{"id":5155,"date":"2026-08-15T03:06:54","date_gmt":"2026-08-15T03:06:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/?page_id=5155"},"modified":"2026-08-15T03:06:54","modified_gmt":"2026-08-15T03:06:54","slug":"out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-creating-a-magnetic-fill-for-a-white-ground-lekythos","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new-creating-a-magnetic-fill-for-a-white-ground-lekythos\/","title":{"rendered":"Out with the Old, in with the New: Creating a Magnetic Fill for a White-ground Lekythos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Theresa Costello, Marianna D\u00fcring, and Laurien de Gelder<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Allard Pierson houses the collections of the University of Amsterdam, which is still used today as study material for students. Recently, a fifth century white-ground lekythos which is part of the archaeological collection of the Greek world of the museum had been physically damaged and required urgent treatment.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From initial visual inspection, it was evident that there had been extensive previous restoration carried out. Paint which was used to cover up the break lines had since discoloured, resulting in distracting dark lines. Less obvious were the multitude of plaster fills, both small and large. UV analysis made it clear that there was a particularly large plaster fill which had been retouched to match the surrounding iconography. This retouching made assumptions about the original iconography. This manufactured completeness was likely done to increase the aesthetic, artistic, and monetary values of the object. While it cannot be said exactly by whom and when the restoration was done, the materials used in combination with enthusiastic retouching indicate it was done in the nineteenth or early twentieth century. Pieces of paper on the inside of the lekythos had Greek print on them, signifying where the object was restored. This past restoration is a tangible example of how past aesthetic values of archaeological artefacts influenced how an object was preserved. Ultimately, however, it was decided that the old restoration materials were detracting from our understanding of the object. The old restoration materials were removed from the object and set aside for future research into former conservation practices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large lacuna left from removing the old plaster fill posed a dilemma. The lacuna made it possible to see the interior surface of the object, including the finger marks made by the potter. <\/strong>This gives valuable insight into the making process. However, the lacuna also detracted from our understanding of the original form of the object. To address this dichotomy, a removable plaster fill which can be placed on to complete the profile of the lekythos or taken off to see the interior was made. To keep the fill in place, very thin (0.5 mm) magnets were glued onto the edges of both the fill and the ceramic. This makes the lekythos an excellent object to use during class. Students can easily remove the restoration and study the inside of the vessel or place the fill to better understand how the complete object would look during its use as a grave good. No attempt was made to finish the decoration like with the old fill. Instead, the fill was retouched to blend in with the surrounding background colours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a departure from past conservation methods which focused on restoring only the aesthetic value of the object, often to the extent where there are unfounded fabrications. This innovative approach to use magnets to create a truly removable fill demonstrates how modern conservation can be done in a way which preserves not only the original use but also enhances the educational value of an object.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2026 | Montreal | Volume 33<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Theresa Costello, Marianna D\u00fcring, and Laurien de Gelder Abstract The Allard Pierson houses the collections of the University of Amsterdam, which is still used today as study material for students. Recently, a fifth century white-ground lekythos which is part of the archaeological collection of the Greek world of the museum had been physically damaged and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":344,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5155","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/344"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5155"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5155\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5156,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5155\/revisions\/5156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/osg-postprints\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}