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The Monastery of Eski Gümüş—Second Preliminary Report*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 December 2013

Michael Gough
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Extract

During 1964, with the aid of funds again most generously granted by the Russell Trust, a profitable season was spent at Eski Gümüş. The work, which began on 18th July and closed on 31st August, was in charge of the Director, while Mrs. Gough undertook the administration. Amongst those who took part also were Mr. and Mrs. David Winfield, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Mitford and Miss Jolanda Fletcher. Bay Muhittin Uysaldır, the representative of the Turkish Department of Antiquities, was once again an active and enthusiastic member of our team, while Bay İbrahim Öztürk, the Vali of Niğde, as usual saw to it that our working conditions were as comfortable as possible. Our object in 1964 was to continue and possibly to finish the cleaning and conservation of the paintings in the church, and in this aim we were largely successful. Only the late arrival of new cleaning agents more effective than those used before caused us to reassess the progress made and to decide on a further short season in 1965.

Type
Research Article
Information
Anatolian Studies , Volume 15 , December 1965 , pp. 157 - 164
Copyright
Copyright © The British Institute at Ankara 1965

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References

1 AS. XIV, p. 152Google Scholar.

2 Rice, D. Talbot, Byzantine Glazed Pottery, Oxford, 1930, pp. 40–48Google Scholar.

3 Winfield, David, “Sancta Sophia, Trebizond—A Note on the Cleaning and Conservation Work”, Studies in Conservation, Vol. 8, No. 4, November 1963, pp. 127 and 128Google Scholar.

4 The paintings lost when the plaster fell were recorded by Grégoire, H. in BCH. XXXIII, 1909, pp. 132–4Google Scholar.

5 In the case of St. Mark, the head and halo were also blocked in, since the plaster still survived even though the paint had disappeared.

6 Winfield, op. cit., p. 128, rightly says “to anyone with an eye to see, it is clear that a ‘neutral’ colour does not exist”. The robe colour will therefore be retained, but without indication of folds.

7 AS. XIV, p. 159Google Scholar.

8 This fluid, used at the suggestion of Mr. Henry Hodges of the Institute of Archaeology in London, was found very effective in the removal of all but the most stubborn burned-in grease. For this a very small amount of cleaner's fluid (carbon tetrachloride) produced good results.

9 The same greasy, polished effect may be seen at Tiryns, caused there by the rubbing of sheep against the walls!

10 AS. XIV, pp. 159 and 160Google Scholar.

11 The stoning had caused little damage to the faces. See AS. XIV, Pls. XL and XLI.

12 The opening at the top of the stairs is at a higher level than the floor of the courtyard, from which it must have been approached by wooden steps. The wearing away of the treads must have occurred over a long period while the paintings were still visible. No one would have wanted to use the stair after the north wall had been blackened by soot, and in any case the doors into the exonarthex and narthex provide a much easier entıance to the church.

13 AS. XIV, p. 155Google Scholar.

14 The work as completed is over-elaborate, and could therefore be misleading.

15 Fresh plaster had been daubed over the holes, without any attempt made to smooth it down to background level. On these patches new features had been rather incompetently painted.

16 A comparison between the angels in Pl. XXXb and the St. Michael illustrated in AS. XIVGoogle Scholar, Pls. XXXIII and XXXIV(b) will show that the treatment of the wings and of the towels and their decoration are similar. Other points perhaps worth consideration are the angle of the head and the “exploding highlight” technique used in both narthex and apse.

17 AS. XIV, p. 151.Google Scholar

18 The subject matter of the texts, which are in a fragmentary condition, can be deduced from the occurrence of words descriptive of the scenes below. Thus in (c) the words ἄρνος ἄσκοπτεν λύκον appear in the first line, while the text ends with πύργος δ(ὲ) σ' ὁπλίζισε πρὸς μέγα Θράσος. Letter forms much resemble the minuscules currently used in Greek type. All the texts will be published in 1966.

19 Eyes, mouth, and neck shading are all similar.

20 Dr. Cyril Mundy of the School of Oriental and African Studies at London recognized (c) from the text quoted in part in n. 18. After this beginning, the others fell into place.

21 I am indebted to Mrs. David Winfield for her line-drawing of this painting.