Limitations and Obstacles on Wood Identification from Sculptures-Analysis of a Set of Gilded and Polychromed Flemish Artworks from the 15 Century (original) (raw)

Limitations and Obstacles on Wood Identification from Sculptures-Analysis of a Set of Gilded and Polychromed Flemish Artworks from the 15 Century

The identification of wood through its internal anatomy is a visual exercise at the microscopic level that requires the skill to recognize basic differences in the cell and tissue structure. The identification resorting to microscopy, either light microscopy or scanning electron microscopy, is a procedure demanding dedication, time, technical and economical capacities and the consciousness that wood samples can usually be taxonomic identified to genus (sometimes only to family). Applications of wood identification span out from biology, pharmaceutics, palaeobotany, archaeology and history of art to forensic science and customs, timber industry and structural engineering, industry of decorative arts and conservation and restoration [1]. The methodology used to study wood anatomy requires at least one wood sample with an average size of 1 cm [2-4]. Because of the orientation of the xylem cells in the stem the sections cannot be cut randomly from a wood piece and three plans of orienta...