Case Study: A Mixing Vessel
Approximately one third of an unusually large krater (mixing vessel) in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Villa survives as a collection of fragments. Getty conservators constructed a full-scale facsimile of the vase form on a turntable and then inserted the fragments into the facsimile.
Creating the Facsimile The template of the inner vase profile was then used to turn a large foam and synthetic clay volume representing the internal, empty space of the ancient vessel. The synthetic clay was covered with a plaster-like paste, forming the inner surface of the reproduced vase. |
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Next, the template of the outer profile was attached to the turntable, and synthetic resin was applied over the inner layer. The circular platform was again rotated, this time to form the walls of the vessel. Finally, the outer template was moved slightly outward, and a plaster-like paste was applied to the synthetic resin as the platform was turned. This created the outer surface of the vase. After constructing the model, holes were cut out to receive the original fragments, which were fastened in place using a reversible adhesive. |
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