Pobierz - Paweł Kozakiewicz

Annals of Warsaw Agricultural University - SGGW
Forestry and Wood Technology No 56, 2005: 214-218
(Ann. Warsaw Agricult. Univ.-SGGW, For. and Wood Technol. 56, 2005)
Maple wood in masterpieces of religious art
WITOLD DZBEŃSKI, PAWEŁ KOZAKIEWICZ
Department of Wood Science and Wood Protection, Warsaw Agricultural University - SGGW
Abstract: Maple wood in masterpieces of religious art. Despite featuring advantageous mechanical and
technological properties, maple (Acer sp.) wood finds a limited application range due to its tendency for
desorption deformation, warping and breaking. And yet, hundreds of years ago master wood-carvers were able to
defeat that defect of raw wood material with their skills when processed this attractive but hard-to-work material.
The distinct proof thereof is provided by remarkable masterpieces of art made undoubtedly in wood of the Acer
species, e.g.: the frame for the Holy Mother of Jasna Góra picture, made in the 15th century (shaped correctly,
with carving cuts releasing the internal material stresses), the Saint Paul the Apostle statue (15th - 16th century),
carved in a block of multi-layer glued timber, correctly selected in the aspect of regularity and inclination angle
of annual rings.
Key words : maple wood, carving, frame manufacture, masterpieces
INTRODUCTION
As described in references (Galewski, Korzeniowski 1958; Wangenführ, Scheiber
1985; Schweingruber 1990; Dzbeński 1980), maple wood (Acer sp., Aceraceae family) is
medium-heavy, hard, hardly fissile, with a uniform structure, but with tendency for desorption
breaks and warps, susceptible to air humidity and temperature changes. Maple wood is easily
worked, and a very smooth surface can be manufactured by planing, miling or grinding (for
sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus L. in particular). So, maple is a very good carving wood:
easily polishes, French-polishes and takes colors, is pliant to deep saturation with impregnates
and dyes because no tyloses are present in its vessels; glues easily.
Despite these beneficial mechanical and technological properties, maple wood is not
frequently found in masterpieces of art. The reasons are several special features, such as
drying defects that could induce fissure, and nearly immediate deformation induced by
humidity changes (the wood „moves” under the varying air parameters). This research intends
to prove – based on selected examples (Dzbeński, Kraińska 1985; Dzbeński, Kozakiewicz
2005) – that carvers are able to achieve surprisingly good artistic effects provided maple
wood is correctly worked.
OBJECTS UNDER RESEARCH
Two objects of a great artistic value were tested.
The Holy Mother of Jasna Góra (or Black Madonna) picture (Golonka 1991), a Polish
national relic painted in the Byzantine style in the 11th -12th century, approx. 1382 entrusted
with Paulite fathers monastery at Jasna Góra (now a part of the town of Częstochowa).
Damaged 1430 during a Hussite raid, was restoreted and repainted. The picture was painted
originally with distemper on a three-part linden board, then fixed in a richly decorated Gothicstyle frame being itself a valuable item of 15th century art (figure 1a). During the next
restoration 1925 – 1927, the original frame was partially replaced with a new frame. A wood
sample was taken for identification from the original frame glued onto the original frame
(Kurpik 1991; Dzbeński, Kraińska 1985). The wood identification results were printed in a
collective publication (Golonka 1991, page 80).
The Gothic-style Sait Paul the Apostle statue is an outstanding masterpiece, probably
by a master from the German school in the 15th ot 16th century. The statue was recently put to
auction by the Dom Aukcyjny REMPEX (REMPEX Auction House) in Warszawa. The 187
cm high statue (figure 1b) was cut from a block manufactured from a dozen of balks and
boards glued to one another, layer to layer in parallel or at the right angle (narrow side against
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the widest side). Carefully selected wood pieces were used, with a regular configuration of
annual rings, with straight fibers and knotless. The statue reveals some secondary–less
defects: broken joints, small surface fissares due to the overdried material, a small number of
woodworm (Anobium sp.) insects feeding traces shaped as damage of under-3 mm diameter.
Due to the glueing procedure applied, an empty space of a tetragonal cross-section was left
inside the statue (figure 1c). Wood samples for identification tests were collected from walls
of that space (Dzbeński, Kozakiewicz 2005).
a)
b)
c)
Figure 1. Objects under test:
a) the Holy Mother of Jasna Góra in the wooden polychromed frame from the 15th century;
b), c) the Saint Paul the Apostle statue, 15th/16th century: b) front view; c) bottom view – from the base.
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BOTANIC IDENTIFICATION RESULTS
The photos (figure ryc.2a, b, c; 3a, b, c) show the most important details of the
anatomic structure of the objects tested, namely:
a) mainly single vessels are visible; groups of 2 or 3 vessels are less frequent and a bigger
number of vessels is found exceptionally only (figure 2a, 3a); the vessels cross-section is
round or slightly oval, and they do not contain tyloses;
b) vessel walls include spiral thickening (ryc.2b, 3b) and show the presence of very
numerous (up to 5 or 6 over the vessel width)bordered pits, mainly of a polygonal shape;
diagonal cross-plate (end wall) with single round or oval perforation (straight scalariform
perforation);
c) wood rays are homogeneous, usually in a multiseriate configuration (see figures 2c, 3c:
from 2 up to 6 cell-seriate over the ray width), a small number of uniseriate rays.
The anatomic structure of the objects tested is compliant with that published in
references (Galewski, Korzeniowski 1958; Greguss 1959; Wangenführ, Scheiber 1985;
Schweingruber 1990) for maple (Acer sp.) wood, and for sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.)
wood in particular.
a)
b)
c)
Figure 2. Frame wood in sections: a) cross-section (x75), b) radial section (x250), c) tangential section (x250)
a)
b)
c)
Figure 3. Statue wood in sections: a) cross-section (x25), b) radial section (x150), c) angential section (x150)
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CONCLUSIONS
1. The antic masterpieces of religious were undoubtedly made from maple (Acer sp.)
wood, and probably from sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) wood, this being a rarity
in the museum sector.
2. The identification of maple wood in the relics under test is the evidence for the
usefulness of this material for making the most valuable masterpieces of art; as well,
this application proves the antique artists' masterly control of working procedures with
relation for this material which is expensive and not easily workable.
3. Particularly perfect is the carving in a block consisting of a number of sawn timber
boards laminated glued to one another, thus building a multi-layer glued structure,
with the annual ring distribution considered for when the boards were paired one with
the other. This design eliminated the internal stresses and opposed the material's
desorption deformations.
REFERENCES
1. DZBAŃSKI W., KRAIŃSKA H., 1985: Ekspertyza próbki drewna z ramy cudownego
obrazu Matki Bożej Jasnogórskiej w Częstochowie. WTD SGGW.
2. DZBEŃSKI W., KOZAKIEWICZ P., 2005: Rozpoznanie rodzaju drewna, z którego
wykonana jest rzeźba św. Paweł Apostoł - ekspertyza dla Domu Aukcyjnego Rempex.
WTD SGGW.
3. DZBEŃSKI W., 1980: Klon. „Mała Encyklopedia Leśna”, s.288. PWN Warszawa
(wyd. I).
4. GALEWSKI W., KORZENIOWSKI A., 1958: „Atlas najważniejszych gatunków
drewna”, s. 181-190. PWRiL – Warszawa.
5. GOLONKA J., 1991 (red.): „Jasnogórski ołtarz Królowej Polski”. Nakładem Jasnej
Góry.
6. GREGUSS P., 1959: Holzanatomie der europäischen Laubhölzer und Sträucher.
Académiai Kiadó – Budapest.
7. KURPIK W., 1991: Podłoże obrazu Matki Bożej Jasnogórskiej jako niepisane źródło
do dziejów wizerunku. W: Jasnogórski ołtarz Królowej Polski”, s.75-121. Nakładem
Jasnej Góry.
8. SCHWEINGRUNBER F.H., 1990: Anatomy of European woods. Verlag Haupt,
Bern-Stuttgart.
9. WANGENFÜHR R., SCHEIBER CHR., 1985: Holzatlas. VEB Fachbuchverlag –
Leipzig.
Streszczenie: Drewno klonowe w dziełach sztuki sakralnej. W niniejszej pracy poddano
analizie dwa obiekty sztuki sakralnej o szczególnej wartości artystycznej: XV wieczną ramę z
Obrazu Matki Bożej Jasnogórskiej oraz rzeźbę gotycką przedstawiającą św. Pawła Apostoła z
XV-XVI wieku. Badane zabytkowe dzieła sztuki sakralnej wykonano bez wątpienia z drewna
klonowego (Acer sp.), prawdopodobnie z drewna klonu – jaworu (Acer pseudoplatanus L.),
co jest rzadkością w muzealnictwie. Drewno klonowe pomimo cennych właściwości
mechanicznych i technologicznych, ma ograniczone zastosowanie ze względu na swoje
skłonności do paczenia się oraz pękania. Użycie tego drewna do wykonania omawianych
obiektów świadczy o doskonałym opanowaniu przez dawnych mistrzów tajników
postępowania z tak cennym a równocześnie niełatwym w obróbce surowcem drzewnym.
Szczególnie perfekcyjne jest rzeźbienie w bloku z warstwowo sklejonych i odpowiednio
dobranych układem słojów sztuk tarcicy, pozwalające na eliminację naprężeń wewnętrznych i
przeciwdziałanie odkształceniom desorpcyjnym.
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Author’s addresses:
Witold Dzbeński,
tel. (022) 59 386 50 (gmach nr 34, p.2/66)
tdr_kndod@delta.sggw.waw.pl
Katedra Nauki o Drewnie i Ochrony Drewna
Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego
ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warszawa
Poland
Paweł Kozakiewicz,
tel. (022) 59 386 47 (gmach nr 34, p.2/62)
kozakiewicz@delta.sggw.waw.pl
Katedra Nauki o Drewnie i Ochrony Drewna
Szkoła Główna Gospodarstwa Wiejskiego
ul. Nowoursynowska 159, 02-787 Warszawa
Poland
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