The Interdisciplinary Research of Virtual Recovery and Simulation of Heritage Buildings. Take Lingzhao Xuan in the Palace Museum as an Example

Due to natural disasters, economic development, tourism development and other factors, many precious heritage buildings have been in endangered situation. How to protect, research and develop these heritage resources effectively has become very urgent and important. Three-dimensional (3D) digital technology plays a more and more important role in protecting and using cultural heritage. The article will take the synthetic study on the mode of virtual construction, recovery, simulation and exhibition of Lingzhao Xuan (a heritage building which stopped construction for some reason in the Palace Museum) as an example to explore and summary an effective interdisciplinary cooperation mode. Besides, we broaden and deepen the concept of “virtual recovery”, and add the concept “virtual simulation” by means of virtual design and the new achievements which are created by such mode for the first time. This research is aimed to provide reference for the standard application of 3D digital technology and perfect the protection work of heritage buildings

Color in Ancient and Medieval East Asia

With essays by Monica Bethe, Mary M Dusenbury, Shih-shan Susan Huang, Ikumi Kaminishi, Guolong Lai, Richard Laursen, Liu Jian and Zhao Feng, Chika Mouri, Park Ah-rim, Hillary Pedersen, Lisa Shekede and Su Bomin, Sim Yeon-ok and Lee Seonyong, Tanaka Yoko, and Zhao Feng and Long BoColor was a critical element in East Asian life and thought, but its importance has been largely overlooked in Western scholarship. This interdisciplinary volume explores the fascinating roles that color played in the society, politics, thought, art, and ritual practices of ancient and medieval East Asia (ca. 1600 B.C.E.–ca. 1400 C.E.). While the Western world has always linked color with the spectrum of light, in East Asian civilizations colors were associated with the specific plant or mineral substances from which they were derived. Many of these substances served as potent medicines and elixirs, and their transformative powers were extended to the dyes and pigments they produced. Generously illustrated, this groundbreaking publication constitutes the first inclusive study of color in East Asia. It is the outcome of years of collaboration between chemists, conservators, archaeologists, historians of art and literature, and scholars of Buddhism and Daoism from the United States, East Asia, and Europe

GCI Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites Bibliography

Provides practitioners, as well as those new to the subject, with an overview of the literature related to the management and conservation of archaeological sites. Jointly prepared by GCI and the Department of Antiquities, Cyprus

People, ideas and models in flux in Medieval Europe

UIDB/00749/2020 UIDP/00749/2020This volume is the product of a profound reworking of a substantial number of contributions and, whilst it aims not to be about the “Global Middle Ages”, it does strive to contribute to the debate by suggesting different approaches to the theme through essays that hopefully will spark discussion and a reevaluation of the more traditional studies devoted to circulation, contact and exchange, and those dealing with cultural encounters and differing mental worlds. Here, possibilities may be activated by taking a view through the unsettling lens of global/local analysis and by aspiring to meet those challenges that thereby come into focus.publishersversionpublishe

Microbial Communities in Cultural Heritage and Their Control

Cultural heritage plays a key role in understanding the history of humankind; therefore, the adoption of appropriate strategies for its conservation is essential. Microorganisms, such as bacteria, fungi and microalgae, which are usually organized on the surface in microbial communities as “biofilms”, can cause serious problems in the conservation of cultural heritage, making the adoption of prevention and conservation strategies a critical issue. This editorial focuses on studies published within the present Special Issue that present advances in the field of the biodeterioration of cultural heritage caused by microbial communities, with a particular focus on new methods for their elimination and control

An Examination of the Place of Fresco in Contemporary Art Practice

This dissertation is the outcome of a practice-based research inquiry into innovations in processes and materials leading to a contemporary fresco. The research is in three parts: 1) the textual establishment of a historical framework for fresco; 2) an exhibition, Channelling Time, at the Lethaby Gallery, from 22 April to 3 May 2003; and 3) a critical analysis and conclusion that defines the research. The thesis is intended to explore issues in experimental fresco works and to provide a critical account of techniques, uses, and positions of fresco in twentieth-century art. It also aims to propose new aesthetic values in contemporary art. Chapters I-IV reappraise modern fresco by weighing historical precedent and influence from other artistic mediums. Throughout these chapters it is argued that fresco can establish itself as a current in contemporary art by understanding how its contexts and media differ from traditional painterly approaches to contemporary fresco and an organic relationship to architectural space. The research also discusses how contemporary fresco extends its boundaries with three different types of works: 1) site-specific projects; 2) portable frescoes and fresco installations; and 3) fresco sculptures and frescoes in mixed media. Interviews with major fresco artists examine how their work contributes to the creation of contemporary fresco and its new aesthetics. This research was used as a basis for discussing fresco in practice. It is developed in Chapter V, 'An Ongoing Inquiry through Creative Practice' and was presented at the exhibition in the Lethaby Gallery, the catalogue of which is included. The crux of the exhibition and the culmination of my research is an analysis of fresco's autonomy, diversity, and development from a traditional to a contemporary medium. The exhibition Channelling Time set out to establish fresco as a protean genre that expresses a variety of discourses of fresco

X-ray fluorescence applied to yellow pigments based on lead, tin and antimony: comparison of laboratory and portable instrumentation

X-ray fluorescence is a diagnostic approach particularly suited to be utilized in cultural heritage sector since it falls in the non-destructive and non-invasive analytical tools. However there are big differences between portable and laboratory instrumentation that make difficult to perform a comparison in terms of quality and reliability of the results. The present study is specifically addressed to investigate these differences in respect of the same analytical sample-set. To reach this goal a comparison was thus carried out between portable and bench top devices X-ray fluorescence devices and techniques were used on different type of yellow pigments based on lead, tin and antimony obtained in laboratory, reproducing the instructions described in “old” recipes, that is: i) mortar of lead and tin produced on the basis of the recipe 13 /c V of the “Manuscript of Danzica” and “ Li tre libri dell’arte del Vasaio” by Cipriano Piccolpasso; ii) two types of lead and tin yellow (Pb2SnO4 and PbSnO3) produced starting from the indications of the 272 and 273 recipes of the “Bolognese Manuscript”; iii) lead antimonate (Pb2Sb2O7) obtained by following the instructions of the Piccolpasso’s treatise and those contained on the “Istoria delle pitture in maiolica fatte in Pesaro e ne’ luoghi circonvicini di Giambattista Passeri” and finally iv) lead, tin and antimony yellow (Pb2SnSbO6,5) obtained starting from the information contained in the paper 30 R of “Manuscript of Danzica” [1]. The XRF analysis were performed using a laboratory instrumentation (Bruker M4 Tornado) and a handset analytical device (Assing Surface Monitor). In order to perform a significant statistical comparison among acquired and processed data, all the analyses have been carried out utilizing the same sample, the same acquisition set up and operative conditions. A chemometric approach, based on the utilization of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and multivariate analytical based tools [2], was utilized in order to verify the spectral differences, and related informative content, among the different produced yellow pigments. The multivariate approach on the results revealed instrumental differences between the two systems and allowed to compare the common characteristics of the set of pigments analyzed

Path of awareness: the relationship between mindfulness and place

Mindfulness meditation has been increasingly used as a tool to address both physical and mental health issues in contemporary society and has gained growing interest and application in various fields. Meanwhile, designers have attempted to use architectural design to help improve people's well-being. However, the relationship between dedicated mindfulness practice and the physical environment in which it is practised awaits further exploration. This study aimed to investigate how spatial design can facilitate formal mindfulness practice. To do so, this research examined a wide range of literature, including related mindfulness theories originating in the Buddhist tradition, architectural and landscape design, and environmental psychology. It established an initial research framework for empirical study and application. The study first distributed an online survey to over 200 mindfulness practitioners in the UK to gain a quantitative understanding of their views toward the environment in which they practised mindfulness. The case study method was then adopted to explore this topic further. The case of Kagyu Samye Dzong London was selected to qualitatively investigate the influence of a specifically dedicated space for mindfulness and whether setting up a specific space for practice is necessary. Empirical data was collected through spatial analysis, an online questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews. The results were analysed using architectural interpretation, IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) Statistics means analysis and factor analysis (version 27.0), and the Computer Assisted Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) NVivo (version 11). This research conducted a comprehensive comparison of mindfulness practitioners based on factors such as expertise level (beginner/proficient), religious background (Buddhist/non-Buddhist) practice frequency, and gender, aiming to gain diverse perspectives on how the environment can effectively facilitate mindfulness practice. The findings of this empirical research provided a systematic and refined research framework consisting of nine main factors, achieved through the quantification of qualitative research. Not only it suggested that setting up a specific physical environment for mindfulness practice is necessary, especially for beginners, but it also provided the order of impact for the elements. Among the elements, quietness was among the top for positively influencing mindfulness meditation; second, the use of tools (such as meditation cushion); and third, the warm room ambience. This framework provided guidance for both designers and mindfulness practitioners to change the environment and better facilitate mindfulness meditation – which leads to long term well-being. Such physical environment, like mindfulness practices itself, is a tool to help people reach their goals. Hence, people would be encouraged to go beyond physical boundaries and obtain awareness, happiness, and well-being with the support given. To sum up, this research holds both academic and practical significance as it enriches the existing field of architectural design through its systematic review and empirical framework. Furthermore, it provides an accessible toolkit for individual practitioners to enhance their mindfulness practice