Multi-Analytical Research Project
Martina Griesser, Sabine Stanek, Katharina Uhlir
Kunsthistorissches Museum, Vienna, Conservation Science Department
Franz Kirchweger, Helene Hanzer, Teresa Lamers, Herbert Reitschuler
Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Kunstkammer & Imperial Treasury
The Imperial Crown – kept in the Imperial Treasury, Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna (KHM) today – was used for the coronations of the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and is the only one of the numerous crowns owned and used by kings and emperors in the Middle Ages to have survived. It remained in use until the last coronation in 1792 and is one of the most iconic objects in European history.
The three-year-long research project CROWN (https://www.projekt-reichskrone.at/en/) aims to provide information on the materials, technology, and state of preservation of the Imperial Crown for the first time. Therefore, an interdisciplinary perspective as well as state-of-the-art conservation and scientific methods are used. By providing high resolution and 3D microscopic images, construction drawings, animations, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Raman spectroscopic and fibre optic reflectance (FORS) data the project will establish a new basis for the scholarly discussion of the crown’s controversial dating (960–1150 AD) and provenance as well as its state of preservation.
The comprehensive scientific studies focus on the characterisation of the decorative elements – multi-coloured enamels, gemstones, and pearls – used on the eight plates of the crown band and the later added arch and cross. Main objectives concern the detailed investigation of the cloisonné work, its manufacturing process, the enamels’ chemical composition as well as the degradation and corrosion of the different enamel colours.
The results obtained are compared with studies of several comparable objects, selected on the basis of historic sources and stylistic considerations. These objects are kept in Germany, France and Italy and have been analysed by prominent experts for the study of medieval goldsmithing, again focusing on the enamels.
Although the data evaluation is still in progress, the presentation will give first insights to the results obtained and discuss challenges and limits of non-destructive investigations of highly complex three-dimensional mediaeval artworks.