Why non-destructive methods used on artifacts?

Viviana NICOLETTI¹ / Nadire Mine YAR²
(¹Independent Restorer, Italy / ²Director of Art Restoration, Turkey

Keywords:

Key Study: Ink of Qur’an ŞE 80

Abstract:
The Qur’an ŞE 80 of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art of Istanbul is one of the very important early Qur’ans that were brought to Istanbul from Damascus in 1911 among the so called “Damascus documents”. In the occasion of the exhibition “The 1914^th Anniversary of the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Art of Istanbul” Qur’an ŞE 80 underwent specific conservation treatment financed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch.  The restoration work was carried on by independent restorer Viviana Nicoletti on behalf of Art Restoration.
During restoration works which were written in ink in various colors were seen. In order to identify the different periods of the ink on this valuable piece of work, non-destructive analyses method was used. Therefore, with the help of an Italian team, scientists and restorers, XRF analysis of the pigments of the parchment and of the paper leaves was undertaken in February 2014, aiming at identifying the mineral compound present in the writing supports and in the graphic media. Such analysis will join the study of the bookbinding to verify the dating proposed for the manuscript on historical and paleographical grounds.