Abstract
Two Portuguese polychrome terracotta ensembles of the Baroque era, composed of full-sized sculptures, were studied to discover their construction. By comparing the results obtained by their examination and analysis with existing documentary sources, it was verified that each sculpture was made following the same process. First a cross-shaped armature is built up in clay to form the framework for the figure, which is then modelled before firing. This consists of winding coils of clay around the framework, as well as cutting horizontal and vertical sections from the main body. Statues could be fired four at a time in a temporary kiln constructed for this purpose at the monastery where they would be housed. X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyses confirmed that the clay used was a local material. For indoor and outdoor exposure, terracotta presented a durable cost effective option in comparison with other materials such as wood and stone.
| Original language | Unknown |
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| Title of host publication | Preprints ICOM-CCs 16th Triennial Conference / Lisbon / 19-23 September 2011 |
| Pages | 1-10 |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2011 |
| Event | ICOM-CCs 16th Triennial Conference - Duration: 1 Jan 2011 → … |
Conference
| Conference | ICOM-CCs 16th Triennial Conference |
|---|---|
| Period | 1/01/11 → … |