Roman stone architrave

The architrave had been placed in the park next to the museum due to a lack of space in the museum building and has been exposed to the weather as well as park visitors for a prolonged period. 

Its conservation was part of the preparations for the exhibition Stone by Stone … Roman Architecture of Northwestern Istria. 

Initially, we cleaned the architrave in the park using small tools and distilled water. Although it may sound strange, limestone is a soft stone, therefore cleaning had to be carried out carefully, to prevent further damage and preserve its original surface. Biological growths (algae, mosses, lichens) and various impurities were removed through careful brushing using soft synthetic brushes.
On the day, the architrave was to be turned over and 3D scanned, we discovered that someone had placed a hot drink on it, leaving a greasy stain behind.
After the relocation into the safe interior of the museum, the architrave was cleaned using a low-pressure conservation grade steam cleaner.
The architrave was part of the exhibition Stone by Stone… Roman Architecture of Northwestern Istria, which was on display in Piran between the 16th of June 2018 and the 25th of February 2019 and later toured to the Umag City Museum (2019) and the City Museum Zagreb (2020).
The artefact is now displayed in suitable conditions on the lower floor of the main museum building.

Conservation - restoration: Ajda Purger, Senior Conservator-Restorer, May – June 2018