| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. Technical and analytical studies were carried out on a late Graeco/early Roman Egyptian cartonnage from the University of Southern California (LJSC 9428). The structure of the object was visually examined, and the layers of textile and plaster were identified as linen, wood fibres of mixed origin, and a lime-based plaster. Using a combination of techniques, the pigments used to decorate the cartonnage were identified as minium, Egyptian blue, green earth, a copper protcinate green, a mixture of Egyptian blue and iron ochres, a mixture of green earth and Egyptian blue, orpiment, hydrocerussite, a lac dye and a carbon lamp-black. The discovery of previously unrecognized and apparently rare pigments, such as a copper proteinate pigment from 350 BC, suggests that there is still much work to be done on the use of pigments and the techniques of painting and cartonnage production.
CONCLUSION. Both stylistic criteria and radiocarbon dating are in agreement in assigning this cartonnage fragment to the late Graeco- or early Romano-Egyptian period of the third to second century BC. It is important to establish the age of the cartonnage, since the pigment study revealed such a wealth of previously unknown infor¬mation. The brush technique used on the cartonnage is also unusual. The thick layers of paint applied by brush and possibly also with swabs of textile, which may have left the imprints on the left-hand side of the painted fabric, reveal more about the techniques of Egyptian paint¬ing. Although many representations of artists have survived on wall paintings, and the arid conditions have sometimes led to the survival of the organic materials used in brushes and accompanying equip¬ment [23], the cartonnage demonstrates that these items could be used in different ways to achieve different textures and effects. The complex layering of different components to create the cartonnage have been fully explored on this contoured piece. The layers of plaster, fabric and woody material are not always continuous throughout the piece: the fabric becomes folded in places, and the woody fill material appears to be used to a greater extent in some areas than m others. The examination of this woody material suggests that the cartonnage was not made of carefully prepared materials but scraps of wood and plant material of suitable size and shape. These would be disguised by the layers of plaster that would present a smooth surface for the painting. The presence of previously unrecognized pigments on this fragment could be interpreted as representative of the very high quality of the work on the cartonnage, and the high status and economic prosperity of the person for whom it was created. The fragment does not, however, represent the best work from this period. The rushed appearance of the painting of the stripes that separate the registers, often overlapping and obscuring the cream border, the presence of brush bristles and the imprinted textile texture, and the preparation of an underdrawing that is then sloppily completed, all suggest that this was not a top quality piece of work. Therefore the pigments employed are unlikely to be of the best quality, nor the most expensive range available to the artisan. The identifi¬cation of a wider range of pigments, in contrast, demonstrates how little knowledge we have of the working practices of this group of craftsmen during this period. It is likely that the palette of the Egyptian craftsmen widened considerably after increased Ro¬man contact in the late Graeco/early Roman period. The use of pigments more common in the Roman period, such as minium and terre verte, may have been introduced to Egyptian art by Roman craftsmen and traders. The binders used in the paints have been investi¬gated and shown to be amino acid based, probably prepared from an animal glue. This would not be unusual in Egyptian painting, but may explain the thickness of the paint layers. There is a practical limit to how thickly glue-bound paint can be applied, and in the relatively dry Egyptian atmosphere it is unlikely that the paint could have remained soft for more than a few minutes. This makes it even more probable that the inclusion of fibres within the olive green paint may have been caused by the method of application and the type of paint involved, tor the presence of unwoven brush-like hairs is not observed on other painted surfaces of the cartonnage. It therefore appears probable that the olive green paint was prepared as a copper proteinate paint, which would make its iden¬tification here a unique occurrence. It is possible that either a soluble copper compound, such as verdigns, could have reacted with the glue medium over time to create the copper proteinate, or the copper proteinate could have been deliberately prepared as a thick green paint. The fact that the brush-like fibres are found only on this copper proteinate paint layer suggests that the paint was unusually viscous and that it dried quickly, adhering to the brush, and incorporated some of the fibres within it. A copper proteinate paint is, indeed, more viscous than the other colours employed here. No chloride ions were found within this paint layer, which eliminates the copper(II) trihydroxychlorides as an alternative explanation for the proteinate paint layer. The conservation procedure selected was guided by the nature of the pigments and binder, with the result that aqueous-based consolidants or backing materials were not employed, as this might have interfered more with the original substrate and paint layers. The principal problem with the approach taken to the conservation of the fragment is that the treatment prevents visual examination of the reverse of the cartonnage. The cartonnage studied in this paper has revealed a wealth of information that suggests new directions for further research. The influence of Roman prac¬tices on the already well-established Egyptian crafts has not been fully studied. A closer examination of these areas might prove revealing about the processes of development and change in the techniques of both Roman and Egyptian craftsmen. |
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