materiality studies by E. Keats Webb
Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture, 2021
This article follows the history of the Tira of don Martín, also known as the Codex Saville, from... more This article follows the history of the Tira of don Martín, also known as the Codex Saville, from its creation to its preservation in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. A document concerning migration, altepetl (polity) foundation, and rulership, it provided a living record of Nahua chronology from 1402 to 1545, through the arrival of Europeans on horseback, the conquest of Tenochtitlan in 1521, and the foundation of a local Christian church. Little studied since the 1920s when acquired by the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, it is a completely Nahua document with older pictographic text as well as Nahuatl written in Latin characters. The very form of the tira suggests continuity rather than rupture in the course of European colonization and evangelization. New approaches to Mesoamerican history and materiality at the conquest’s quincentenary mean the time is ripe for a new touchstone analysis of this document that emphasizes specificity, locality, and continuity rather than rupture driven by European invasion. This article integrates diagnostic imaging, scientific and ethnohistorical analyses, and provenance research with a renewed focus on the Nahuatl language and pictographic communication.
Este artículo sigue la historia de la Tira de don Martín, también conocida como el Códice Tetlapalco, o Códice Saville desde su creación hasta su conservación en el Museo Nacional del Indio Americano del Museo Smithsonian. Este documento sobre la migración, la fundación del altepetl (sistema político) y el gobierno constituía un registro vivo de la cronología nahua desde 1402 hasta 1545, desde la llegada de los europeos a caballo, la conquista de Tenochtitlán en 1521 y la fundación de una iglesia cristiana local. Poco estudiado desde la década de 1920, año en el que fue adquirido por la Fundación Heye del Museo del Indio Americano, se trata de un documento completamente nahua, con texto pictográfico más antiguo y náhuatl escrito en alfabeto latino. La forma misma del documento lleva a pensar en una continuidad más que una ruptura en el curso de la colonización y evangelización europeas. Los nuevos enfoques de la historia y la materialidad mesoamericanas en el quincuagésimo centenario de la conquista significan que ha llegado el momento de un nuevo análisis de referencia de este documento, que haga hincapié en la especificidad, la localidad y la continuidad (más que en la ruptura) que siguió a la invasión europea. Este artículo echa mano del diagnóstico por imágenes, análisis científicos y etnohistóricos e investigación de procedencias (provenance research) para fundamentar un enfoque renovado en la lengua náhuatl y la comunicación pictográfica.
Este artigo acompanha a história da Tira de don Martín, também conhecida como Codex Saville, desde sua criação até sua preservação no National Museum of the American Indian da Smithsonian Institution. Um documento sobre migração, a fundação do altépetl (ente político) e governo, forneceu um registro vivo da cronologia Nahua de 1402 a 1545, incluindo a chegada dos europeus a cavalo, a conquista de Tenochtitlan em 1521 e a fundação de uma igreja cristã local. Pouco estudado desde a década de 1920, quando foi adquirido pelo Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, é um documento completamente Nahua contendo texto pictográfico mais antigo como também Nahuatl escrito em caracteres latinos. A própria forma da tira sugere continuidade ao invés de ruptura no curso da colonização e evangelização europeias. Novas abordagens sobre a história e a materialidade mesoamericanas no quincentenário da conquista indicam que o momento é propício para uma nova e profunda análise deste documento que enfatize a especificidade, localidade e continuidade, em vez da ruptura instigada pela invasão europeia. Este artigo integra diagnóstico por imagem, análises científicas e etno-históricas e pesquisa de proveniência com um foco renovado na linguagem Nahuatl e na comunicação pictográfica.
Papers by E. Keats Webb
Digital Techniques for Documenting and Preserving Cultural Heritage
Imaging spectroscopy, specifically multispectral (MSI) and hyperspectral (HSI) techniques, has be... more Imaging spectroscopy, specifically multispectral (MSI) and hyperspectral (HSI) techniques, has been advanced as an effective non-contact analytical tool for cultural heritage (CH). The combination of digital imaging and spectroscopy results in the ability to map the spatial distribution of materials over an object, extract reflectance spectra for the identification of materials, enhance and reveal underdrawings, identify past conservation treatments, and measure colour. Development and increased application of these techniques to documentation of CH calls for the definition of best practices, to allow institutions to have reproducible and comparable data.Focusing on spectral object documentation, the Working Group 1 (WG1) of the COST-Action TD 1201, Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage, had the task of identifying, characterising and testing spectral imaging techniques and devices in the 400-2500 nm range. To assess the various spectral imaging systems, WG1 performed a Round Robin Test (RRT). Five objects were recorded by nineteen institutions with various MSI and HSI systems and setups. This coordinated research effort aimed to gain a better understanding of the instrumentation, the elements of data acquisition, and the effects of the instruments and methodology on the accuracy and reliability of the data.Summarising and visualising the received RRT data illustrated the challenges and complexity of the assessment and comparison of the different datasets. Understanding the variation in the resulting datasets helped to inform best practices for CH. The experience was a means of working towards optimised methodologies to lead to the application of non-contact, high-resolution techniques in the state-of-the-art documentation of CH.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation
Latin American and Latinx Visual Culture, 2021
This article follows the history of the Tira of don Martín, also known as the Codex Saville, from... more This article follows the history of the Tira of don Martín, also known as the Codex Saville, from its creation to its preservation in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. A document concerning migration, altepetl (polity) foundation, and rulership, it provided a living record of Nahua chronology from 1402 to 1545, through the arrival of Europeans on horseback, the conquest of Tenochtitlan in 1521, and the foundation of a local Christian church. Little studied since the 1920s when acquired by the Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, it is a completely Nahua document with older pictographic text as well as Nahuatl written in Latin characters. The very form of the tira suggests continuity rather than rupture in the course of European colonization and evangelization. New approaches to Mesoamerican history and materiality at the conquest’s quincentenary mean the time is ripe for a new touchstone analysis of this document that emphasizes specificity, localit...
The present study develops an improved technique for evaluating the effectiveness of different me... more The present study develops an improved technique for evaluating the effectiveness of different methods of application of a commercially available biocide containing a quaternary ammonium formulation to reduce biocolonization on building stone. In anticipation of cleaning biocolonization from the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian, the biocide was test applied to surplus blocks of dolomitic limestone left from the building’s construction. The new technique avoids subjective visual judgments by comparing areas based on digital photography using a special set up, with data processed using commercially available software. Statistical analysis quantifies differences between application methods.
Digital Techniques for Documenting and Preserving Cultural Heritage, 2018
Imaging spectroscopy, specifically multispectral (MSI) and hyperspectral (HSI) techniques, has be... more Imaging spectroscopy, specifically multispectral (MSI) and hyperspectral (HSI) techniques, has been advanced as an effective noncontact analytical tool for cultural heritage (CH). The combination of digital imaging and spectroscopy results in the ability to map the spatial distribution of materials over an object, extract reflectance spectra for the identification of materials, enhance and reveal underdrawings, identify past conservation treatments, and measure colour. Development and increased application of these techniques to documentation of CH calls for the definition of best practices, to allow institutions to have reproducible and comparable data. Focusing on spectral object documentation, the Working Group 1 (WG1) of the COSTAction TD 1201, Colour and Space in Cultural Heritage, had the task of identifying, characterising and testing spectral imaging techniques and devices in the 400-2500 nm range. To assess the various spectral imaging systems, WG1 performed a Round Robin Test (RRT). Five objects were recorded by nineteen institutions with various MSI and HSI systems and setups. This coordinated research effort aimed to gain a better understanding of the instrumentation, the elements of data acquisition, and the effects of the instruments and methodology on the accuracy and reliability of the data. Summarising and visualising the received RRT data illustrated the challenges and complexity of the assessment and comparison of the different datasets. Understanding the variation in the resulting datasets helped to inform best practices for CH. The experience was a means of working towards optimised methodologies to lead to the application of noncontact, highresolution techniques in the stateof the-art documentation of CH.
2015 Digital Heritage, 2015
Reflected infrared imaging has been used as an investigation tool for paintings and paper conserv... more Reflected infrared imaging has been used as an investigation tool for paintings and paper conservation since the 1930s. The technique can reveal underdrawings, expose compositional changes, provide information about manufacturing process and technique, and differentiate materials. As digital camera technology and computing have evolved, the technique has continued to advance, improving the applications for cultural heritage documentation. However, there is very little published on the use of the technique for three-dimensional cultural heritage object documentation. The term object refers to three-dimensional works of art that include archaeological, ethnographic, historic, sculptural, decorative, and contemporary arts, composed of a wide variety of materials and combinations of materials. Some of these materials are similar to those in paintings and others are quite different, and the optical properties of the materials influence the interaction with infrared radiation and the imaging results. This paper looks at the current applications of reflected infrared imaging in conservation and research documentation and explores the fundamentals of why the technique is successful and how that success might transfer to the documentation of 3-D objects. Examples from an imaging case study with the Freud Museum are included to illustrate the arguments.
An aged and heavily corroded horizontal iron rim lock for the left side of a door was examined at... more An aged and heavily corroded horizontal iron rim lock for the left side of a door was examined at the request of the director of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC). The lock was reportedly found by a contractor on SERC’s property during renovation, and the iron corrosion is typical of exposure to the elements. It was anticipated that the lock would date from the time of the oldest part of the Sellman/Kirkpatrick-Howat house constructed in 1735 or its Greek Revival enlargement in 1841. Examination of the lock included x-radiography. A recommendation was made to not conduct further conservation treatment, such as removal of iron corrosion, because it would threaten the structural integrity of the object. Instead it was advised that the lock be exhibited in a case with conditioned silica gel and regularly monitored, which should keep it in stable condition.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2019
Reflectance hyperspectral imaging technique provides a non-invasive tool for the diagnostics, ana... more Reflectance hyperspectral imaging technique provides a non-invasive tool for the diagnostics, analysis, and documentation of paintings. It supplies high quality digital images with spectral information associated to each pixel of the imaged area. Working in the shortwave infrared range (1000-2500 nm) allows for the documentation and investigation of inner layers of paintings, by revealing underdrawings, hidden details, and characterizing artists' and restoration materials. The performance of spectral imaging systems is usually established in laboratory using reference targets and standards to measure the system spatial and spectral resolution. However, when dealing with paintings, using custom built test targets made with materials more representative of the object being analyzed can provide a better understanding of the advantages and limitations of the system. This paper looks at the advantages and limitations of hyperspectral imaging technique in the 900-1700 nm region as applied to the study of paintings. To this aim, a test panel target, made according to early Renaissance Florentine painting techniques was used for assessing the diagnostic capability of the hyperspectral system developed at the "Nello Carrara" Institute of Applied Physics. In investigating the advantages of hyperspectral imaging technique over other infrared imaging techniques, the paper illustrates how different spatial and spectral resolutions can impact the documentation of underdrawings and identification of artists' materials. Finally, the analysis of a 15th century panel painting by Fra Angelico provides an example of the benefits of hyperspectral imaging systems working in the short Powered by Editorial Manager® and ProduXion Manager® from Aries Systems Corporation wavelength infrared region for identifying materials and investigating underdrawings. Additional Information: Question Response Author Comments: This paper is addressed to the JAIC Special Issue "Reflectance hyperspectral imaging to support documentation and conservation of 2D artworks". A clean revised version of the manuscript is submitted as main manuscript. Please note that a document with track-changes evidencing the changes made in the revised text with respect to the first submission is included, as separate file, in the Supplementary material Section Response to Reviewers: Reply point by point to Editor and Reviewers Please note that, when indicated, the location of changes in the text refers to the pages numbering of the revised manuscript "Special_Issue_JAIC_Cucci_et_al_REV_Oct208_clean.docx Reply to Editor Comment: I believe that this paper is a valuable contribution to the literature, not least because of the clarity with which concepts are explained for the reader".-Reply: We thank the Editor for this gratifying comment and for the fruitful suggestions Comment: I agree with the reviewers that careful copy editing is needed; for example, on p. 15 of the manuscript there is a reference to foliage on the right side of the painting and this foliage is on the left"-Reply: A careful revision of the text has been made. However, the original text referring to some foliage on the right was actually correct: although the mentioned foliage is hardly visible within the passage of the building, it appears clearer in fig. 12 (Right). This detail has been better explained in the revised text (Par. 5, p. 13) and the caption of Fig. 12 has been expanded. Comment: "In addition to the suggestions made by Reviewers, I would like to see the authors expand on the figure captions so that readers have the explanatory information directly in front of them while they are viewing the figures. There are additional details revealed in the narrow band spectral images of the Fra Angelico, for example a marked horizontal feature toward the bottom of the image, perhaps inpainting, that I believe readers will want to understand. Additional nuances included in the case study will enhance the paper."-Reply: All the figure captions have been expanded. The images reported in Figs. 11 and 12 have been furtherly commented in the text (Par. 5). An interpretation of the horizontal feature visible in the processed images has been now illustrated in the text (Par. 5 p.12). Comment: I believe that the authors effectively demonstrate the benefits of narrow band over traditional broadband IR-Reply This aspect has been furtherly highlighted in the Conclusions. Reply to Reviewer 1 Comment: Section 2, Paragraph 1, sentence starting "Traditional broadband...": please note in this first sentence more specifically how long traditional IRR has been used or how common it is as an investigative tool in paintings conservation.-Reply: This comment has been addressed, by adding a short text after the first sentence. the following paragraph has been reworded. (Par. 2, p. 3). Comment: Section 2, Paragraph 1, sentence starting "Keck (1941)...": Too general. Please add a tiny bit more detail. (ie. what artist or how did it help identify the works).-Reply: New details have been inserted to briefly illustrate the contents of the cited papers (Par. 2 p. 4). Comment: Section 2, Paragraph 1, sentence starting: "The development of sensors..." typo (a period) after "sensitivity"-Reply: The text has been reworded. Reply to Reviewer 2 Comment: This research group regularly produces outstanding and leadership work in this crucial area of research, and I salute their efforts. A modified version of this paper should definitely be published. I have some recommendations for the authors and
Microscopy and Microanalysis, 2014
immediately launched a program to teach aircraft recognition so that military personnel and civil... more immediately launched a program to teach aircraft recognition so that military personnel and civilian spotters could distinguish friend from foe in a split second [1]. Millions of model airplanes representing more than 220 types were produced from injection-molded cellulose acetate plastic coated with matte cellulose nitrate paint between 1942 and 1945 [1]. Seven decades later, many are disintegrating spontaneously and catastrophically. 168 model planes in the collection of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum that were exhibited together for 35 years are being investigated visually, chemically, and mechanically to understand the complex mechanisms of their deterioration. Because injection molded cellulose acetate was introduced in the late-1920s and became popular as recently as World War II, the deterioration witnessed today is a new phenomenon and its complexities remain to be explained. For stewards of cultural heritage, slowing deterioration in this category of plastic is an urgent challenge. For understanding material failure, this is an uncommon opportunity to study multiple objects made by the same technology and relate their long-term preservation to composition, manufacture, and exhibition over a 35-year period.
Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 2017
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materiality studies by E. Keats Webb
Este artículo sigue la historia de la Tira de don Martín, también conocida como el Códice Tetlapalco, o Códice Saville desde su creación hasta su conservación en el Museo Nacional del Indio Americano del Museo Smithsonian. Este documento sobre la migración, la fundación del altepetl (sistema político) y el gobierno constituía un registro vivo de la cronología nahua desde 1402 hasta 1545, desde la llegada de los europeos a caballo, la conquista de Tenochtitlán en 1521 y la fundación de una iglesia cristiana local. Poco estudiado desde la década de 1920, año en el que fue adquirido por la Fundación Heye del Museo del Indio Americano, se trata de un documento completamente nahua, con texto pictográfico más antiguo y náhuatl escrito en alfabeto latino. La forma misma del documento lleva a pensar en una continuidad más que una ruptura en el curso de la colonización y evangelización europeas. Los nuevos enfoques de la historia y la materialidad mesoamericanas en el quincuagésimo centenario de la conquista significan que ha llegado el momento de un nuevo análisis de referencia de este documento, que haga hincapié en la especificidad, la localidad y la continuidad (más que en la ruptura) que siguió a la invasión europea. Este artículo echa mano del diagnóstico por imágenes, análisis científicos y etnohistóricos e investigación de procedencias (provenance research) para fundamentar un enfoque renovado en la lengua náhuatl y la comunicación pictográfica.
Este artigo acompanha a história da Tira de don Martín, também conhecida como Codex Saville, desde sua criação até sua preservação no National Museum of the American Indian da Smithsonian Institution. Um documento sobre migração, a fundação do altépetl (ente político) e governo, forneceu um registro vivo da cronologia Nahua de 1402 a 1545, incluindo a chegada dos europeus a cavalo, a conquista de Tenochtitlan em 1521 e a fundação de uma igreja cristã local. Pouco estudado desde a década de 1920, quando foi adquirido pelo Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, é um documento completamente Nahua contendo texto pictográfico mais antigo como também Nahuatl escrito em caracteres latinos. A própria forma da tira sugere continuidade ao invés de ruptura no curso da colonização e evangelização europeias. Novas abordagens sobre a história e a materialidade mesoamericanas no quincentenário da conquista indicam que o momento é propício para uma nova e profunda análise deste documento que enfatize a especificidade, localidade e continuidade, em vez da ruptura instigada pela invasão europeia. Este artigo integra diagnóstico por imagem, análises científicas e etno-históricas e pesquisa de proveniência com um foco renovado na linguagem Nahuatl e na comunicação pictográfica.
Papers by E. Keats Webb
Este artículo sigue la historia de la Tira de don Martín, también conocida como el Códice Tetlapalco, o Códice Saville desde su creación hasta su conservación en el Museo Nacional del Indio Americano del Museo Smithsonian. Este documento sobre la migración, la fundación del altepetl (sistema político) y el gobierno constituía un registro vivo de la cronología nahua desde 1402 hasta 1545, desde la llegada de los europeos a caballo, la conquista de Tenochtitlán en 1521 y la fundación de una iglesia cristiana local. Poco estudiado desde la década de 1920, año en el que fue adquirido por la Fundación Heye del Museo del Indio Americano, se trata de un documento completamente nahua, con texto pictográfico más antiguo y náhuatl escrito en alfabeto latino. La forma misma del documento lleva a pensar en una continuidad más que una ruptura en el curso de la colonización y evangelización europeas. Los nuevos enfoques de la historia y la materialidad mesoamericanas en el quincuagésimo centenario de la conquista significan que ha llegado el momento de un nuevo análisis de referencia de este documento, que haga hincapié en la especificidad, la localidad y la continuidad (más que en la ruptura) que siguió a la invasión europea. Este artículo echa mano del diagnóstico por imágenes, análisis científicos y etnohistóricos e investigación de procedencias (provenance research) para fundamentar un enfoque renovado en la lengua náhuatl y la comunicación pictográfica.
Este artigo acompanha a história da Tira de don Martín, também conhecida como Codex Saville, desde sua criação até sua preservação no National Museum of the American Indian da Smithsonian Institution. Um documento sobre migração, a fundação do altépetl (ente político) e governo, forneceu um registro vivo da cronologia Nahua de 1402 a 1545, incluindo a chegada dos europeus a cavalo, a conquista de Tenochtitlan em 1521 e a fundação de uma igreja cristã local. Pouco estudado desde a década de 1920, quando foi adquirido pelo Museum of the American Indian/Heye Foundation, é um documento completamente Nahua contendo texto pictográfico mais antigo como também Nahuatl escrito em caracteres latinos. A própria forma da tira sugere continuidade ao invés de ruptura no curso da colonização e evangelização europeias. Novas abordagens sobre a história e a materialidade mesoamericanas no quincentenário da conquista indicam que o momento é propício para uma nova e profunda análise deste documento que enfatize a especificidade, localidade e continuidade, em vez da ruptura instigada pela invasão europeia. Este artigo integra diagnóstico por imagem, análises científicas e etno-históricas e pesquisa de proveniência com um foco renovado na linguagem Nahuatl e na comunicação pictográfica.