The present study aims to set-up an investigation integrated methodology to identify pigments and binders present in the original layers and the subsequent repainted layers that characterize two ...polychrome wooden statues dated to the fifteenth century. In particular a multi-analytical approach has been applied on two Ligurian Christs, the first one from San Bartolomeo parish in Zuccarello, the second from Borghetto San Niccolò (placed in Liguria region, Noethern Italy) both repainted many times during the centuries. By comparing the results of XRF analysis performed with portable instrumentation on the surfaces and on the stratigraphic sequences coming from different areas of the works of art, with the data obtained by SEM-EDS and corroborated with μ-FTIR and portable Raman spectroscopy findings, the pigments present in the different layers were identified. By μ-FTIR spectroscopy and thanks to the application of some staining tests (with Oil red and Amido black) the chemical nature of the organic binders employed was disclosed. Thanks to the presence of specific pigments, such as Prussian blue, barium sulphate, titanium oxide and some organic colorants, linked to specific historical periods, it was possible to date the layers and to reconstruct the history of the two examined statues. These detailed investigations on complex stratigraphic cross sections have been carried out as part of a conservation project and the results obtained have provided restorers with important information useful for the intervention on these statues and for their conservation.
The archetypal symbols of Mazu’s statues and pictorial art are the mapping of a religious concept, a way of belief, and some programmed behaviours and rituals. They are also emotional imagery used to ...arouse the cultural awareness of international Chinese, inspire them to help and trust each other, to encourage and to comfort each other, to share weal and woe, and to always forge ahead. From the perspectives of historical memory, visual signs, and cultural identity, this paper explores the construction of archetypal symbols for the statues and images of Mazu. In addition, this paper generalizes the foundation and methods of this construction by analyzing the artistic forms and characteristics of the surviving Mazu images and statues and comparing the rules and regulations for making statues of other religions. Moreover, we consider the function of artistic signs that refer to and symbolize broader religious concepts and beliefs. The purpose of this work is to make the image of Mazu more visually present and strengthen cultural identity.
The brilliant effect of the Buddha not only strengthens Buddhist believers’ psychological effects of worship, consecration, and showing off of merits, but also becomes an important dissemination ...method to attract the public to join in. Starting from the golden skin of ancient Buddha statues, this paper analyzes the relevant historical documents and unearthed objects of gilded Buddha statues in ancient India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and China and pays attention to the body decoration and technology dissemination as well as the process and influence of Chinese localization. In traditional Buddhist culture, gold technology and its application have an important impact on artistic expression, appearance protection, and the psychology of Buddhist statues. In the Late Tang Dynasty, the government and Buddhism suffered conflicts between supply and demand due to gold resources. The forced stripping of gilded Buddha statues became a historical epitome reflecting the deep social and economic problems.
The 21st century has seen the rise of a new phenomenon – the creation of statues and monuments celebrating the lives of entertainers. Drawing on debates about popular culture, placemaking and ...heritage, and in the context of recent controversies about the politics of statues and memorials, this paper examines a manifestation of this phenomenon as represented by statues of comedians erected in the towns of Northern England. The paper begins by sketching the characteristics of the statues and their subjects. It proceeds by reflecting on their emergence in the context of debates about the contested place of nostalgia in social and cultural theory. The paper uses a strategically selected sub-set of the statues to reflect on the emerging cultural and political imaginary of towns as sites of contemporary political struggles. It concludes by asserting that the significant affective investment into statues projects and the progressive potential of popular cultural nostalgia offer an important corrective to crude assumptions about the cultural lives of towns.
The Last Statues of Antiquity is the first comprehensive survey of Roman honorific statues in the public realm in Late Antiquity, offering a richly illustrated pan-Empire exploration of the reasons ...behind the decline and eventual disppearance of Roman statuary c.AD 250-650, examining variations between regions, cities, and the honorands.
In this work, a portable computed tomography (CT) system was developed and applied for the analysis of wooden sculptures. The CT system is composed by a portable 120 kV X-ray tube and a 410 × 410 mm ...a-Si flat panel detector with a pixel size of 200 μm. An arduino controlled rotary table was used for the angular movement of the part under analysis. A wooden piece was used for the characterization of the system and the CT images were compared with the ones acquired with a microCT equipment. This piece is a 300 × 160 × 90 mm (H x W x D) wooden block with several details that can be found in wooden sculptures, as thickness reductions, cracks, metallic inclusions, assembling of different wooden parts etc. After the characterization, the system was used for the analysis of a 380 mm high wooden sculpture and the images were also compared with the microCT ones. After these steps, the system was applied for the on-site analysis of the head of a 1100 mm high sculpture. The images acquired with the portable CT system showed to be similar when compared with the microCT equipment. Also, other characteristics of the piece were perfectly visualized, like growth rings, damages caused by xylophagous insects and assembling of different woods. The statue analysis revealed their structural conditions and their manufacturing process, as the types of glass eyes and the different wood densities used. The results showed that the portable CT system can be used for on-site investigation of wooden statues that can't be moved for in-lab evaluations, with qualitative and quantitative results equivalent to the microCT.
•A portable CT system were developed for investigation of wooden statues.•Qualitative and quantitative response were compared with microCT images.•The portable system were applied for the on-site analysis of a wooden statue.•The portable CT showed similar results with the microCT.
Military statues are being attacked and removed in multiple countries, but there is little analytic work on the associated reasons. Therefore, this research aimed to conduct a nationwide survey of ...outdoor military statues in a case study country (New Zealand) and identify reasons for attacks. Of the 118 statues identified, 11 (9%) of these had been physically attacked. A key risk factor for statue attack was it being linked to the colonial-era New Zealand Wars versus any other specific war (75% vs 8%, p = .003). This finding fitted with other evidence from attacks on statues of named New Zealanders (e.g. politicians) and on attacks of other types of monuments to these particular wars. It is also consistent with past and persisting injustices experienced by the Indigenous Māori population. In conclusion, some of the attacks on the military statues in this country appear to reflect social injustices and harm from colonialism.
This article is a product of the first complete survey of British public representational monuments in the U.K. related to transatlantic slavery, available online at
...https://www.britishmonumentsrelatedtoslavery.net
. Identifying over 900 monuments, it brings this survey to bear on current public and policy debates about such monuments' history, significance and meaning vis-à-vis slavery, art and heritage. Examining the monuments at scale, we identify the monuments' patterns of production and provide data-led answers to specific questions such as what Britain's most significant monumental legacies of slavery are; how enslaved people appear in British public monuments; and how this data might support rethinking these monuments.
In 1982, residents of Liverpool pulled a statue of William Huskisson from its plinth. Today, a plaque at the site states that the sculpture was removed by "activists offended at Huskisson's role in ...supporting slavery." Less than a mile away, however, one finds Huskisson's effigy, reerected, with no reference to slavery. This article traces the history of the rise, fall and rise of the Huskisson statue in order to examine how collective memory shapes the urban landscape and informs local communities' interaction with it. It also reflects on the nature of memory conflicts and the processing of unresolved events in the past.
