Author(s)

C. Reithmeir

Abstract

Scagliola is a very rarely practiced technique of marble imitation. It is mainly used for interior decorations. Its basic ingredients are gypsum, glue and pigments. Even today, the history and the technology of scagliola are quite unknown. Only few craftsmen possess the knowledge of its preparation. Consequently, we are often confronted with previous restorations of poor quality. First, we give some general informations about the historical development and the procedure of the preparation of scagliola. Then, we discuss some of the problems concerning the preservation of scagliola objects by means of the restoration of the main altar in the catholic church of Lichtenfels in Bavaria. This example enables us to demonstrate some of the most frequent damages and defects caused by

Keywords