Fundamentals of Ceramics and Glass Conservation
Code
7418
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Conservação e Restauro
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Inês Alexandra Ramalho Coutinho, Márcia Gomes Vilarigues
Weekly hours
5
Total hours
84
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
The main objective of this curricular unit (CU) is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary for their ability to evaluate and diagnose the state of conservation of glass and ceramic objects: identifying the pathologies that affect them, proposing series of preventive conservation measures, and possibly starting to outline a conservation and restoration proposal for objects composed of these materials. This CU is part of a set of CUs offered by the 1st cycle of studies of the DCR, where the diagnosis and conservation of various materials (stone, paint, metallic materials, photography, graphic documents and textiles) is studied.
In order to achieve these proposed objectives for the CU, students must learn the characteristics of different types of glass and ceramics, found by examining their chemical, optical, mechanical and thermo-mechanical properties. They must also learn about different methodologies used to characterize, recognize and distinguish the different materials. Students will also learn about the processes and causes of degradation of glass and ceramics. Here again, the methods of examination and analysis have to be briefly addressed, clarifying that they have multiple functions to help characterize the material, to help elucidate the production techniques used, and to help identify the causes and processes of degradation.
In addition to the essential training of practical skills, an integral and fundamental part of academic training is the research component. It is one of the fundamental roles of the Teacher to foster participation in conservation projects, symposia and lectures given by invited teachers and/or experts. Scientific research is a vital part of training at a Faculty of Science and Technology, which makes it necessary to show to students the possibility of pursuing a scientific career dedicated to research.
At the end of this CU, students should be able to:
- Understand the transdisciplinarity of the acquired knowledge in the Fundamentals of Ceramics and Glass Conservation, and in the area of conservation and restoration in general;
- Distinguish the various types of glass
- Distinguish the various types of ceramics and their classification;
- Know the different techniques of working and decorating ceramics and glass;
- Know and recognize the different pathologies that can affect ceramic objects and glass objects;
- Prepare and complete a diagnostic form for ceramic or glass objects of different chronologies (materials from different chronological periods present different styles and methods of production, thus representing new challenges for the student);
- Prepare a proposal for intervention and/or preventive conservation based on their diagnosis.
The proposed programme content is not all that is entailed in the students’ training, the development of other skills, so-called soft skills, is also part of the training process, such as:
- Ability to work as a team, but also to develop personal work and make decisions individually;
- Ability to structure their work, organizing and managing time to meet deadlines;
- Ability to structure written and oral communications;
- Ability to participate in presentations as a presenter and as part of an active audience.
Subject matter
The proposed programme to be taught per class in the FCGC CU will be presented. The theoretical and practical components will be presented together to demonstrate their symbiosis.
For each theoretical class detailed below, a bibliography will be suggested and one of these references will be compulsory reading for discussion in class. When books are referenced as compulsory reading, it means that only one or two chapters of the book will be required. This bibliography will be changed and updated whenever possible and applicable.
Table 1 presents a schematic summary of theoretical and practical classes following the brief descriptions of their content above.
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Table 1: Schematic summary of the theoretical lectures and practical classes with the contents to be addressed by class.
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Class |
Theoretical |
Pratical |
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Glass |
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Class 1 |
Introducing contents and objectives, Introduction to diagnosis, introduction to Glass (part 1) |
See several types of glasses with different chemical compositions, colours, etc.; make glass beads on the torch |
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Class 2 |
Introduction to Glass (part 2) |
Synthesis of glasses in laboratory |
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Class 3 |
Glass degradation mechanisms |
Practical lesson on analytical techniques |
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Class 4 |
Introduction to Stained glass and its diagnosis |
Stained glass diagnosis |
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Ceramic |
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Class 5 |
Introduction to Ceramics |
Study of ceramic bodies part 1 |
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Class 6 |
Ceramics degradation mechanisms |
Study of ceramic bodies part 2; Synthesis of glazes in laboratory |
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Glass and Ceramics |
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Class 7 |
Test 1 |
Watch glass blowing |
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Class 8 |
Ternary Phase Diagrams and Thermomechanical Properties of Glass and Ceramic Materials |
Practical exercise on ternary phase diagrams |
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Class 9 |
Study visit |
Practical exercise on ternary phase diagrams |
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Class 10 |
Preventive Conservation, Handling, Packaging and Transportation |
Packaging materials and boxes |
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Class 11 |
Practical Classes on Ceramics and Glass Diagnosis |
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Class 12 |
Practical Classes on Ceramics and Glass Diagnosis |
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Class 13 |
Practical Classes on Ceramics and Glass Diagnosis |
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Class 14 |
Test 2 |
Practical Classes on Ceramics and Glass Diagnosis |
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Class 15 |
Delivery of diagnostic reports, oral presentation, and discussion of reports |
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Bibliography
Clark, D. E., Pantano, C. G., & Hench, L. L. (1979). Corrosion of Glass. New York: Books for Industry.
Koob, S. Conservation and care of glass objects. London: Archetype P, 2006. ISBN: 978-1904982081
Navarro, J., “El Vidrio”. Madrid: CSIC, 2003. ISBN: 9788400081584.
Vilarigues, M. (2008).Estudo do efeito da adição de iões metálicos na corrosão de vidros potássicos.PhD thesis UNL
Brown, S.; Strobl, S., “A Fragile inheritance: The care of stained glass and historic glazing: a handbook for custodians”. Northampton: Church House Publishing, 2002. ISBN: 0715176005.
Buys, S.; Oakley, V. “Conservation and Restoration of Ceramics”. Oxon: Butterworth-Heinemann, 1996. ISBN: 978-0750632195
Oakley, V.L.; Jain, K.K. “Essentials in the Care and Conservation of Historical Ceramic Objects”. London: Archetype P. 2002. ISBN: 978-1873132739
Evaluation method
The evaluation method will similarly include a theoretical component, a practical component and a seminar type component.
The theoretical componentintends to evaluate the knowledge acquired by students on the composition and degradation mechanisms of glass and ceramic materials. The evaluation method for this component take the form of two tests during the semester or, alternatively, of an exam at the end of the class period.
The practical component of evaluation will take into account the students’ performance in the practical classes, including the quality of their diagnostic report, their demonstrated ability to correctly identify all the pathologies of the objects studied in class and other aspects of their performance.
Finally, the seminar component intends to evaluate the students’ active participation in classes through their answers to questions, the quality of their comments on various subjects of discussion and their preparation with the texts before each class and then the quality of their seminar-style discussion on these texts. The quality of their oral presentation is also a factor in this component.
Each component is evaluated on a scale of 0 to 20, with marks rounded up to the nearest integer. For a student to pass in this curricular unit, they must have a grade of 10 or higher in the theoretical component, while there will beano such minimum limit in the other two components. The final grade of the curricular unit is obtained by the average of the three components with the following weightings:
- Theoretical component weighting at 50% (each of the two tests weighted at 25%).
- Practical component weighted at 25% (the report grade will value 25%).
- Seminar type component weighted at 25% (comprised of 15% for their oral presentation and 10% for their participation in class).
Factors such as ability to solve problems, attendance and punctuality will also be evaluated continuously throughout the semester and in all components.