52mc02-MC-2014_Turin, Armeria Reale, O. Calino, Remains of a crankset called "of the suns" for Prince Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy, inv. B43

Facilitated description: 

 

The steel armour was made by Orazio da Calino in the early 1600s.
The armor was made for Emanuele Filiberto and is decorated with many suns.
The armor is preserved at the Royal Armory of Turin.
The Centre for Conservation and Restoration "La Venaria Reale" (CCR) restored the armor in 2014.
The restorers cleaned the armor from dust with vacuum cleaners and chemicals.
They eliminated the old protective substance with a special ultraviolet lamp.
They reinforced the leather parts with glue.
In the end they spread a protective over the entire armor to protect it from the sun's rays and dust.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

Restoration

The intervention began with the disassembly of all the elements and a first mechanical removal of atmospheric particle deposits performed with vacuum cleaners and brushes. Subsequently, solubility tests were prepared to understand the actual possibility of removal of the protectors. Depending on the elements, the cleaning was carried out by immersion, compress and buffer, with mechanical micro-drill finishing and localized interventions with abrasive paste. The removal of the old protective has been verified by working with UV lamp. Unfortunately, its total elimination was not possible, in particular in the porosity of the metal of the Ottoman armour helmet. The leather elements supporting the knobs in the ‘sole’ armour have been consolidated by localised bonding with vinyl resin. Finally, the metal surfaces were protected with a mixture of heavy oils and alkyd resin, compatible with the resin used in the previous intervention.

 

Bibliography

Schedule 1, in Mamluk knights and samurai. Armor of warriors of East and West (catalogue), edited by E Colle, Sillabe, 2014.