Cultural Heritage Agency Research Articles

Interpreting post-conflict values: conservation decision-making for Bosnian war-damaged manuscripts from the Oriental Institute in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The destruction of libraries and archives is not an original tactic in warfare, but the result remains the same: the crippling of enemy morale by sabotaging their cultural achievements. After the Bosnian War (1992–1995), the Sarajevo Oriental Institute’s collection of 200,000+ Ottoman-era manuscripts was reduced to just 105 volumes. In November 2022, conservators at the Gazi Husrev-begova Library began a campaign to conserve the remaining manuscripts. Establishing these objects’ historical and current social, artistic, academic and economic values allows conservators and stakeholders to make ethically based treatment decisions that underpin a collaborative and mutually agreeable reconstruction effort. This article presents the preliminary findings of research into the usefulness of value assessments as a basis for conservation decision-making for war-damaged and war-affected objects. It will focus on the Dutch Cultural Heritage Agency’s system for collection valuation in determining the values associated with one of the 105 surviving volumes from the Oriental Institute.

Using cultural heritage and historical analyses for current and future problems with too much or too little water

The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, as part of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, executes a program on water and heritage. The program aims to provide information that can be of use in spatial planning by civil services. The underlying principle of the program is the premise that archaeologists and other cultural heritage professionals have the knowledge and means to make cross-overs between heritage and climate change and issues related to this, such as flooding and drought. The program consists of numerous projects, such as cultural heritage research as a knowledge base for predicting the location of water related problems in cities and researching the relation between soil, subsoil and water systems and the location and development of cities. This article digs deeper into the concept of using past data for present issues. It provides examples of how archaeological data and historical analysis can be used for current and future water-management problems.

Stadsvernieuwing en stads- en dorpsgezichten in de periode 1961-1985

Urban renewal and historic urban landscape in the Netherlands, 1961-1985 Many urban sites and rural settlements suffered severely from dilapidation in the Netherlands after the Second World War. Urban renewal focused on large-scale demolition and modern urban development with highways, office buildings and commercial districts in the 1960s and 1970s. Following widespread protest by society, the revitalization of historical areas finally became a primary objective of urban renewal. To what extent and how this was achieved in relation to the 472 protected town- and villagescapes has not yet been studied. The Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands is currently researching the post-1965 era and this has yielded new insights in that respect. Area-based and long-term planning, reviving inner-cities, community participation and the human dimension were key principles in achieving results. The European Architectural Heritage Year 1975 and the Declaration of Amsterdam introducing the concept of ‘integrated conservation’ was considerably influential in this matter. And this approach can still be topical looking at the major urban issues of today. The urban renewal period holds up a mirror to us: how to achieve sustainable urban development that serves an integrated perspective encompassing public, social, economic and cultural goals?

Verdwenen bos opnieuw op de kaart

Vanished forest back on the map Mapping woodland in the late medieval Netherlands based on the distribution of woodland-related place names In the Netherlands plans are being developed to increase woodland substantially. But where? And what should new stretches of woodland be like to fulfill their intended functions? Historical information may help answering these questions. However, only for the period after 1850 detailed nation-wide cartographic information is available. Initiated by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (rce) a big data analysis was carried out on a national scale to gain insight in the distribution and character of woodland in the late medieval period (1000-1500). Starting point was a database containing all 6284 Dutch place names. Medieval place names that refer to (the use of) woodland in general or to specific types of woodland were selected and mapped. The resulting distribution shows interesting regional differences but is distorted and incomplete. The next step is to supplement it by using national inventories of ‘ancient woodland’, historically known medieval woods, archaeological data on medieval charcoal burning sites and perhaps also known sites of ‘ancient woodland’ plant species. Regional inventories of field names will then be used to validate resulting spatial patterns.

The Rooswijk wreck, Goodwin Sands: Examination and analysis of 18th-century glass bottles

The #Rooswijk1740 project is funded and led by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (Ministry of Education, Science and Culture), in collaboration with project partner Historic England and UK-contractor MSDS Marine. The oxide compositions of 17 glass bottles recovered from the Rooswijk, a Dutch East India Company (VOC) Indiaman lost in 1740 on the Goodwin Sands, were determined by micro-x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy paired with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) analysis, focusing on the origins of the bottles. Three of the bottle samples were identified as of probable English origin and part of the same batch. Most of the bottles are probably from continental Europe, with at least two likely to be Dutch, although their precise origins could not be identified conclusively.

A Revised Model for Decision-Making in Contemporary Art Conservation and Presentation

ABSTRACT In response to contemporary art forms and related conservation and presentation challenges, a research initiative at Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences reconsidered the renowned Decision-Making Model for the Conservation and Restoration of Modern and Contemporary Art. Since its publication in 1999, the model has served as a valuable tool for navigating through complex problems in modern and contemporary art conservation. Nevertheless, within the last decades, a need for revision has been revealed. To provide an updated guidance for conservation and presentation decisions, a multi-disciplinary working group re-evaluated the model within the context of recent research results and case studies, thereby considering: (1) the starting point in the individual case, (2) the often complex biographies of artworks, (3) the dynamics in decision-making, and (4) the juxtaposition of the current and desired state of an artwork to include decisions regarding preventive conservation and the presentation of ephemeral or inherently evolving artworks. Fish Flies on Sky (1985/95), a video installation by Nam June Paik, serves as an example to illustrate the different steps of the model. The research initiative was organized by Cologne Institute of Conservation Sciences, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands, and Maastricht University.

The examination of Van Gogh\u2019s chrome yellow pigments in \u2018Field with Irises near Arles\u2019 using quantitative SEM\u2013WDX

In this paper we present the results of quantitative measurements on the pigment chrome yellow (PbCr1−xSxO4 with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.8) using scanning electron microscopy-wavelength dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–WDX). Traditionally, Optical Microscopy (OM) in combination with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM–EDX) is used for the identification of many pigments in paint cross-sections based on their particle characteristics and elemental composition. However, in the case of chrome yellow, the lead (Pb) and sulphur (S) peaks overlap, which makes quantitative analysis unreliable. SEM–WDX does not suffer from this problem and we have demonstrated that this technique can distinguish different types of chrome yellow based on the quantification of the sulphur-content of the pigment. This identification can be performed on paint cross-sections, allowing for distinction between chrome yellows in different paint layers. In addition, our study showed that the different types of chrome yellow can still be identified even in low concentrations. Van Gogh made wide use of different hues of chrome yellow. Using this method, we have identified the types of chrome yellow he used in Field with Irises near Arles, which we have been able to correlate with the information in his letters. Raman spectroscopy of the same samples confirmed the SEM–WDX results, but evidenced a higher sensitivity of the latter technique in revealing small amounts of sulphur-rich PbCr1−xSxO4 in mixtures with PbCrO4. SEM–WDX is also more accurate, because it allows the lead(II) sulphate fraction to be determined within 1 mol% absolute, whereas with Raman spectroscopy only relatively broad ranges can be defined. The on-going research of Van Gogh’s paintings as part of a cataloguing project—a collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands and Shell—opens the way for a comprehensive comparison of the chrome yellows used by Van Gogh using SEM–WDX.

From tangible to intangible heritage

Hollóko, the first World Heritage village in Europe (since 1987), is exemplary not only because its long history of preservation ranges over different cultural heritage regimes and integrates various levels of heritage protection, but also because it is a village which incorporates intangible heritage elements from the beginning of its conservation in spite of the fact that first it is only protected as an ensemble of vernacular buildings. The article shows by the analysis of the sixty plus years of the documented heritage protection of this village how the regimes of cultural heritage unfold; how cultural heritage agency functions in the context of the interactions between locals, professionals and visitors; and how this heritage village embodies different levels of cultural heritage. The cultural heritage agency is examined in a matrix, which is determined by the three regimes of cultural heritage and by the multiple levels of heritage interpretations ranging from universal to local. The heritagization of the village proves that this process does not wipe out, but reuses broken social practices and that the locals form a public community for which the rather sharp line separating public and private spheres is blurred and needs to be managed.

Digging into the past of nature carpets. The evaluation of treatments on artworks by Piero Gilardi made from polyurethane ether foam

This study evaluates two research projects and treatments performed ten and twenty years ago by the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) on two artworks made of flexible polyurethane ether foam (PUR foam) by Piero Gilardi; Natura Morta (1967) of the collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam (NL) and Zuccaia (1991) of the collection of Zoetermeer City hall (NL). These projects and treatments on the objects involved the treatment of mechanical damages present in the works, and the development and performing of the consolidation of PUR ether foam with Tinuvin B75/Impranil DLV mixture. The condition of an untreated nature carpet Cavoli e Neve (1967, 1988) from the collection S.M.A.K., Gent (BE) was used as a control reference in this study. The techniques from the two former RCE researches, such as determination of cell strut size and hydroxyl index, are used for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the past treatments. Besides that, empirical research, i.e. resilience and rubbing tests, are performed on all case studies. Also, the consolidation method used in the treatment of the abovementioned artworks was evaluated and refined. Finally, consolidation tests on artificially aged and severely degraded PUR-foam samples were carried out to see whether the condition of already degraded foam could also be reinforced. This study showed that the effectiveness of the former treatments was best assessed by the measurement of the cell strut size and empirical research. The past treatments proved to be very successful and can therefore be suggested for similar artworks. After the promising results of this study, Cavoli e Neve was treated. However, preliminary consolation tests on the artwork itself showed, viewing the foam under microscope, the skeleton still broke during consolidation and therefore did not improve the skeleton strength. Therefore, besides cleaning the work and structural treatment of the damages, a consolidation on this artwork was not performed. Ongoing research will focus on this issue.

Leven met water

Living with water. The Dijkenkaart of the Netherlands De Cultural Heritage Agency made an interesting digital map (in GIS) of all the dikes in the Netherlands. This was possible by using existing digital maps, but new research was necessary to make this general overview. There was discussion about the dating of dikes, because dikes can be of medieval origin, but were adjusted over time. Besides dikes, researchers find GIS and historical information on poldermills, kolks, reclamations and pumping stations. That is why this map is called ‘Living with water’, because this information can help addressing new challenges in climate adaptation strategies dealing with water. Everyone can take a look, or download the map in GIS, on www.cultureelerfgoed.nl/onderwerpen/bronnen-en-kaarten/overzicht/levenmet-water-kaart.

Effectiveness of methods against rising damp in buildings: Results from the EMERISDA project

Rising damp is a recurrent hazard to ancient buildings in Europe and its relevance is expected to increase in the future, due to climate changes. The presence of rising damp in walls does not only create an unpleasant climate in buildings, but it also enhances damage processes such as frost action, salt crystallization and biological growth, with possible consequences on the health of the inhabitants. The relevance of this problem is reflected by the large variety of products on the market. The wide and differentiated offer and the scarce scientific information on the effectiveness of the methods make it difficult, (even) for professionals working in the field, to choose a suitable intervention on a sound basis. The JPICH-financed project EMERISDA (2014–2017) [1] aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of different intervention methods against rising damp. The project involved universities, research institutes, heritage agencies and companies (producers and contractors) in Belgium (BBRI, co-ordinator), Italy (CNR-ISAC, Universita’ Ca’ Foscari Venezia, Restauri Speciali s.r.l., Diasen s.r.l.) and The Netherlands (Delft University of Technology and the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands). The research methodology included the use of an on-line questionnaire and experimental research in laboratory, on scale models and on-site. Both traditional methods, such as chemical injection, and more recent techniques, such as the so-called “electro-physical” methods have been investigated. [2] The following results of the EMERISDA project are presented in this paper: - Results from on-line questionnaire.- Definition of an experimental procedure for the assessment of the presence of rising damp and of the effectiveness of the intervention.- Prototype of decision support tool, which provides insight into the feasibility and risks of existing methods against rising damp and supports actors involved in conservation in the choice and application of the methods against rising damp.

Reconstructing Van Gogh\u2019s palette to determine the optical characteristics of his paints

The colors of Field with Irises near Arles, painted by Van Gogh in Arles in 1888, have changed considerably. To get an idea of how this painting, as well as other works by Van Gogh, looked shortly after their production, the Revigo (Re-assessing Vincent van Gogh’s colors) research project was initiated. The aim of this project was to digitally visualize the original colors of paintings and drawings by Vincent van Gogh, using scientific methods backed by expert judgement where required. We adopted an experimental art technological approach and physically reconstructed Van Gogh’s full palette of oil paints, closely matching those he used to paint Field with Irises near Arles. Sixteen different paints were reconstructed, among which the most light-sensitive pigments and linseed oil, which is prone to yellowing, were produced according to 19th century practice. The resulting pigments and oils were chemically analyzed and compared to those used by Van Gogh. The ones that resembled his paints the most were used in the paint reconstructions. Other pigments were either obtained from the Cultural Heritage Agency’s collection of historical pigments, or purchased from Kremer Pigmente. The reconstructed paints were subsequently used to calculate the absorption K and scattering S parameters of the individual paints. Using Kubelka–Munk theory, these optical parameters could in turn be used to determine the color of paint mixtures. We applied this method successfully to digitally visualize the original colors of Field with Irises near Arles. Moreover, the set of optical parameters presented here can similarly be applied to calculate digital visualizations of other paintings by Van Gogh and his contemporaries.

GESTIÓN DE RIESGOS DEL PATRIMONIO CULTURAL: ALCANCES PARA EL PATRIMONIO HISTÓRICO INMUEBLE

El presente artículo relaciona conceptos básicos de la gestión de patrimonio y la gestión de ries- gos del patrimonio cultural (GRPC). Para abordar este tema se parte por delinear ciertos conceptos cruciales sobre patrimonio cultural, pues la teoría formulada al respecto es dinámica, cambiante y resulta de gran importancia para la sociedad actual. Para abordar la temática central se han utiliza- do conceptos vinculados con los riesgos, el patrimonio cultural y su gestión, para posteriormente integrarlos con mayor detalle al enfoque aquí abordado. Finalmente, se han incluido los aspectos más relevantes de la metodología desarrollada por el Instituto Canadiense de Conservación (CCI), el Centro Internacional de Estudios para la Conservación y la Restauración de los Bienes Culturales (ICCROM), y la Agencia de los Países Bajos para el Patrimonio Cultural (RCE). La gestión de riesgo abarca la evaluación, análisis, propuestas, planes y otros aspectos vinculados a la práctica de una organización pública/privada, con el objetivo de minimizar el riesgo en el momento de la toma de decisiones sobre la gestión del patrimonio cultural.

Archaeological heritage management in the Meuse valley (Limburg, the Netherlands) from a national perspective: aims, methods and results

AbstractNumerous archaeological investigations have been performed along the river Meuse in the Netherlands’ southeastern province of Limburg as part of the major ‘Maaswerken’ infrastructural project. To improve flood risk management and navigability, and for the purpose of gravel production and nature development, several areas of land covering a total of almost 2000 ha are being excavated to a great depth. In anticipation of this, archaeological research was performed for the purposes of recording and documenting archaeological remains in the most important areas and locations. From 1998 to 2015 the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (Amersfoort) was in charge of the investigations, and acted as adviser to national public works agency Rijkswaterstaat.The archaeological research connected with the Maaswerken project differed from regular, site-based investigations in terms of the landscape archaeology perspective on which it was based. The research themes and principles associated with this perspective were published in several documents, including a scientific policy plan published in 2004, and presented in further detail in area programmes and project briefs. The policy plan assigned each project area to one of five value assessment categories, based on the intactness of the landscape and the archaeological potential for addressing the research questions. In areas of high landscape intactness and great archaeological potential (category 1) the Agency selected zones to be surveyed and assessed, and for archaeological excavation. Though most of the fieldwork, including specialist analysis, was performed in these zones, other category project areas have also been the subject of archaeological fieldwork, including borehole surveys, site-oriented research and watching briefs, but on a more incidental basis. Observations were also made in the river Meuse itself and in the river's winter bed.The archaeological investigations resulted in a large number of standard reports of desk studies and fieldwork, including reports of specialist analyses. A considerable proportion of these refer to the large-scale investigations at Borgharen and Itteren to the north of Maastricht, and at Lomm and Well–Aijen to the north of Venlo. The results of the investigations suggest the archaeological record here is rich and varied, with a time depth of c. 11,500 years, and traces of occupation and land use ranging from the Early Mesolithic (Well–Aijen, Borgharen) to the Second World War (Lomm).This paper reflects on almost 20 years of archaeological research in the project areas of the Maaswerken and on the principles and methods used in the field research. The common thread is the results of landscape and archaeological studies and the relationship between them. Examples are used to illustrate results that can be regarded as important from a national perspective, and in terms of archaeological heritage management.

A Swedish Man-of-War in Dutch Waters: an archaeological field evaluation of the wreck of the Sophia Albertina by Alice Overmeer 93 pp., 50 colour illustrations, some b&w including plans and line drawings, maps Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands,

A Swedish Man-of-War in Dutch Waters: an archaeological field evaluation of the wreck of the Sophia Albertina by Alice Overmeer 93 pp., 50 colour illustrations, some b&w including plans and line drawings, maps Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands,

Duikers’ Open Air School: Re-Use or Contin-Use?

Even more than eighty years after its inauguration in 1930, Jan Duiker’s ‘First Open Air School for the Healthy Child’ in Amsterdam remains in use as an elementary school for the education of children between 6 and 12 years old. The building has recently undergone substantial restoration works, including some changes that were necessary to keep up with current regulations. Some 1950s interventions have been retained which posed particular challenges regarding the colors and finishes. The clear cut appearance of the building seems to ignore the complexity of the design decisions that had to be made to grant this building a second lease of life. Restoration architect Sander Nelissen (Wessel de Jonge architects, Rotterdam) and architectural paint researcher Mariël Polman (Cultural Heritage Agency) worked closely together on the restoration of the building and its interior.

도서관/박물관 협력체제 모형 개발에 관한 연구

최근 지식정보자원의 급증과 정보통신기술의 발달은 오랫동안 지식과 정보자원을 독자적으로 수집하여 서비스를 제공해 온 도서관과 박물관에 많은 영향을 미치고 있다. 이에 하나의 도서관이나 박물관이 이용자들이 원하는 지식자원을 충분히 확보하고 제공할 수 있는 물리적 자족이 불가능하다는 인식에서 출발하여 다양한 유형으로 협력을 시작하고, 국제적 체제로 도서관, 박물관, 아카이브 등 문화유산기관 간 풍부한 협력체제를 구축하고 있다. 본 연구에서는 도서관과 박물관의 협력체제 구축을 위한 모형으로 자율방임형 상호교환 모형, 분산형 상호서비스 모형, 집중형 서비스센터 모형, 혼합형 공동관리 모형을 제시하고 향후 발전방안을 제시하였다. Recently, the rapid Increase of knowledge information resources and the advancement of information and communication technology has affected all libraries and the museums which collected knowledge and the information resources and provided service with indigenous for a long time. Hence, The library and the museum began to constructs the cooperative system with the cultural heritage agency such as international museums, libraries and archives after realizing the impossibility of physical self-sufficiency that the users are not able to obtain the knowledge resources and the library are not able to provide them. In this Paper, some models are presented for the data cooperation system construction of the library and the museum and developmental plan in the future. The models are (1) Interchangeable model for autonomous noninterference (2) dispense mutual service model (3) intensive service center model (4) a mixture union model.