Conservation: revealing a hidden skeleton of death | Barniz de Pasto cabinet | V&A
Victoria and Albert Museum・13 minutes read
An x-rayed table cabinet from 1650 Peru revealed hidden images decorated with mopa mopa resin, featuring a sea monster and Pelican in her Piety. Scientific analysis unveiled mercury chloride pigment, and conservation efforts uncovered intricate designs and lettering, hinting at a complex rebus puzzle with a mysterious message waiting to be deciphered.
Insights
- The cabinet made in 1650 from the Viceroyalty of Peru was intricately decorated with mopa mopa motifs using the Barniz de Pasto technique, featuring a sea monster and a Pelican in her Piety.
- Scientific analysis uncovered mercury chloride pigment in the cabinet, a first in the UK, while revealing hidden designs like a skeleton of death, hinting at a complex rebus puzzle within the original scheme that challenges traditional interpretations of the scene, urging further exploration and decryption.
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Recent questions
What is Barniz de Pasto?
A technique using mopa mopa resin for decoration.
What was found during scientific analysis?
Presence of mercury chloride as a pigment.
What did the conservation process involve?
Using solvent gel to remove overpaint.
What was revealed through x-ray and micro computer tomography?
Hidden designs, including a skeleton of death.
What is the potential significance of the original scheme?
Contains elements requiring interpretation, like a rebus puzzle.
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Summary
00:00
"X-ray reveals hidden images on antique cabinet"
- The table cabinet was x-rayed to reveal hidden images.
- The cabinet, made around 1650 in the Viceroyalty of Peru, was portable and used for storing writing equipment.
- The cabinet is decorated with motifs made of mopa mopa, a natural plant resin from the Andes.
- The technique used to decorate the cabinet with mopa mopa is known as Barniz de Pasto.
- The cabinet features a sea monster on the front and a Pelican in her Piety on the back.
- Scientific analysis revealed the presence of mercury chloride as a pigment, a first in the UK.
- The cabinet has undergone various alterations and repairs over time, including overpainting.
- X-ray and micro computer tomography revealed hidden designs, including a skeleton of death.
- The removal of overpaint on the cabinet's lid revealed intricate designs and lettering.
- The conservation process involved using solvent gel to remove overpaint while protecting the original surface.
17:58
Mysterious rebus puzzle challenges initial assumptions.
- The original scheme being examined appears to contain elements that are not immediately clear, potentially requiring interpretation as a combination of lettering, words, and images in a rebus puzzle format, suggesting a deliberate statement to be deciphered. The scene, initially thought to be in Spanish, presents a mystery that contrasts expectations of a death scene with a vibrant depiction, prompting further investigation to decode its core message.
