Technological expertise of cultural property and antiques

Studying the product, the expert describes it in detail, fixes all the features: design, constructive and technological. Determines whether the product meets the Specifications for its type, whether it has been repaired, whether its shape has changed, whether it has been subjected to any other influences. This examination is very important, because all its data will affect the properties of the product, its cost.

Technological expertise in practice is based on the following fundamental methodological principles:

possession of an exhaustive volume of comprehensive knowledge in the field of the history of technology (materials and techniques) of easel wax, tempera, glue and oil painting in its technological, regional and temporary versions, obtained on the basis of the study of historical sources, published data and data accumulated as a result own long-term research of paintings;
high professional knowledge of a complex of analytical methods in the field of research of works of painting of various art schools and eras, based on decades of experience;
the ability, by comparing historical data and data obtained in the course of laboratory research, to make the correct conclusion about the time, place of creation and the authenticity of the exported work;
use, if necessary, in the course of technological expertise of the entire arsenal of research methods, with the basic role of microchemical and physicochemical instrumental methods for the analysis of soil and paint layer, materials which (fillers, pigments, binders) have clear dating features.

Those carrying out the technological expertise, do not make the conclusion of the attribution of character, ie, do not define, confirm or deny the belonging of a particular master of a painting that is considered to be his work or is attributed to him. The conclusion of the expert technologists testifies that the obtained objective technological data inherent in the work either do not contradict the modern understanding of the technological specifics of the work of a given master, the time or place of its creation, or, on the contrary, contradict them.

The tasks are solved using a set of non-destructive research methods in the visible, ultraviolet, infrared and X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum, as well as by laboratory methods on micro samples taken from the product using a set of methods of microchemical analysis, physical and physicochemical instrumental research methods.

None of the analytical methods used in the course of technological research of a work of art, taken separately, can provide an answer to the entire set of questions posed. This turns out to be possible only as a result of the involvement of the entire complex of non-destructive and laboratory analysis methods used in practice, which includes:

research of materials of soil and paint layer;
research of binder materials;
study of the base materials.

In order for the information reflected in the conclusions to be as correct as possible: the technological conclusion necessarily reflects the opinions of all expert technologists.