Professional paper
Emperor Augustus’ statue from Archaeological Museum Zadar: Conservation and restoration research and work
Helena Ugrina
orcid.org/0000-0002-8660-6841
; Hrvatski restauratorski zavod, Služba za nepokretnu baštinu, Odsjek za kamenu plastiku, Split, Hrvatska
Siniša Bizjak
orcid.org/0000-0001-8577-3341
Abstract
This paper describes the conservation and restoration research and work carried out on a Roman marble sculpture of Emperor Augustus, made posthumously. Dated to the 1st century AD, it was intended to be observed frontally. It was found in 1768, during the archaeological excavations of Nin, financed by the Zadar physician Ante Danielli Tommasoni, one of Dalmatia’s first collectors. After his death, the statue ended up at the Roman Catholic junior seminary in Udine. Later it was sold to the Italians. After a few years of correspondence between the Italian and Yugoslav authorities, Emperor Augustus’ statue was brought to Zadar in 1928 for an exhibition in St Donatus’ Church. The statue was installed in front of the church until 1953, when it was moved to the then Faculty of Philosophy (present-day University of Zadar) – the Lyceum of St Demetrius. In 1973 it was moved to its present-day location – Archaeological Museum Zadar. It was in the Museum’s vestibule since 1991, girdled with a structure made of metal pipes (a scaffold) because of its delicate statics. Its disassembling required precautions, so an elaborate plan was made. When it was laid down horizontally in the workshop of the Conservation-Restoration Department of the Split Arts Academy, brass wedges were observed in it, forcing (un)expected improvisations – nothing uncommon in the conservation-restoration field. After examination, the statics of the statue was secured and the statue was restored according to the highest professional standards. After the work had been done, installing the statue in the new Roman Antiquities permanent display on the first floor of Archaeological Museum Zadar was a big challenge.
Keywords
Emperor Augustus’ statue; Antiquity; Roman sculpture; conservation and restoration work; marble; statics
Hrčak ID:
266611
URI
Publication date:
2.12.2021.
Visits: 2.090 *