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Book chapter
Collecting nature within nature – animal inclusings in Amber in Early Modern Collections, or “Miniture marvels of nature”
When the French diplomat Charles Ogier saw frogs and lizards embedded in amber for sale during his visit to Danzig in November 1635 he called them “miniature miracles of nature.” With rare exceptions, few of these objects—copiously documented in inventories of the time—have actually survived. Instead, we must depend on...King, Rachel
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Book chapter
Leedsichthys problematicus: Arthur Smith Woodward's ‘most embarrassing enigma’
The link between the renowned palaeoichthyologist Arthur Smith Woodward and the similarly lauded marine reptile collector Alfred Nicholson Leeds may seem an unlikely one, but they formed a close family friendship during their professional acquaintance. Amongst the many fish specimens described by Smith Woodward from Leeds’ Oxford Clay collection, the...Liston, Jeff
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Book chapter
‘Thanks to you the best has been made of a bad job’: Vere Gordon Childe and the Bronze Age cairn at Ri Cruin, Kilmartin, Argyll & Bute
Ri Cruin is one of the series of Early Bronze Age cairns that make up the well-known linear cemetery in Kilmartin Glen, Argyll. The aim of this short paper is to make more fully accessible and account of the work undertaken by Gordon Childe in the summer of 1936 when...Cowie, Trevor
Kilmartin Glen, cairn, Vere Gordon Childe, Bronze Age, Argyll, and Ri Cruin
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Book chapter
Scottish Neolithic pottery in 2016: the big picture and some details of the narrative
This contribution summarises our present state of knowledge about Scottish Neolithic pottery, emphasising its dual origins in the Continental Middle Neolithic ceramic traditions of Brittany and the northernmost part of France, and tracing the subsequent expansion in its use within Scotland and some of the complexities of its developmental trajectories....Sheridan, J A
Scotland, ceramic traditions, Grooved Ware, pottery terminology, Castellic, Carinated Bowl, Impressed Wares, Neolithic, and pottery
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Book chapter
The colour purple: lithomarge artefacts in northern Britain
This paper revisits an artefact type, lithomarge beads, last studied 40 years ago by Stevenson and Collins (1976). The rare purple colour produced by the naturally occurring mixture of haematite and kaolinite is the key characteristic and made this material desirable. Lithomarge beads are widely distributed across Northern Britain, but...Goldberg, D Martin
colour, lithomarge, purple, Iron Age, jewellery, Early Medieval, and Roman
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Book chapter
Mary Boyle (1881-1974): the Abbé Breuil’s faithful fellow-worker
This paper looks at the life and work of Mary Elizabeth Boyle, a Scotswoman and poet who by chance found her way into archaeology, firstly through meeting and working with Miles Burkitt and then, most importantly, by her encounter in 1920 with the Abbé Henri Breuil, the famous French prehistorian,...Saville, Alan
Henri Breuil, history of archaeology, Miles Burkitt, Scottish poetry, prehistoric art, and Mary Boyle
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Book chapter
‘Coal money’ from Portpatrick (south-west Scotland): reconstructing an Early Medieval craft centre from antiquarian finds
Late 19th and 20th-century finds of debris from shale bangle manufacture at Portpatrick in south-west Scotland occasioned considerable interest at the time. The early discoveries were found in grave-digging, giving rise to folk traditions of the material as ‘coal money’ placed with the departed, but these were soon dismissed by...Hunter, Fraser
bangles, antiquarian study, Early Medieval, Irish connections, Oil shale, and craft processes
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Book chapter
Gleaming eyes and the elaboration of Anglo-Saxon sculpture
This paper presents the results of the analysis of an Anglo-Saxon cross-shaft fragment from Aberlady, East Lothian that confirm the long-suspected belief that the drilled eye sockets found among Northumbrian and Mercian sculpture originally contained separate eye insets. A tin lining was positively identified in one of the drilled eye...Blackwell, Alice
polychromy, colour, iconography, Early Medieval, sculpture, Anglo-Saxon, and Insular
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Book chapter
Revealing the archetype: the journey of a trecento Madonna and Child at the National Museum of Scotland
The National Museums Scotland Madonna and Child project sought to uncover and document the history of a fine polychrome wood carving attributed to The Master of the Gualino St Catherine and to prepare it for display. A new body of knowledge has been assembled by the interdisciplinary team. The conservation...de Bellaigue, Diana ; Troalen, Lore ; Richter, M ; Wong Rueda, M ; Palozzi, L …
polychromy, wood, Italy, Umbria, sculpture, Madonna, and 14th century
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Book chapter
Developing a modern diorama: changing habitats in Scotland since the end of the last Ice Age
Dioramas were once a commonly used tool for communicating the natural world to museum visitors, but in the second half of the twentieth century they fell out of fashion despite their effectiveness in interpretation. This decline was probably caused by lack of funding and space, a decline in numbers of...Kitchener, Andrew C.
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Book chapter
Investigation of a potentiostatic reduction treatment for leaded copper alloys
The corrosion and conversion of highly leaded copper alloys is a problem for many collections. This was investigated using the Covesea coins as a case study. These coins were actively corroding, producing a white, powdery corrosion product. Some coins were completely disintegrated. Potentiostatic reduction was investigated as a possible technique...Spencer, Helen
conservation, leaded copper alloys, potentiostatic reduction, and Covesea coins
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Book chapter
The Museum of Scotland and conservation issues of commissioned art
The Museum of Scotland is a new building in Edinburgh which opened in November 1998 to present the history of Scotland from its geological beginnings to the present day. This article considers conservation issues within three themes: the building itself as iconic modern architecture and its effect on the exhibition...Tate, Jim ; Clarke, David V ; Spencer, Helen ; Cobo del Arco, B
Scotland), exhibiting, Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh, museology, museums, and modern art
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Book chapter
The use of accelerated ageing tests for studying the degradation of cellulose nitrate
Previous studies have shown that high levels of sulphate in cellulose nitrate artefacts may be a cause of increased degradation. Accelerated ageing tests have been used to study and monitor the deterioration of prepared cellulose nitrate samples and artefacts over time. An evaluation has been made of the effects of... -
Book chapter
Plastics conservation – Barbie™ and friends
The chemical sciences and their applications are all around us. Many museums and galleries have scientific departments, and collectors of objects that may not even be "antique" in the strict definition of the word often need to have some scientific knowledge to stop their collection deteriorating. This resource shows how... -
Book chapter
A preliminary study of light-ageing effects on the analysis of natural flavonoid-dyed wools by PDA HPLC and by DTMS
Initial results from high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of accelerated fluorescent tube- and mercury-incandescent lamp-aged mordanted wools dyed with old fustic, weld, quercitron bark, quercetin, dyer's greenweed and onion skins indicate that additional chromophoric and non-chromophoric compounds are generated upon photodegredation. Greater amounts of these componenets were generated after... -
Book chapter
The analytical characterisation of flavonoid photodegradation products: a novel approach to identifying natural yellow dyes in ancient textiles
In a previous study new compounds were detected from light aged natural yellow (flavonoid) dyes on alum mordanted wool. We have now developed a novel technique - negative ion electrospray ionisation quadrupole ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (ESI QIT MS) - for futher study and identification of characteristic flavonoid photodegradation... -
Book chapter
Fossils of the Mind
The writer, self-taught geologist and stonemason Hugh Miller (1802-1856) was one of Scotland’s finest nature writers. Born in Cromarty, his works made him a household name, and to this day his lyrical style transports readers to stand beside him at the rock-face. Celebrating his legacy, this anthology brings together prose...Panciroli, Elsa
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Book chapter
Hugh Miller’s Palace of Printing
The writer, self-taught geologist and stonemason Hugh Miller (1802-1856) was one of Scotland’s finest nature writers. Born in Cromarty, his works made him a household name, and to this day his lyrical style transports readers to stand beside him at the rock-face. Celebrating his legacy, this anthology brings together prose...Taylor, Michael A
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Book chapter
Development of analytical techniques for the study of natural yellow dyes in historic textiles
Interest in all aspects of dyestuffs has grown considerably since an informal meeting of researchers twenty years ago developed into the annual meetings of Dyes in History and Archaeology, with the journal of the same name publishing a selection of papers presented. Analysis has revealed that the early 20th-century clothing...Ferreira, Ester S B ; Quye, Anita ; McNab, Hamish ; Wouters, J ; Boon, J J …
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Book chapter
Historical and analytical research of dyes for early Scottish tartans
Papers in this volume cover various aspects of the deterioration of textiles and the different scientific techniques that can be applied to investigate the characteristics of historic textiles, their fibres, dyes etc. The authors include textile, paper and painting conservators, conservation scientists, chemists, archaeologists, engineers, biochemists and a zoologist. This...Cheape, Hugh ; Quye, Anita
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Book chapter
The application of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry and accelerated light ageing for the analytical identification of yellow flavonoid dyes in historical tapestries
Papers in this volume cover various aspects of the deterioration of textiles and the different scientific techniques that can be applied to investigate the characteristics of historic textiles, their fibres, dyes etc. The authors include textile, paper and painting conservators, conservation scientists, chemists, archaeologists, engineers, biochemists and a zoologist. This...Hulme, Alison N ; McNab, Hamish ; Quye, Anita ; Peggie, David A
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Book chapter
The analytical characterisation of the main component found in logwood dyed textile samples after hydrochloric acid extraction
The triennial meetings of the ICOM Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC) are widely regarded as the most significant global events in the heritage conservation calendar. At each Congress, the membership of the ICOM-CC are brought together to report and to review current research. The meetings offer the conservation professional a unique...Hulme, Alison N ; McNab, Hamish ; Peggie, David A ; Quye, Anita ; Vanden Berghe, I …
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Book chapter
Evidence for wax on pottery from the Pithos House'. In: Diane Bolger, Edgar Peltenburg, Anita Quye, Sarah Ritson and F. M. K. Stephen 'Pottery archive report'
An interesting mid-third millennium BC structure, the Pithos House, was uncovered during excavations at Kissonerga-Mosphilia. Circular (c. 10 m Diam) with a central hearth like others at this site, it was somewhat unusual in respect of the extraordinary amount of ceramic debris covering the floor. Although the building had been...Quye, Anita ; Ritson, S
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Book chapter
FTIR microanalysis of residue on vessel 4
The early medieval crannog in Loch Glashan was excavated in 1960 by Jack Scott, in advance of dam construction. Originally interpreted as a domestic settlement, the crannog produced a rich organic assemblage of wood and leather objects, as well as exotic items such as Continental imported pottery and a brooch...Quye, Anita
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Book chapter
Technical study' In: “Hatshepsut, from Queen to Pharaoh”
Cleopatra may be the most famous woman of ancient Egypt, but far more significant was Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh who reigned for nearly twenty years in the fifteenth century B.C., during the early period of the New Kingdom. After acting as regent for her young nephew-stepson Thutmose III, Hatshepsut assumed...Goring, Elizabeth ; Tate, Jim ; Eremin, Katherine ; Quye, Anita
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Book chapter
Conservation and analysis of deteriorating nineteenth and twentieth-century British glass in the National Museums of Scotland
The National Museums of Scotland collections includes about 2000 19th and 20th-century British glass artefacts. An initial conservation survey in 1996 identified 153 artefacts as actively deteriorating (Cobo del Arco 1999). Examinations of additional artefacts is ongoing and 212, c.20% of those surveyed to date, are deteriorating. The visible signs...Eremin, Katherine ; Cobo del Arco, B ; Robinet, L ; Gibson, L T
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Book chapter
Understanding glass deterioration in museum collections: a multi-disciplinary approach
Raman spectroscopy and secondary ion mass spectrometry were used to investigate chemical and structural changes in soda and soda-lime glass exposed to organic pollutants under ambient and accelerated ageing conditions. Raman spectroscopy reveals modification of the glass structure non-destructively, in situ, and as a function of depth. The pollutants caused...Robinet, L ; Fearn, Sarah ; Eremin, Katherine
Raman spectroscopy, deteriorated glass, soda silicate glass, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and organic pollutants
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Book chapter
Early People
Eduardo Paolozzi (1924-2005) was one of the greatest Scottish and European artists of the 20th Century. He was a prolific sculptor and printmaker as well as an inspirational teacher. His was an exceptional talent, drawing on culture in all its forms, from Classical myths to comics and ephemera. Most would...Clarke, David V
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Book chapter
Collaboration. In: Y. Pailler, M. Errera, J. Rolet 'L’outillage poli et les objets de parure'
The polished material discovered during the excavations of the site is limited to twenty-two objects. Their petrographic and spectroradiometric allows us to define exploited rocks and in some cases to provide the source of raw materials. Polished stone axes are highly fragmented and exclusively made of fibrolites. Two continental sources...Troalen, Lore
megaliths, Molène Archipelago, households, domestic architecture, Bronze Age, Brittany, prehistoric subsistence, multidisciplinary research, Bretagne, and Neolithic archaeology
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Book chapter
The drama of the soul': time, eternity and evolution in the designs of Phoebe Anna Traquair
Design, History and Time reflects on the nature of time in relation to design, in both past and contemporary contexts. In contrast to a traditional design historical approach which emphasises schools and movements, this volume addresses time as a continuum and considers the importance of temporality for design practice and...Huxtable, Sally-Anne
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Book chapter
Orientalist collecting of Indian sculpture
Roger Jeffery in this book has brought together 10 original, well-researched and well-written essays which bring to life the presence of India in the capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh. On the surface Edinburgh is a purely Scottish city: its `India' past is not easily visible. Yet, from the late 17th...Voigt, Friederike
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Book chapter
Introduction
At a time of heightened international interest in the colonial dimensions of museum collections, Dividing the Spoils provides new perspectives on the motivations and circumstances whereby collections were appropriated and acquired during colonial military service. Combining approaches from the fields of material anthropology, imperial and military history, this book argues...Lidchi, Henrietta ; Allan, Stuart
Post-Colonial Studies , War Studies, Imperial/Colonial History , Cultural History, and Museum & Gallery Studies
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Book chapter
The officers' mess: an anthropology and history of the military interior
This chapter uses a model of British Army organisational culture and historical analysis to examine the nature of the ‘military interior’ – specifically the public rooms in the officers’ mess and the artefacts found within. The authors seek to combine their expertise to create a broader understanding of how military...Kirke, Charles ; Hartwell, Nicole M
Post-Colonial Studies , War Studies, Museum & Gallery Studies , Cultural History, and Imperial/Colonial History
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Book chapter
Seeing Tibet through soldiers' eyes: photograph albums in regimental museums
In his ‘Notes on Photography’ dated 1860 Captain Henry Shaw of the Royal Engineers itemised the uses to which photography could be applied for military and scientific purposes. He notes that over time, capturing scenes, places and persons would prove of personal interest to the photographer and more generally, justifying...Henrietta , Lidchi ; Rosanna, Nicolson
Post-Colonial Studies , War Studies, Imperial/Colonial History , Cultural History, and Museum & Gallery Studies
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Book chapter
Indigenising folk art: eighteenth-century powder horns in British military collections
Engraved power horns are a well-known aspect of the material culture of the Seven Years’ War (1756–1763), also known in North America as the French and Indian War. In looking at collections in military museums across the UK it emerged that powder horns were a distinctive form of material culture...Lidchi, Henrietta ; Allan, Stuart
Post-Colonial Studies , War Studies, Museum & Gallery Studies , Cultural History, and Imperial/Colonial History
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Book chapter
Mementoes of power and conquest: Sikh jewellery in the collection of National Museums Scotland
This chapter traces the historical trajectory of pieces of jewellery and personal effects in the collection of National Museums Scotland which once belonged to the last Sikh ruler of Panjab, Maharaja Duleep Singh (1838–93). Deposed from the throne after the Second Anglo–Sikh War, exiled and deprived of his possessions, religion...Voigt, Friederike
Post-Colonial Studies , War Studies, Imperial/Colonial History , Cultural History, and Museum & Gallery Studies
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Book chapter
Afterword: material reckonings with military histories
Looking at European developments from 2017 to 2019, the Afterword situates the volume among the resurgent interest in questions of contested histories, calls for restitution, and the resurgence of provenance research. It argues that given the varied ways European nations are addressing questions of colonial collections, it seems contradictory that...Lidchi, Henrietta
Post-Colonial Studies , Cultural History, Imperial/Colonial History , War Studies, and Museum & Gallery Studies
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Book chapter
Proud symbols of the prospering rural seamen: Scottish Church ship models and the Shipmaster’s Societies of North East Scotland in the late 17th century'
Britain's emergence as one of Europe's major maritime powers has all too frequently been subsumed by nationalistic narratives that focus on operations and technology. This volume, by contrast, offers a daring new take on Britain's maritime past. It brings together scholars from a range of disciplines to explore the manifold...Greiling, Meredith