A Meiji stereo microscope with a camera attachment was used to capture these photos and to produce this short video. These were taken at a magnification of 7.5x, to briefly demonstrate the conservation cleaning process of the Staffordshire Hoard.

The process that you will see is as follows:

1.  A soft pure bristle brush is initially used to brush away loose soil sitting on the surface.

2.  A small brush or cotton swab is used as a carrier for a wetting agent, a mixture of Water and Industrial Methylated Spirit (image 1). This is applied sparingly to the hard compact soil, dampening the surface, facilitating easier removal with the thorn held in a pin vice.

Image 1: Cotton swab cleaning

3.  During cleaning the soft brush is used to remove loosened soil. (Image 2)

Image 2: Soft brush cleaning

4.  Techniques for using the thorn differ depending on the object, (image 3) the soil type and the amount of soil covering. A twirling, circular motion is used as well as a picking motion where the soil is lifted off the surface. The thorns are nice and pointy which enables them to get into small crevasses where soil gets trapped.  They are also somewhat flexible which means that they yield slightly under pressure, allowing us to avoid undue stress being applied to the pieces.

Image 3: Cleaning with thorn

5.  A hand-held air puffer is used intermittently to blow away loose soil. In the video you will only see the very tip of the puffer.

6.  Finally, a cotton swab dampened with Industrial Methylated Spirit and a stiff brush (image 4) is used to remove the final layer of soil.  Multiple cotton swabs may be used, changing for a clean one each time one becomes too dirty.

Image 4: Stiff brush cleaning

7.  The accession number for the object is cut out and attached to the reverse of the object using a conservation grade adhesive that will not hrm the object (HMG brand Paraloid B72 (ethyl methacrylate copolymer) from the tube), this is secured in place with the aid of a toothpick.

Image 5: Finished Object

This video briefly demonstrates the conservation cleaning process of the damaged Hilt Plate (object K1083):

This video shows the conservation cleaning process of a sword pyramid (K551) and a silver foil fragment (K1775).

Natalie Harding,

Staffordshire Hoard Conservator (English Heritage funded 3 month post)

Largely taking the extensive study of finds from the Sutton Hoo Anglo-Saxon burial as a reference, backing foils have been classified into two main types ^{1, 2, 3}: standard foils and boxed foils; however, while the conservation and examination of the objects continues, the discovery of more types cannot be ruled out.

Standard foils are stamped with a plain, fine, uniform grid-pattern (images 1, 10, 11,12) whereas boxed foils have a bold square-grid pattern containing a number of small boxes in various formations of 3×3, 4×4 etc. (images 3, 5, 6,7).

There are further differences between foils, such as the depth and definition of their features ². According to this distinction Meeks & Holmes (1985) have classified deep-punched and shallow-punched foils, but these differences indicate the method by which the foils were stamped, appearing to be a feature of quality, rather than representing a different category.

1. K323. An example from the Staffordshire Hoard where the backing foils can be seen. This fitting has lost a number of garnets. The exposed backing foils have a standard pattern.

The structure of a cloisonné cell

 2. This diagram from Francois Farges article⁴, shows the typical structure of the contents of a cloisonné cell: In the case of the Staffordshire Hoard, I represents a thinly cut garnet plate, II a thin, patterned gold backing foil.III a bulking material such as a paste.

Presumably, the stamped foils were put between the paste and the transparent garnet to enhance their brilliance and literally make the stones sparkle. The multiple facets of the standard foils would have fitted this purpose², while the visible extra thick lines of the boxed foils created further aesthetic enhancement².

3. This gold foil features a boxed pattern containing formations of 4X4 squares.  Note the edges of the foil, which are folded up to encase the edges of the garnet (also see image 4). To the right, the garnet that would have fitted onto the foil.

4. K1465. Detail showing the foil edge trapped between the cell wall and the garnet, as it wraps around the stone.

5. K400: this foil shows a boxed pattern containing a 3X3 square formation. Compared to K1299 (image 6), the pattern here appears quite shallow.

6. K1299 This loose foil shows evidence of a boxed pattern containing a 5X4 pattern formation.

7. K1314: as for a number of other mounted garnets in the Hoard, the impressive effect of the gold backing foil is compromised today by a layer of material that has leached between garnet and foil, clouding the sparkling effect. This is likely to have occurred in the burial environment.

8.  The large cabochon K1314 is backed by a boxed pattern. Although it is hard to be certain due to the clouding between the garnet and the foil, boxes containing 4X4 and 5X5 squares can be seen here.

Examination & Measurement

The conservation, examination and measurement of the backing foils is carried out under microscopes (image 9). Recording the finds in detail is part of the essential documentation of the Staffordshire Hoard. The digital images produced by our Keyence 3D microscope allow us to view even the smallest objects in detail, to measure them and eventually find similarities or discrepancies between foils (image 10 & 11)

9. The Keyence VHX-1000 Microscope in the studio (magnification 20-200) is used to photograph and measure the foils.  Conservation is carried out under a Meiji RZ stereo microscope (magnification 7.5-75).

10. K323: the foil observed thorough the 3D microscope. The photo-stacking system allows the standard pattern to be viewed through the garnet. The measuring software allows the superimposition of a grid scale that shows the regularity, both in spacing and shape, of the squares in this standard foil.

11. K323. Backing foils can be quite different, even within the same object.  In this foil the squares do not appear as regular as those in the picture above (image 10). There are many variables to consider when examining the differences between foils¹, such as the accuracy of the tools used to produce the die, the material that the die was made of, the skill and force applied by the craftsman, the material used as backing when punching the foils etc. ¹.

12. The backing foil squares in K270 are not all lined up in the same direction. This is not unusual and it is a feature often noticed in the Hoard’s cloisonné objects with standard foils. This might have been the choice of the craftsman who produced the pieces³, who might have intended to create an interesting effect.

These are only a few examples of the backing foils in the Hoard. In order to create a whole picture of this very large foil collection, a systematic study will need to be undertaken. The initial work the conservators are carrying out at BMAG is nonetheless interesting, as it has already brought to light some of the variety and quality of their manufacture.

References

1. Avent, R & Leigh, D. 1977: A Study of Cross-Hatched Gold foils in Anglo-Saxon Jewellry, Medieval Archaeology, Vol XXI, 1-46
2. Meeks, N.D.& Holmes, R. 1985: The Sutton Hoo Garnet Jewellry: an examination of some gold backing foils and a study of their possible manufacturing techniques, Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archeology and History 4,143-157
3. East, K.1985 : A Study of the Cross-Hatched Foils from Sutton Hoo, Anglo-Saxon Studies in Archeology and History 4,129-142
4. Farges, F. (1998): Mineralogy of the Louvre’s Merovingian garnet cloisonné jewelry: Origins of the gems of the first kings of France, American Mineralogist, Volume 83, pp323-330.

Deborah Magnoler

Staffordshire Hoard Conservator

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Documenting the discovery

The Staffordshire Hoard was discovered by Terry Herbert in July 2009 and delivered to Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery for initial cataloguing and documentation by the collections care department. At this stage I was required to simply photograph the items in order to record this rare find as quickly as possible. Working closely with a conservator this initial cataloguing work was carried out in virtual secrecy. As most of the Hoard objects were in a freshly discovered, pre-conservation condition, the majority still covered in earth, we quickly produced basic high-resolution images, usually with a basic metric scale included in each shot. These files are single focus, uncompressed 117Mb 8 bit RGB files.

Following the formal announcement of the discovery to the world in September 2009 and the subsequent media explosion that followed, key partnerships were established to fundraise and work towards the acquisition of the Hoard. Thanks to the support of the public, trusts and foundations the Hoard was purchased for £3.3m in March 2010. Based at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, a dedicated conservation team was formed and the extensive conservation, analysis and interpretation of the collection began.

At this stage  it became obvious as items began to filter through the meticulous conservation workflow, that this was an extraordinarily powerful and visually stunning collection of objects, with exquisite detail and unusual features. So the brief was clear,  that we should attempt to create an equally powerful and visually stunning series of photographs of this exceptional and unique collection.

I wanted these new images to cater for the partnerships’ current and future needs as much as possible, as well as meet these fundamental criteria:

• To resolve the fine details in order to support the curatorial and conservation teams’ needs to scrutinize tiny surface features of the objects if possible, for analysis and interpretation purposes.
• To create high quality, high resolution macro images of a collection primarily consisting of very small objects and tiny partial fragments, in order to make large prints or large scale gallery based material for exhibitions development and public consumption.
• To produce highly finished, beautiful images using contemporary photography and lighting techniques similar to styles found in contemporary fine art photography or high end advertising. The images should become valuable, sought after assets that people would find desirable in their own right.
• To photograph the objects within a comfortable amount of space or background, in proportion to the objects themselves, so fine art prints, posters or other forms media could be produced easily and in combination with typography or graphic design if required, as well as for use as single images in their own right.
• To create images that exhibit a large degree of aesthetic realism so the audience perceives the photograph as an accurate or semi photo-real document, rather than a computer generated model or rendering.
• And finally create the best images of the collection available anywhere in the world, with a visual consistency across the collection.

Building the workflow

During 2010 as the conservation team worked on conserving, researching and revealing the collection itself, the finished objects started to become available and new photography could take place.

Primarily I needed to produce this work within the on site studio space at Birmingham Museum with existing capture equipment and I set up a temporary working area within the conservation labs. Although limited for space, the conservation labs were close to the collection itself and therefore better for speed and security. For production and logistics, there was a very small budget of up to £1000 to purchase consumables, pay for any hire costs, software or hardware that was required.

The need to produce images with full surface detail across the object dictated that I work with a focus stacking workflow, as ‘regular’ close range macro photography will only allow the production of images with a very ‘shallow depth of focus’. Focus stacking would composite many raw files into one ‘finished’ image, making the capture and workflow process much longer than usual, but enabling the production of  ‘fully sharp’ objects.

Having never worked in this exact manner before, I purchased a copy of Helicon Focus, the widely used focus stacking software, via good recommendations and reviews from other industry professionals. It seemed to be the best software of its type available.

In order to help light the small items, I hired a fiber optic lighting kit for the studio flash heads we have in house. These are small diameter fiber optic cables that attach to the front of our studio flash heads. This allows a tiny directional light source to light the object, rather than a larger light source, which would light the background and object and produce unwanted shadows. These lights are regularly used in the production of high end commercial advertising images of small decorative arts.

Note that these objects are photographed on a sheet of 7mm thick black perspex, purchased for the project. It is lit from above with a key light and soft box, and for diffusion, a piece of 5mm white perspex is between the overhead light and the object. The black perspex sheet appears grey in the photograph with a dark reflective shadow under the object.

A single flash head was used in combination with the fiber light heads, small white foamex boards were used as reflectors and masks to bounce and fill light into specific areas of the object, as well as ‘flag off’ or hide any unwanted reflected light. So, we actually used only two flash heads, with one head split into two directional sources with the fiber lights.

Here’s a basic example of this kind of lighting and background set up:

An example of a single image captured during production:

You can see clearly the shallow depth of focus inherent in standard macro photography, with each individual RAW file featuring a small area of optical sharpness.

All images were captured with BMAG’s existing optical camera and digital back, in this case a 39MP Phase One P45+ digital back and Hasselblad H2 digital camera, with a Hasselblad HC 120MM macro lens, occasionally a 52mm extension tube was also used. Capturing ‘Phase One .IIQ format raw’  files directly into the dedicated Capture One Software, which allows us not only to capture tethered to a workstation computer, in this case a quad core Mac Pro, but also allows us to critique the images precisely and make lots of small image corrections and adjustments as part of the pre-processing raw file stage.

Between 30 and 50 raw images of each object were then captured to cover detail from the front edge to the visible rear of the object, and in most cases also focusing any detail captured in the shadow of the object. Basic colour and exposure adjustments were made at this point. This stage proved occasionally problematic, as focusing the lens manually meant a number of things could occur such as:

• With tiny steps (of less than a few mm) in focus ring movement, it is possible to move the camera slightly, even if the camera is secure on a studio stand or secure tripod and head combination.
• It is possible to overstep the focus increments, thus creating ‘gaps’ of out of focus area, which only become obvious after processing from RAW and then into Helicon Focus.
• It is also possible to ‘under-step’ the focus, creating many more images than is actually required, increasing on capture and processing time unnecessarily.
• Re-focusing the lens across the surface of an object in this way from front to back, depending on the type and quality of lens, actually changes the perspective and image shape throughout focusing. This can become more noticeable on certain sizes and magnifications of objects and their relative distance from the camera.
• Without automating this ‘manual’ part of the process, it is quite demanding on the eyes and co-ordination, as the focus adjustments can be under 0.5mm each time. Its also demanding on your camera (making up to 600 captures per object) and on your flash system, which can reduce the life of the hardware. Consistent flash output and colour with each capture can be an issue if you are using cheaper flash heads. Elinchrom lights seem to be very reliable and I have used them for many years now, however there was on occasion some inconsistency in flash output.  With more expensive professional pack and head combinations, HMI, or constant light sources, this inconsistency could be reduced.

The option at this stage to ‘batch retouch’ images was not required as were many of the other features available in the Capture One Pro software we used. All files were processed as 8 Bit RGB Tif, and as usual we worked with the Adobe (1998) monitor profile.

Once all the images were ready and corrections made universally across all the files, the images were processed into the individual uncompressed tiff format files.

These files are approximately 120MB each, and as a result even with a fairly new, high specification Apple Mac Pro, it took a little while to process everything and because each object had 3-5 different views, that’s up to 250 raw files for each object, and we photographed over 200 objects, totaling over 50,000 images, which again render down into roughly 400 complete, focus-stacked composite images took quite a while in post production.

Processed files are named numerically from 1 to 50, usually with the BMAG accession number of the object preceding the alpha number, e.g. K455 – 01 / K455 – 02 etc.

Files have to be numbered and processed in the same order as captured - without gaps or missing files, or Helicon Focus will find it problematic to import and composite in the correct order.

Files are then imported into the Helicon Focus software which, given the standard pre set – set of parameters, is generally able to piece all files into one ‘fully sharp’ composite without any problems at all.

If any of the possible errors mentioned earlier have occurred, then it will be obvious at this stage in the workflow. The software will warn you when there is poor positioning or inconsistency in your source files and be unable to render a composite image.

Presuming you are happy with this composite file rendered in the software, you are now able to save the helicon composition as an uncompressed .psd, .tif or .jpg format image.

Rendering with Helicon Focus:

The resulting images are astonishingly detailed and contain resolution capable of rendering visible detail of less than 0.25mm. And this is with a Phase One 39MP raw file, with the higher resolution Phase One 80MP full frame IQ digital back, more than double the optical and pixel resolution should be possible.

Of course this workflow may have also rendered any dust and marks on the background visible, also any dust or marks on the camera CCD itself.

So files are opened in Photoshop CS to clean up, it is a fairly simple job with the healing tool, but a very time consuming job to spot out images. I will also regularly select very close to the circumference of the object and shadow with the auto selection (magic wand) tool, adjust and refine the edge selection and apply an average blur to the background, as a quick solution to simply retouch the whole image artwork at 100%, which over hundreds or thousands of images, can become extremely time consuming, laborious and in some cases physically painful to complete.

The results speak for themselves:

Of course shown here are only small files, the full resolution images are truly stunning. There are more examples of these images on this website as well as on my own website here: davidrowan.org/conservation/the-staffordshire-hoard

The images have been used to produce high quality large format exhibition prints, digital interactivity applications such as in-gallery multi touch tables and mobile apps and in a wide range of other types of media such as online, in publications and in art books.

These images have also been widely printed in fundraising, magazines, newspapers and used by news media world wide to accompany news reports and editorials about the Hoard find.

This work also features in exhibitions and media here in the U.K and in the U.S where the National Geographic exhibition was recently seen by over 55,000 visitors in Washington.

The future of the Staffordshire Hoard and Photography

We’ve learned quite a lot from working with this unique new collection and developing a new dedicated workflow to produce this specialist work. The total time spent over the last 2 years on this project alone is well over 9 months, no mean feat, considering we have had many other major projects and exhibitions to complete during this time.

In relation to the Staffordshire Hoard project, our work in photography is set to continue in liaison with the conservation and exhibitions teams for at least the next two years.

To improve on our focus stacking workflow we have just been able to purchase a motor based focus stacking system which speeds up and partly automates the multiple capture focus stacking process. We hope to upgrade our computers for the latest systems later this year, to be able to cope with the large files our new digital back can produce. Ultimately this is to create work that will allow all visitors as well as staff to be able to scrutinize images to an unprecedented level of detail and for us to be able to produce and supply this work quickly and efficiently. We hope to continue to develop and diversify the quality, range and style of our in-house photography as the images will no doubt once again span the globe and appear in numerous journals and publications. We also want to develop innovative in-gallery experiences based on this high quality core visual material.

Birmingham Museums are currently developing a new and ambitious permanent gallery for the Staffordshire Hoard which will open in 2014. With a variety of digital elements, it will utilise this specialist photography for everything from the object case labels and exhibition prints to rich, still and moving imagery, multi touch interactivity and 3D video displays. To support this, I am designing new workflow and new systems to ensure the capture, integration and inter-combination, of different types of new and innovative media to support the needs of the conservation, exhibition, curatorial and project development teams as they work together.

About Me: Birmingham Museum Photographer

I began work with Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery as Museum Photographer in 2001,  developing and managing the photographic department and creating high-end professional photography of the art and history collections. Since then I have managed the organisation’s transition from analogue film to high-end digital capture and overseen the full digitization of the existing analogue photo-media archive. During this time, I have produced photography for many award-winning projects, as well as creating extensive material for hundreds of exhibitions, publications, projects and websites. I have also designed and installed Birmingham Museums’ digital image network, photographic systems, picture library and archive. This system now contains over 175,000 high-resolution image files.

My work supports the organisation’s range of photography and digital media needs, from specialist curatorial and conservation projects, to major exhibitions and publications. I also manage the work of freelance professionals and external organisations with whom we collaborate in order to produce media for permanent galleries or special projects. As well as responding to a diverse demand for new visual media, ranging from web projects to time-lapse animations, videos and fine art print for BMAG’s exhibitions and displays.

My key experience and specialist knowledge is as a professional photographer. I see my job as bringing the wider world of high-end professional imaging and contemporary photographic practice to this sector, in as relevant and cost-effective a manner as possible, while maintaining the highest imaging standards. This work is of course not without its challenges. However we have done exceptionally well over the years with limited resources available, not only to maintain standards, but to develop into one of the region’s leading facilities and become a centre of quality and excellence respected by our partners and photographic peers locally and nationally.

David Rowan
Birmingham Museum Trust Photography

For more about museum digital media and other projects take a look at my personal website: www.davidrowan.org

Additional information:

www.phaseone.com

www.elinchrom.com

www.theflashcentre.com

A number of objects decorated with filigree wire have been conserved recently. Many different styles and patterns have been uncovered – too many to cover comprehensively here – but I would like to share with our blog readers just a few of the remarkable objects we have conserved in recent months. Time and time again the conservation team has been impressed by the variety of patterns observed as well as the outstanding artistry and craftsmanship required to make these objects. Many of the objects shown here have not been seen by the public before. Prepare yourselves!

What is filigree?

Filigree is essentially wires soldered to the surface of objects for decorative effect. The most common types of wire are beaded wires (so called because they have a series of bumps that resemble a string of beads) and round twisted wires, though less commonly we have seen flat twisted wires and beaded wires that have been twisted around a core wire. For a more in-depth discussion of wirework in the hoard see Jamie Hall’s blog.

Before conservation begins x-radiographs of objects can be useful to identify types of filigree wire used. In Figure 1, for example, you can see the beaded and twisted wires quite clearly. However, because the x-radiograph shows the filigree on both sides of the object in the same image it is difficult to decipher the design. To do this it is necessary to remove soil from the surface.

Figure 1. X-radiograph of pommel cap K554. Note the beaded filigree (centre) and twisted filigree (ends). It is difficult to interpret the design because both sides of the object show up on the same image.

Most of the objects decorated with filigree are made of gold, but a few are made of silver. A rare example of a silver filigree pommel cap is K306 (Figure 2).

Figure 2. K306, a silver pommel cap with silver beaded and twisted filigree decoration.

Zoomorphic filigree

Some of the filigree patterns are zoomorphic (i.e., they form animal designs). An example of a relatively clear, simple animal design can be seen on pommel cap K457 (Figure 3):

Figure 3. (a) Gold pommel cap K457. Note the four snake heads on this side.

Figure 3. (b) Detail showing two of the snake heads with gold granules for eyes.

The depiction of animals on Anglo Saxon objects is not always obvious; sometimes the animals are quite abstract and difficult to see and interpret. When it is unclear what animal is depicted, or when it appears to be a mythical animal, the animals are simply called ‘zoomorphs’. Consider pommel cap K686 (Figure 4).

Figure 4. K686, a gold pommel cap with zoomorphic filigree design.

Do you see the zoomorphs in this design? Hint: There are two of them. Try picking them out and compare your results with an Anglo-Saxon expert’s interpretation of the design at the end of this blog.

Interlace patterns

A number of objects feature filigree in an interlace design. A nice example of this type of design can be seen on hilt collar K314 (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Gold hilt collar K314, front.

At first glance these designs might look as if they are formed by long wires, but they are actually formed of many short sections of wire painstakingly arranged to create this illusion. Look carefully at the wires in Figure 6; you can see the snipped ends of wires where the interlace strands meet.

Figure 6. K314, front detail. Note how the interlace is formed of short sections of wire. Also note that a beaded wire that has been twisted runs along the top and bottom of the object.

On a few objects in the hoard the spaces between the filigree wires were pressed down to make the filigree stand out even more. You can see the result of this on the back of K314 (Figure 7).

Figure 7. K314, back. Note the protruding bumps corresponding to the spaces between the filigree on the front.

This has the effect of enhancing the illusion of depth and making the filigree look more substantial and ‘pop out’ of the surface of the object. Now look back and compare the filigree on Figures 4 and 5. Can you see the difference that this technique has on the appearance of the filigree?

Unusual designs

There is a rich variety of filigree designs in the hoard, including some unusual and spectacular designs.

One object that created a real ‘wow!’ moment in the conservation studio was when my colleague Deborah uncovered the magnificent filigree work on hilt collar K2 (Figure 8). It features linear, interlace and spiral designs on one side and a dense ‘patchwork’ effect of blocks of tiny twisted wires on the other side.

Figure 8 (a). One side of gold hilt collar K2 with linear, interlace and spiral designs. All of these filigree wires are <1mm wide.

Figure 8 (b).  The other side of gold hilt collar K2 with dense ‘patchwork’ effect of blocks of tiny twisted wires. All of these filigree wires are <1mm wide.

Another unusual design can be seen on hilt collar K735 (Figure 9). It features a loose, flowing interlace alongside two rows of annulets (small rings of beaded filigree wire):

Figure 9. Gold hilt collar K735.

Another hilt collar, K1144, features small granules (balls) of gold surrounded by rings of beaded wire (Figure 10).

Figure 10. K1144, a gold hilt collar with unusual filigree design.

As conservation of the hoard continues more and more designs are being uncovered. If you can, do try to see some of these objects firsthand by visiting Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery or the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent.

Further reading

For more information about Anglo-Saxon art and an in-depth discussion of the interpretation of Anglo-Saxon designs I recommend Leslie Webster’s accessible, informative and beautifully illustrated book Anglo-Saxon Art: A New History published by The British Museum Press, 2012.

Figure 11. Recommended book by Leslie Webster.

Finally, here is an interpretation of the zoomorphic design on pommel cap K686 by Anglo-Saxon expert Chris Fern.

Figure 12. Chris Fern’s illustration of pommel cap K686 showing two intertwined zoomorphs. The white section in the middle is an interlace joining the two zoomorphs.

Cymbeline Storey

Staffordshire Hoard Conservator

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

My name is Natalie Harding and I am a conservator working on the Staffordshire Hoard.  Usually based at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, I have been brought across to Stoke-on-Trent to the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery to begin the task of cleaning and conserving their part of the Staffordshire Hoard artefacts.  The top 100 objects are currently on display at the Potteries Museum, and although housed in a bespoke exhibition space, the objects on display needed some conservation.

For far too long these objects have been kept under their safety wrapper; concealed within their original burial soil, each like an individual package waiting to be discovered.  What secrets may lie beneath? I thought as I was lead through the Hoard gallery and asked which pieces I would like to work on first.  It was like asking a child in a sweet shop what candy they would like to try first! How can you decide?!?!? So I did as any child would – I went for the biggest, shiniest and best looking! This is not so easy when these pieces are covered in soil (and much less satisfying to the taste buds).  However I managed to pick some beauties!

I am relatively new to the Hoard conservation project, so I am still genuinely excited about all the objects that I get to work on and I am trying to work on as many as possible!!

One of the pieces I found most interesting was a gold pommel cap elaborately decorated on all sides with cut garnets recessed into their own individual cells, (images 1 and 2).

Image 1. Before treatment

Image 2. Before treatment 

The garnets were cut and arranged in an interesting way, with an arrow head pattern surrounded by a semicircle of gold on one side panel (image 3) and the other panel decorated with a pattern of alternating arrow and mushroom shaped cut garnets (image 4).

Image 3. After treatment

Image 4. After treatment 

The fact that this piece was decorated all over, even on the sides of the shoulders, (image 5) suggests that this was made by a very skilled craftsman.  What really made this piece special for me was that a specific method of construction could be seen.  The rivet shoulder fittings (where the rivets would have passed through the pommel to hold the cap onto the sword, (image 6) were mechanically joined to the piece rather than soldered on, which is what has been seen previously.

Image 5. After treatment

Image 6. After treatment

To my knowledge this form of construction has not been seen before which makes this a new and exciting find!  Small curved over ‘tabs’ were found when looking at the underside of the piece (image 7 and 8).  These ‘tabs’ pass through holes in the main pommel piece and hook over, tightly securing the side rivet fittings in place. This is such a straight forward mechanical join and a simple solution to attaching one piece to another.  With complicated pieces such as this with the high level of decoration and intricacy of the cut garnets, the simpler features can sometimes get overlooked.  This simple solution has to be admired and suggests that the Anglo-Saxons were not only highly skilled but were good problem-solvers too!

Image 7. After treatment

Image 8. After treatment

While I was working away at my little technical find, my colleague uncovered a ‘timely kiss’.  For St. Valentine’s Day, a gold filigree piece was fully cleaned and uncovered the silhouette of a love heart formed by the silhouette of two bird-like figures touching their beaks, (image 9).  Much to the curators delight of this appropriately timed find, the press was informed and I found myself giving my first ever radio interview – eeek!  St Valentines evening I found myself excitedly yelling at the television when I saw it being presented on the local news, it even made it to the Times website!

Image 9.

All the excitement aside, one thing that humbled me the most was the unwavering interest and enthusiasm shown by the Staffordshire Hoard volunteers at the Potteries Museum.  They willingly dedicate their time and energy to present, explain and discuss the artefacts of the Hoard to the visiting public and are essentially the first point of contact for the Hoard. Over the course of the week, we had a stream of visits from the very interested and enthusiastic volunteers.  We agreed and encouraged that this was the perfect time for the volunteers to get up close with the hoard objects and for us as conservators to explain our finds and our own curiosities with pieces.  This benefited both parties as they shared information about the Hoard (which impressively, is in some cases more than we know ourselves!) and as conservators we were able to share our own findings and theories and we able to show them under the microscope those small details that fascinate, like construction layout lines, or the gold foil backings of the garnets.

I found this eagerness and passion for the project to be one of the most rewarding and valuable experiences and it reminded me why this project is so important; it is capturing everyone’s imagination and getting everyone involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time working at the Potteries Museum, the staff were friendly, helpful and the enthusiastic volunteers engaging.  My week experience here, although short, made me realise that I am involved with something very special and that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

I hope to be back at the Potteries Museum in March to continue our programme of cleaning and conserving to enable these very important and brilliant looking pieces to go back on display for all the public to enjoy!  Do make a special trip to the Potteries Museum to see these pieces in their new un-earthed state!

Natalie Harding,

Staffordshire Hoard Conservator (English Heritage funded 3 month post)

The programme has been very successful with placements ranging from 2 weeks to 2 months. Since 2010 we have had ten students, two volunteers and five national heritage Ironwork Group blacksmiths working with the objects and developing conservation skills. We have also hosted 10 professional conservators.

The first student placements of this year were Susanne van Leeuwen and Julia Leunge, the project was delighted to have them over the last month. Read all about their experiences below.

Pieta Greaves: Conservation manager

Experiencing the magic Hoard

Suzanne van Leeuwen

Working on the Staffordshire hoard is a magical and educational experience, with the prospect of making small, but new discoveries every day.

My name is Suzanne van Leeuwen and together with my friend and colleague Julia Leunge we would like to share some of our experiences of working on the hoard and introduce ourselves to all of the hoard enthusiasts.

Image 1: A day in the life of a hoard conservator: Suzanne at work conserving and cleaning behind the microscope with some very simple tools.

My interest in conservation started a couple of years ago. I graduated in 2007 from the University of Amsterdam with a MA in Classical Archaeology. I have excavated for ten seasons in the pre-Roman town of Satricum in Lazio, Italy. I effectively was, and maybe still am, a ‘good weather’ archaeologist and after my graduation did not feel the urge to start excavating in rainy Holland due to lack of work in Italy. In 2008 I saw a documentary about the British Museum and saw a conservator working on a Greek bronze; I was sold immediately. Conservation had always lingered in the back of my mind but it was not until 2006 that the programme at the University of Amsterdam became fully developed. In 2009 we started with an obligatory minor in Conservation and I was accepted into the two-year Metals programme the following year. In October 2012 I received my second Masters degree and currently I am enrolled in the two-year post graduate Conservation programme that follows the master.

As part of that post graduate programme we were introduced to the Staffordshire Hoard team by one of our teachers, Janine van Reekum. The last couple of years she has been active on the hoard’s advisory panel and she saw an opportunity for us to gain experience in archaeological conservation of the highest standard!

Image 2: Explaining conservation process to Deborah Cane and Pieta Greaves.

Working on the hoard involves many professionals from different backgrounds and with different interests. Archaeologists, curators and conservators all look at the objects in a specific way and this will enable us to reconstruct the history of the hoard one day. We as conservators make sure that the objects are clean, stable and ready to be studied in the near future. This is a very rewarding, but also tiresome job, and I have the utmost respect for Deborah Magnoler and Cymbeline Storey who have been working non-stop on the hoard for the last two years. It requires a lot of concentration, dedication and patience to work on these objects and I feel that I have developed these skills even more so during this month. After a couple of silver objects we were given a gold one later the first week when we had developed a certain routine in conserving objects. The gold objects are generally more fragile than the silver ones but are also more stable; you have to adjust your working pace accordingly.

The most unique object I have worked on this month must be K362. It is a gold cloisonné strip with garnets, almost all of whom remain in their original position. Although the function of these cloisonné strips are still not entirely clear, maybe this object can help us understand better for it seems to be in one piece. Some of the garnets are missing but that allows us to take a closer look at the golden foils beneath the stones.

Image 3 and 4: A very rewarding job as you can see on these pictures of K362!

Image 3: Gold cloisonné strip with garnets K362 before treatment.

Image 4: Gold cloisonné strip with garnets K362 after treatment.

Julia Leunge

I am Julia, 26 years old, and like Suzanne I am in the post graduate metals conservation program at the University of Amsterdam. My background is in archaeology too, but after seeing an episode of a Dutch TV show equivalent to the Antiques Roadshow explaining the conservation/restoration of an enamel brooch, the idea of becoming a conservator began to take root. (It seems both of us have TV to thank for choosing conservation!).  I chose to specialise in metals conservation because they have always drawn my interest, but it was only after studying them that I began to understand their complexity, the great differences between metals and the way their properties can dramatically change over short or very long periods of time.

Because of the different metals and metal alloys in the hoard, and the fact that they have long been buried in a certain environment, each object regardless of its size and sophistication holds a surprise. A copper alloy fragment may have become dark green and entirely mineralised, while a gold object that may have been next to it appears untouched by time. Personally I have also been intrigued by the various techniques, and therefore the necessary tools the Anglo Saxons must have had. I like to think about the craftsmanship that went into shaping a 4 mm rivet, or the kilometres of beaded wire filigree that must have been produced as well as the huge amount of tiny mushroom shaped garnet inlays.

Image 5: Zoomorphic pattern created by beaded wire.

The last object I have treated has surprised me as well; the interior of this gold sword pommel cap had become filled up with soil, which when carefully removed revealed a copper alloy lining. It was almost like a miniature excavation, where unexpectedly my archaeological skills came in handy.

Image 6. Gold pommel cap K710 before treatment.

Image 7. Gold pommel cap K710 after treatment.

Image 8: Copper alloy lining in K710.

Looking back, these four weeks have flown by and the people at the conservation lab have made us feel very welcome. Thank you Pieta, Deborah, Cymbeline, Natalie and Ciarán for a very pleasant and instructive internship!

Suzanne van Leeuwen and Julia Leunge
Conservation interns

1. The Classroom at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery set up for the conservation activity.

The ethos: learning and entertainment

Museums have so much more to offer than the precious objects they house. As a continuing commitment to offer the public insight and alternative learning opportunities, especially to younger visitors, the Hoard Conservation Team participated in a Family Open day, held on 20 February 2013.

The conservation of the Staffordshire Hoard started in the studio at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in 2010 and since then hundreds of objects have been conserved. During this process, our attitude was always one of openness with the public, and our regular tours, events and blog posts bear testimony to this. However, the requirement on this special event was to inform while entertaining very young members of the public, during a very busy and rather rainy half term day.

Observing through the microscope

A number of activities were devised that would allow the conservators to introduce their role: in order to create a reasonably realistic studio (image 1) two of our microscopes were put in the museum’s classroom. From these examination stations the children were guided to observe a number of organic and inorganic objects and materials (image 3.).

Natalie Harding and Ciaran Lavelle, two English Heritage funded conservators currently working on the hoard, led on this activity by prompting answers from the children, encouraging them to take the time to acknowledge how different a surface can look at high magnification and helping them to understand structures and components. Detail like the minute links in a chain, the veins in a leaf and the weave in a sample of textile were pointed at and explained. The exercise aimed at both creating a sense of wonderment and explaining that our profession as conservators involves looking at objects very closely, in order to understand their morphology and condition.

2. Natalie, one of the conservators, with a keen young member of the public at the microscope. The conservators encouraged the children to observe carefully what was put in front of them. Gasps of wonderment were often heard coming from that side of the bench!

3. Materials to be examined under the microscope. These included custom jewellery made of metals, stones and enamels, leafs, seeds and bark, shell, textile, stone objects and coins.

The soil blocks

Soil blocks were specially created containing bits of “treasure”, kindly provided by staff who donated unwanted objects from home. The aim here was to carefully clean all the soil away in order to unearth the objects held within it, using small tools and brushes. The idea behind the activity was to introduce the concept that objects are likely to have once looked very different from the way they do when they are on display in the museum. The words ‘archaeology’, ‘conservator’ and ‘excavation’ were explained. Instructions were given on cleaning with care, and that the process required a great deal of patience. I suspect that getting muddy may have contributed to the activity’s great popularity.

4. The two Hoard conservators, Deb and Cym, introducing the children to the world of conservation. The magnifying lens and lab coats added a touch of professional realism to the soil blocks cleaning task.

Interlace pattern drawing

Many objects in the Staffordshire Hoard are decorated with intricate filigree interlace patterns. To the lay man these patterns are often quite baffling and one can literally make neither head nor tail of them. Jamie Hall, a historic metalworker with a past in jewellery making, led the children into understanding these complex patterns by drawing them on paper. The children were then encouraged to do the same and produce a pattern to take home as a souvenir (see image 5).

5. Jamie Hall is a historic metal worker who often contributes to Hoard events: the photo shows how he taught children to recreate the intricate Anglo-Saxon interlace design on paper.

Puzzles and colouring-in

The children’s age ranged from as young as 4 or 5 to 10 or older. It was important that we offered a variety of activities that were both interesting and fun: mock photographic condition reports were made to match parts of a Hoard object with their names (see image 7). Black and white diagrams of real sword pommels, hilt plates and fittings were produced to be coloured in, as well as puzzles on Anglo-Saxon domestic life, warfare and language. The children and their parents sat around large tables (see image 6) where all material was made available to them. A number of volunteers from the events team were around to answer any queries. They also ensured that the public were aware of the variety of activities available to them on the day, both in the classroom and in the gallery.

6. The Anglo-Saxon warriors came to visit: their impressive and highly realistic attire was a hit with children and adults, who were free to take pictures of the re-enactors.

7. The mock condition check: an image of a real Hoard object with a number of details to be identified.

Thanks to the collaboration between the Conservators and the Events Team the day was a success. I am confident that we rose to the challenge and provided a glimpse into the world of museum professionals. Hopefully the microscopic observations will have instilled a new sense of curiosity in the children and the cleaning process will have cast some light on the journey of an object from burial to display case.

By Deborah L Magnoler

Staffordshire Hoard Conservator

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

The Hoard
The Staffordshire Hoard represents the most significant archaeological find ever uncovered in the West Midlands region. Since the public disclosure of the find in September 2009 there has been an unprecedented level of public and media interest in the Hoard. There is also the academic communities who have specific and significant expectations in relation to establishing a research agenda around the Hoard. Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery, Stoke-on-Trent are the Acquiring Partners and understand the need to address the varied agendas and expectations that have arisen since the discovery and acquisition of the Hoard.

The first and most important step is to conserve the Hoard so that it is materially stable thereby allowing the effective investigation of the material by scientists, archaeologists and historians. This call is part of the Acquiring Partners strategy to meet their responsibilities in this area and how they will ensure that the democratic and open approach that has typified the handling of this most important of finds is maintained throughout the process of conservation.

What is in the Hoard?
Following initial assessment the Hoard was found to contain 97 sword pommels (25% of the sword pommels are of a cloisonné design with 60% constructed from fine filigree), 354 sword and dagger hilt fittings, 9 pyramids, 4 pommel rings, 2 buttons and a large amount of fragments. The Hoard totals 5.094 kilos of gold, 1.442 kilos of silver including approximately 3,500 cloisonné garnets (51 loose) and a large number of fragments some of which are consistent with those found on helmets of this period. In total the Hoard contains 3,490 pieces/fragments and has no comparator in terms of content and quantity in the UK or mainland Europe.

Conservation Professional placement
The Hoard conservation project is able to offer three, two week placements a year, from April 2013-August 2013.
Conservation professionals with specific skills sets in the conservation of metalwork, archaeological conservation and Anglo-Saxon metalwork are being sought to work with the Hoard conservation team.

It is hoped that the invited conservator will be able to inform and enhance the conservation work. They will work with the conservation team to help expand their conservation knowledge on specific aspects of the conservation, construction and historical information. The invited conservator will also be expected to carry out written and photographic documentation and practical conservation work.

An aim of the project is to engage with the public and participants may asked to contribute to ongoing public engagement activity.

Funding
Funding for one/two week placements is available to cover accommodation if required and subsistence only (as specified by Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery). It is hoped to offer three two week placements.

Application
If you are interested in participating please submit a maximum of two sides of A4 on the Staffordshire Hoard Conservation Professional Placements form containing your contact details, specialist area and what experience and support you can offer to the conservation team and what you hope to gain out of the experience.

Please indicate how long a placement you would like and when you would like the placement.
Deadline: 31st March 2013

Please submit your application to:
Pieta Greaves
Hoard Conservation Project Leader
Pieta.Greaves@birmingham.gov.uk

Conservation Team – clockwise from back Cymbeline Storey, Pieta Greaves, Deborah Magnoler, Ciarán Lavelle and Natalie Harding

Natalie and I come from different conservation training programs and found our way to conservation through different paths:

Natalie initially trained in Gold and Silversmithing in Australia and her interest in working with precious metals brought her to England to seek training specifically in metals conservation.  Natalie completed her conservation training at West Dean College, West Sussex, where she specialised in Metals Conservation and in 2010 she completed the MA in Conservation Studies.  Since completing the MA, Natalie has been employed as a professional conservator and has also completed an internship at the National Maritime Museum in London.  This relatively new venture into archaeological conservation is a great opportunity to gain new skills and to adapt to a new size of working.

I trained as an archaeologist at Queens University, Belfast in Northern Ireland and worked as a professional archaeologist throughout Ireland for over a year after I graduated. But it wasn’t until a few years after this that I discovered conservation which led me to return to university to study for a BSc in ‘Object Conservation for Museums and Archaeology’ at Cardiff University from 2008 to 2010 and again from 2011 to 2012 where I graduated with a MSc in ‘Professional Conservation’. Since I have started on my career as a conservator I have been lucky to gain experience as an object conservator on internship schemes at the Transport Museum in Glasgow and at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens, Greece on the Agora excavations in the ancient heart of the city of Athens. I have built on this experience with professional contracts at Bristol Museum, where I helped to prepare for the opening of the exciting Museum of Bristol and at the Science Museum, London, where I was charged with job of beginning preparations for the new Treasury Gallery exhibition.

We both have two different training and experience which complements and add to the current team with Natalie’s gold-smith and metals conservation experience and with my own archaeological excavation and archaeological and non-archaeological object conservation experience.

We have been welcomed warmly into the existing hoard team, Deborah and Cymbeline, and Birmingham museum collections care team and thankfully settled in quickly. After our introduction to the team and induction training we were happy to receive our first objects to conserve and got started straight away. The hoard artefacts are all unique and exciting to work and it is difficult to choose one that stands out, but there have been a few that have piqued my interest and so far have been exciting challenges to work on.

One in particular is one piece designated as K295, it is a hilt plate used to decorate the cross on the handle of an Anglo-Saxon sword. The hilt plate was covered with soil from the burial environment; what made this object of particular interest to me was the amount of other objects and fragments that were found within the soil surrounding the hilt plate that may or may not be associated with the plate originally. For example the soil contained a boss decoration, two rivet ends that have been broken off of a pommel cap, a fragment of filigree, a silver rivet and multiple fragments of gold, silver and copper metal strips. I like to think of these pieces as my own personal archaeological Kinder Surprises as you never know what you are going to find until you start the conservation process.  Once you reveal your surprise it presents us a whole new set of surprises and riddles which we try to make sense of and connections between the objects in the hoard so as to bring the world of the Anglo-Saxons into the light and reveal their story.

K295. The hilt plate before conservation, with the soil containing all the hidden objects

K295. The hilt plate after conservation treatment

Metal pieces including one of the pommel cap fragments in soil during treatment

A collection of metal fragments from the soil

A decorative boss used to decoarate objects and to hide rivets underneath 

Two fragments from a pommel cap, the one on the left still retains its original tivets

I truly look forward everyday to the next object to view under the microscope and to the next archaeological mystery that the hoard continually provides. With an upcoming week long trip to the Stoke Museum to work on the Staffordshire Hoard collections there and with the welcoming of two conservation interns from the Netherlands, Julia and Susanne, to the hoard team the month of February is promising to be as exciting and eventful as January.

Ciaran Lavelle,
Hoard Conservator

Special Open Day

If you have enjoyed our blogs on the conservation of the Staffordshire Hoard then you might like the chance to meet us and ask us questions in person!

On Saturday, 17 November 2012 The Staffordshire Hoard conservation team will host a special Open Day In the Conservation Department at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.

This is your chance to get behind the scenes and spend 1½ hours with hoard conservators looking at hoard objects under microscopes.

There will be a brief talk illustrating the find and contemporary and medieval metalworker Jamie Hall will demonstrate the ancient wire-making techniques used in the construction of the Hoard objects.

Hoard open day tickets are still available and you can choose to book on one of the three sessions starting at: 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm.

The price is £30 per person and you can book your tickets at BMAG’s online Box Office or ring 0121 303 1966.

You can see a video of the Staffordshire Hoard Open Day that took place on December 3rd 2011.

Conservation Tours

The Open Day events are very popular and if you miss the chance to attend the open day, you can book a place on one of the guided tours of the Hoard Gallery and Conservation Studio, taking place on:

Wednesday 7 November and Wednesday 5 December.
Price: £20 per person
Buy tickets online or ring 0121 303 1966.

Funds raised from these events go directly toward conservation of the Staffordshire Hoard. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to discuss and observe objects up close and learn about ancient wire making techniques, while supporting the hoard conservation programme.

We hope to see you there!

The Hoard Conservation Team
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery