Context

To answer these questions, we are carrying out a programme of scientific analysis to discover how they were made, and what condition they are in after 500 years exposed to the elements.

Hampton Court Palace is home to eleven terracotta roundels containing busts of the Roman Emperors. They were made by the Florentine sculptor Giovanni da Maiano in 1521, on a commission by Cardinal Wolsey. Although they have been moved several times, some of the roundels have been on the outside of the gatehouses at Hampton Court for nearly 500 years. We are currently working on a large conservation project to study and conserve these important works of art.

Approach

We think that some of the parts are more modern additions and restorations, so we have carried out thermoluminescence dating (TL) to tell us the approximate year of firing of the terracotta. This tells us whether a component is original (16th Century) or a later addition (18th-19th Century).

We can work out the country of origin of the clay by analysing the trace elements in the terracotta. The minerals formed can also tell us the firing temperature used during manufacture.

Sampling and analysis of remaining polychromy revealed evidence of gilding layers, and also of several later decorative schemes, including 20th century modern paints. We are continuing this work to find out what the roundels originally looked like.

We have started a programme of 3D laser scanning to document in great detail every crack and loss on the roundels. This will help us to track changes in condition over the next few years.

2006-07 sees the second phase of this three phase project. We are analysing four roundels at a time, to minimise disruption to the Palace, and to allow for our limited budget.