The primary aim of this thesis has been to describe the complex influences governing the production of fashionable furniture in C18th England and France in order to reassess the connection between material practices, the cultures in which they reside and the philosophical ideas from which they emerge. This has been achieved by detailing the factors influencing the design and production of late C18th furniture in England and France and developing a comparative model developed around the Harewood Library Table by Thomas Chippendale and The Wallace Collection F302 Secrétaire á abattant by Riesener, in order to isolate, identify and interpret differences between them. This innovative case study sits at the heart of this thesis and describes in detail how these pieces were designed and constructed and how they relate to the wider cultures from which they emerged. The result of this is apparent in a number of outcomes. Firstly, the thesis offers a definitive summary of the key characteristics of Chippendale’s and Riesener’s work which will better enable practitioners (conservators, curators, collectors, etc.) to identify pieces made by these makers, analyze their condition and help conserve these important pieces of furniture: furniture history currently is over‐dependent on much more subjective approaches to this process of identification. Secondly, the thesis examines different aspects of furniture making in England and France (literature on the workshops, information on economic conditions, evidence relating to tools and materials etc.) and integrates them in such a way as to provide an authoritative account of the complex processes involved in the commissioning of such fashionable furniture. The thesis not only helps us better understand furniture making in England and France at a structural level during this key period of transition but also provides an original and systematic approach to writing a history around such material cultures, demonstrating how important it is to the full(est) comprehension of history that such fashionable objects be understood. Where other frequently more privileged objects (written documents, paintings and sculptures etc.) have been seen to provide valuable historical insights, this thesis argues that fashionable furniture can now be seen to provide its own unique perspectives on the time and on the society in which it was created.

The dissertation investigates the ancient Egyptian furniture industry, from ancient production and preservation, to modern-day reconstruction and conservation. The main focus of the dissertation falls on an in-depth investigation of styles and designs that can be viewed as characteristic/diagnostic of ancient Egyptian furniture. Emphasis falls on the evolution of functional and decorative elements and the development of individual items. Key design markers are identified and the developments of certain styles are traced. In-depth discussions reveal the finer structural and design elements of individual items along a chronological time frame. These include beds, stools, chairs, footrests, couches, mattresses and cushions, boxes and chests, tables, bed canopies and screens. Introductory chapters provide the reader with background information relevant to the furniture industry, including tree species and timber properties, trade and import, tools, technologies and production methods, while the final chapter investigates the possible applications of modern technology for assessment, conservation and reconstructive purposes. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Ancient Near eastern Studies)

<p>Denna rapport är en jämförande studie av utvalda konsolidanter som används till att stabilisera nedbrutet insektsangripet trä. Av de trägnagande skadeinsekter vi har i Sverige är det främst<em> </em>den<em> </em>strimmiga trägnagaren som är intressant i möbelsammanhang. I rapporten beskrivs den strimmiga trägnagaren, en liten skadeinsekt<strong> </strong>som kan åstadkomma stor skada om den får verka ostörd. Insekten finns utspridd i hela Europa och är ett stort problem då den angriper alla typer av träslag. Nedbrutet insektsangripet trä<strong> </strong>förlorar sin styrka och kan behöva konsolideras genom att injicera konsolidanter in i träet. Studien är tänkt att jämföra styrkan på de vanligast förkommande och använda konsolidanterna. Urval av dessa har dels gjorts genom att intervjua konservatorer i Sverige, Norge och Danmark, dels utifrån tillgänglig litteratur och forskning. I studien injiceras de utvalda konsolidanterna in i provbitar av artificiellt konstruerat insektsangripet trä som sedan utsätts för hållfasthetsprover. Provbitarna är utformade i kuber av björk, 45x45x45 mm och är borrade med 2 mm stora hål för att efterlikna angripet trä. Två olika typer av hållfasthetsprov har använts för att mäta styrkan hos de olika konsolidanterna, tryckhållfasthet tvärsfiber och skjuvhållfasthet. Resultaten av hållfasthetsproverna visar inga tydliga tecken på att de injicerade konsolidanterna gett någon direkt styrka till provbitarna. I tryckhållfasthets tvärsfiber finns en dock en tendens tillförhöjda värden. För att kunna dra någon slutsats bör ytterligare studier genomföras.</p> / <p>This report is a comparative study of a chosen set of consolidating agents used to stabilize wood suffering from the infestation of wood boring insects. When considering furniture, the most common wood boring insect in Sweden is the Furniture Beetle. This report discusses the Furniture Beetle, a small insect which if left alone, achieves a great amount of damage. This particular beetle can be found in all of Europe and is a sizable problem, since it can attack all species of wood. Infested wood is destabilized by the beetles boring a web of internal tunnels throughout, which results in a loss of strength. This wood is then commonly injected with a consolidation agent to compensate for its internal weakness. The study is made to compare the strength of the most commonly used consolidating agents. These lection of agents was determined by interviewing conservators in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as from accessible literature and research. In the study the selected consolidating agents are injected into trial pieces of artificially compromised wood which are in turn exposed to strength testing in a laboratory setting. The trial pieces are squares of birch wood measuring 45x45x45mm which have several 2mm holes drilled into them lengthwise, to simulate the beetle's pathways. Two types of strength testing were carried out to test the consolidation agents and their effect. One testmeasures the strength by compression across the grain, while the other puts pressure on either side, forcing the piece to fail along the grain. The results of the testing do not distinctively show that the consolidating agents impose any significant strength to the trial pieces. There is however a tendency of increased strength shown in the cross grain compression tests. To draw any firm conclusions, additional research is required.</p>

Denna rapport är en jämförande studie av utvalda konsolidanter som används till att stabilisera nedbrutet insektsangripet trä. Av de trägnagande skadeinsekter vi har i Sverige är det främst den strimmiga trägnagaren som är intressant i möbelsammanhang. I rapporten beskrivs den strimmiga trägnagaren, en liten skadeinsekt som kan åstadkomma stor skada om den får verka ostörd. Insekten finns utspridd i hela Europa och är ett stort problem då den angriper alla typer av träslag. Nedbrutet insektsangripet trä förlorar sin styrka och kan behöva konsolideras genom att injicera konsolidanter in i träet. Studien är tänkt att jämföra styrkan på de vanligast förkommande och använda konsolidanterna. Urval av dessa har dels gjorts genom att intervjua konservatorer i Sverige, Norge och Danmark, dels utifrån tillgänglig litteratur och forskning. I studien injiceras de utvalda konsolidanterna in i provbitar av artificiellt konstruerat insektsangripet trä som sedan utsätts för hållfasthetsprover. Provbitarna är utformade i kuber av björk, 45x45x45 mm och är borrade med 2 mm stora hål för att efterlikna angripet trä. Två olika typer av hållfasthetsprov har använts för att mäta styrkan hos de olika konsolidanterna, tryckhållfasthet tvärsfiber och skjuvhållfasthet. Resultaten av hållfasthetsproverna visar inga tydliga tecken på att de injicerade konsolidanterna gett någon direkt styrka till provbitarna. I tryckhållfasthets tvärsfiber finns en dock en tendens tillförhöjda värden. För att kunna dra någon slutsats bör ytterligare studier genomföras. / This report is a comparative study of a chosen set of consolidating agents used to stabilize wood suffering from the infestation of wood boring insects. When considering furniture, the most common wood boring insect in Sweden is the Furniture Beetle. This report discusses the Furniture Beetle, a small insect which if left alone, achieves a great amount of damage. This particular beetle can be found in all of Europe and is a sizable problem, since it can attack all species of wood. Infested wood is destabilized by the beetles boring a web of internal tunnels throughout, which results in a loss of strength. This wood is then commonly injected with a consolidation agent to compensate for its internal weakness. The study is made to compare the strength of the most commonly used consolidating agents. These lection of agents was determined by interviewing conservators in Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as from accessible literature and research. In the study the selected consolidating agents are injected into trial pieces of artificially compromised wood which are in turn exposed to strength testing in a laboratory setting. The trial pieces are squares of birch wood measuring 45x45x45mm which have several 2mm holes drilled into them lengthwise, to simulate the beetle's pathways. Two types of strength testing were carried out to test the consolidation agents and their effect. One testmeasures the strength by compression across the grain, while the other puts pressure on either side, forcing the piece to fail along the grain. The results of the testing do not distinctively show that the consolidating agents impose any significant strength to the trial pieces. There is however a tendency of increased strength shown in the cross grain compression tests. To draw any firm conclusions, additional research is required.

This study describes experiments and findings of an investigation to evaluate the use of laser cutting as an alternative to traditional sawing techniques in marquetry completion conservation. Experiments on veneer from 11 different species of wood, covering ring porous, semi-diffuse/-ring porous and diffuse porous woods, were carried out and examined. The optimal cutting metrics with respect to speed, power and frequency for the types of wood were determined. The most important ethical question for a conservator is to be able to preserve as much as original material as possible. The results of this project show that the use of a laser cutting machine is indeed a suitable solution to produce replacement veneer for marquetry works in furniture conservation with respect to quality and time. Especially when it comes to the precision in the shape of the replacement piece, laser cutting is superior to hand sawing. This makes laser cutting an interesting option and reduces the need for expert skills in hand sawing in order to perform very detailed completion work. It also reduces the need of invasive work on the original marquetry to accommodate the replacement piece. The findings are general for all of the examined types of wood. On the negative side, the laser cutting machine requires a relatively big initial investment, making it difficult to say if it is really a cost-effective method of cutting replacement veneer pieces. / Syftet med projektet är att hitta en alternativ metod för att producera kompletteringsbitar av fanér till gamla intarsiaobjekt. En lämplig metod ska vara tids- och kostnadseffektiv, hållbar och reversibel. Laserskärning innebär stora möjligheter att kraftigt reducera tid och kostnad vid komplettering av intarsia, vilket möjliggör för flera möbelägare att låta utföra en professionell konservering av sina historiska objekt.

The dissertation investigates the ancient Egyptian furniture industry, from ancient production and preservation, to modern-day reconstruction and conservation. The main focus of the dissertation falls on an in-depth investigation of styles and designs that can be viewed as characteristic/diagnostic of ancient Egyptian furniture. Emphasis falls on the evolution of functional and decorative elements and the development of individual items. Key design markers are identified and the developments of certain styles are traced. In-depth discussions reveal the finer structural and design elements of individual items along a chronological time frame. These include beds, stools, chairs, footrests, couches, mattresses and cushions, boxes and chests, tables, bed canopies and screens. Introductory chapters provide the reader with background information relevant to the furniture industry, including tree species and timber properties, trade and import, tools, technologies and production methods, while the final chapter investigates the possible applications of modern technology for assessment, conservation and reconstructive purposes. / Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M.A. (Ancient Near eastern Studies)

This paper investigates chemical bleaching of wood and its ageing to make specie specific recommendations on which bleaching solutions to use when color adjusting veneer for furniture restoration.  In more detail, chemical bleaching of European walnut (Juglans regia), Rio rosewood (Dalbergia nigra), purpleheart (Peltogyne spp.), Honduras mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla) and padauk (Pterocarpus spp.) has been investigated using eleven different bleaching solutions. Both oxidative (e.g. hydrogen peroxide and potassium permanganate) and reductive (e.g. oxalic acid and sodium bisulfite) solutions have been used. Furthermore, to investigate aging of the bleached surfaces they were subjected to sunlight behind a glass window until a change in Blue Wool Scale 3 was obtained. Visual examination has been used to rank the color change after the chemical bleaching and the sun light exposure experiment. A small color change after the sun light exposure experiment indicates a high degree of lightfastness and is preferred for long term stability when restoring furniture. The results show that the wood species react in different ways to the investigated bleach solutions and to sun light exposure. It can also be noted that all investigated solutions were not suitable for all wood species. Moreover, the sun light exposure experiment identified effective bleach solutions that gave an unacceptable low lightfastness for mahogany and padauk after chemical bleaching. Based on the chemical bleaching and sun light exposure results, preferred bleaching solutions are recommended for the investigated wood species. / En vanlig restaureringsuppgift är att ställvis ersätta borttappat träfaner på en möbel. Originalfaneret har blekts med tiden, varför det nya faneret ofta är för färgstarkt och färgen behöver reduceras. När vi upplever en bit padouk som intensivt röd eller amarant som lila, beror det på att det i trät finns ämnen som tar upp energi motsvarande energin i våglängder av synligt ljus. När ämnena absorberar en del av det synliga ljuset registrerar våra näthinnor att de saknas, vilket tolkas som en färg av vår hjärna. De ämnen som absorberar synligt ljus kan brytas ner av solljus över längre tid eller på några minuter genom tillförseln av ett oxidations- eller reduktionsmedel. I mitt examensarbete undersöker jag hur olika oxidations- och reduktionsmedel bleker olika träslag. Jag har valt att undersöka hondurasmahogny, europeisk valnöt, brasiliansk jakaranda, padouk och amarant, då det är träslag som ofta behöver blekas när de används i kompletteringar. Vidare undersöker jag hur den genom blekning erhållna färgen i trät i sin tur påverkas av solljus. Detta är viktigt för att förstå hur de restaurerade delarna på möbeln kommer att åldras. De viktigaste resultaten sammanfattas nedan: Valnöt, jakaranda och amarant reagerade på liknande sätt vid kemisk blekning med de i studien använda lösningarna. De blekas mest av natriumhydroxid och salter med väteperoxid. Mahogny och padouk reagerade på liknande sätt vid kemisk blekning. De blektes mest, med ett jämnt resultat, av väteperoxid med natriumhydroxid eller ammoniak. Oxidationsmedel blekte effektivare än reduktionsmedel. Enbart väteperoxid gjorde jakaranda mörkare. En hög ammoniakkoncentration gav blekare resultat än en låg på alla träslag utom amarant. Valnöt var mest ljusäkta av de undersökta träslagen. Majoriteten av mahognyproverna mörknade av solljusexponeringen. Jakaranda och padouk blektes av solljusexponeringen. Flertalet amarantprover mörknade och ett mindre antal blektes av solljusexponeringen. Solljusexperimentet identifierade blekningslösningar som gav oacceptabelt låg ljusäkthet på mahogny och padouk.   För effektiv blekning och godtagbar ljusäkthet rekommenderas följande lösningar för respektive träslag. Välj lösning beroende på önskad blekningsgrad (se Tabell 2 sid 10). Mahogny: väteperoxid, oxalsyra eller kaliumpermanganat och natriumbisulfit. Valnöt: väteperoxid med eller utan ammoniak, väteperoxid och natriumhydroxid med eller utan salter eller natriumbisulfit och oxalsyra. Jakaranda: väteperoxid med ammoniak, oxalsyra, väteperoxid och natriumhydroxid med eller utan salter, natriumbisulfit och oxalsyra eller kaliumpermanganat och natriumbisulfit. Padouk: natriumhydroxid, natriumsilikat och kalciumhydroxid följt av väteperoxid. Amarant: väteperoxid med eller utan ammoniak, väteperoxid och natriumhydroxid med eller utan salter eller kaliumpermanganat och natriumbisulfit.