30 Reconstruction of turtle shell imitation techniques on 17th and 18th century Flemish cabinets KEYWORDS: Turtle shell imitation; technical art history; Flemish cabinets; chemical analysis; production methods. Sea turtle shell has long been used as a decorative material in cultural artifacts for its unique appearance and exclusivity. Due to its expensiveness and undesirable properties in some applications, several techniques have been developed in the past to counterfeit this highly appreciated material. More readily available and durable materials such as ivory and horn were used in such a manner to transform these materials to imitate the look and feel of genuine turtle shell. The technology of these imitation techniques was based on the traditional art of varnishing, whereby several layers were applied on a substrate to obtain a desired effect. However, until today, relatively little systematic research has been undertaken regarding the production methods and the aging characteristics of these imitation techniques. This study presents the results of several reconstructions of 17th and 18th century recipes that describe the production process of these imitation techniques. The focus is mainly on historical sources originating from the Low Countries. The mock-ups were compared with the turtle shell imitation materials found in the collection of Flemish cabinets of the Royal Museum of Art and History in Brussels. These cabinets were analysed using FTIR, UV-Vis and XRF to give insight in the composition of the used imitation materials. The aim of this study is to fully understand the composition, characteristics and production methods of these imitation techniques. In doing so, it is hoped that these results will help conservators to create optimal museum conditions to preserve these valued Flemish cabinets. vadimvanmeenen[at]hotmail.com
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