Vatican Museums

The fruit of experiences and important professional results gathered in recent years by the Vatican Museums Ethnological Materials Laboratory, this volume, available in Italian, English and Spanish, is a genuine manual for the restoration of ethnographic material, richly illustrated with colour photographs.

Scholars and experts at international level have synergically compared their professional competences in the service of the intercultural formation of future restorers and conservators, sharing reflections on the ethics of restoration and working methods, all aiming at the respect for and enhancement of cultural assets.

The first part considers ethical questions, along with sixteen case studies of the Vatican Ethnological Materials Laboratory, which offer an introduction to the practice of conservation: these include Japanese armour, a Polynesian reliquary and a wampum belt. The second part brings together the different case studies offered by some of the world’s most prestigious restoration laboratories. The third part outlines the situation of current methodology, collecting the best practices of conservation and hypothesising future prospects in the field of heritage protection.
The book concludes with a comprehensive bibliography and sitography.