Ceramic Restoration Department

The MIC has an in-house laboratory that deals exclusively with the restoration of ceramic materials.

The Restoration Laboratory has been operating since the 1980s and employs a group of restorers of Cultural Heritage, qualified under Art. 182 of Legislative Decree 42/2004, graduates of the “Ballardini” Institute of Faenza. It deals exclusively with the restoration and conservation of ceramic materials, of any technological type, from terracotta to porcelain, both of archaeological provenance and belonging to collections, as well as works exhibited outdoors. The workshop also carries out commissioned work, mainly for public bodies.

Among the restorations carried out over the years are: Islamic and Far Eastern ceramics from the Museum of Civilizations in Rome, maiolica from the Correr Collection in Venice, ceramics from the Museum of Chinese Art and Ethnography in Parma, collections from the Museum of Ceramics in Deruta, museum collections from Gubbio and Fano, polychrome terracotta works from the Capuchin Convent in Faenza and the Hermitage of Monte Paolo, panels in maiolica and lustre glazes by Lucio Fontana for the municipality of Albissola Marina, porcelain trousseau of the Giuseppucci Pharmacy in Fabriano, contemporary works by Leoncillo, Antonia Campi, Louise Nevelson, Aligi Sassu, Picasso, Arturo Martini and Miquel Barcelò belonging to private collections.

The Museum has organized, in the past years, refresher courses for restorers: 1997 “Biodeterioration of ceramic materials”; 1998 “Cleaning techniques applied to ancient ceramics”; 1999 “The restoration of porcelain”; 2000 “First intervention on the excavation”; 2001 “Photographic and video documentation of the restoration intervention”, “The archaeological excavation. The conservation of architectural artifacts in the state of ruins in emergency conditions”; 2002 “Diagnostics for the restoration and conservation of ceramic materials”; 2003 “The restoration of ceramic materials in architecture”; 2005 “Management and care of collections”; 2006 “Ceramics: matter and technique”.

In the last years he organizes a Study Day on ceramic restoration in collaboration with IGIIC- Italian Group of IIC. In 2019 he proposed a conference on the theme of “Study of materials and forms of degradation, design of restoration and conservation interventions”; in 2021 on the theme of “The conservation of ceramics in the open air”.

The staff of the laboratory has a collaboration for teaching with the University of Bologna – Degree Course in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, seat of Ravenna.

There is also a specific section of publications related to restoration within the museum library.

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