Encountering and Countering Constraints in the Exploration of Ethiopia’s Unique Wall Painting Technology

ABSTRACTLittle known to the outside world, the northern highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia, possess an extraordinary wall painting heritage. These astonishing paintings have so far evaded the multiplicity of conservation mistakes which have adversely affected wall paintings elsewhere, but they remain vulnerable to a variety of problems. Cautious and sensitive exploration is required to build knowledge and to develop appropriate approaches to their preservation. Technical research is key to this process, but it is inevitably circumscribed by availability of resources. In addition to the usual time and budget constraints, conservators working at remote sites such as those in Tigray often face serious operational, environmental, and access challenges. Wall painting sites may also be places in religious use where access to painted spaces may be forbidden or very limited. This paper outlines the approach developed for the first major multi-site technical and condition study of wall paintings in Ethiopia, embarked upon in 2013 by the Ethiopian Heritage Fund in collaboration with Ethiopian partners, and incorporates a summary of the findings to date. It is the authors' hope that it will provide useful guidance for technical investigations conducted in similar circumstances elsewhere.ABSTRACTOPoco conocidas por el mundo exterior, las tierras altas del norte de Tigray, Etiopía, poseen un extraordinario patrimonio de pintura mural. Estas asombrosas pinturas han evadido hasta ahora la multiplicidad de errores de conservación que han afectado negativamente a las pinturas murales en otros lugares, pero siguen siendo vulnerables a una variedad de problemas. Se requiere una exploración cautelosa y delicada para aumentar conocimientos y desarrollar enfoques apropiados para su preservación. La investigación técnica es clave para este proceso, pero está inevitablemente circunscrita por la disponibilidad de recursos. Además de las limitaciones habituales de tiempo y presupuesto, los conservadores que trabajan en sitios remotos como los de Tigray a menudo enfrentan serios desafíos operativos, ambientales y de acceso. Los sitios de pintura mural también pueden ser lugares de uso religioso donde el acceso a los espacios pintados puede estar prohibido o muy limitado. Este artículo describe el enfoque desarrollado para el primer gran estudio técnico y de condición de múltiples sitios de pinturas murales en Etiopía, emprendido en 2013 por el Fondo del Patrimonio Etíope en colaboración con socios etíopes, e incorpora un resumen de los hallazgos hasta la fecha. Los autores esperan que proporcione una orientación útil para las investigaciones técnicas realizadas en circunstancias similares en otros lugares. Traducción y revisión: Soledad Tancoff y Maria del Rosario Molliendo; revisión final: Amparo Rueda e Irene Delaveris.RÉSUMÉLes hauts plateaux du Tigré au nord de l'Ethiopie, bien que méconnus, possèdent un extraordinaire patrimoine de peintures murales. Ces saisissantes peintures ont jusqu'ici été épargnées par les nombreuses erreurs en conservation-restauration commises sur d'autres peintures murales ailleurs dans le monde, mais restent pour autant vulnérables à de nombreux problèmes. Une investigation prudente et sensible est nécessaire afin d'améliorer les connaissances et de développer des approches appropriées à leur préservation. La recherche technico-scientifique est capitale pour cela, mais inévitablement limitée par les moyens à disposition. En plus des contraintes habituelles de temps et de budget, les conservateurs-restaurateurs travaillant sur des sites reculés comme ceux du Tigré font souvent face à de sérieuses difficultés opérationnelles, environnementales et d'accès. Les sites de peintures murales peuvent aussi avoir un usage religieux, où l'accès aux zones peintes peut être interdit ou très limité. Cet article décrit l'approche mise en œuvre pour la première étude technique et de conservation de grande envergure sur plusieurs sites de peintures murales en Ethiopie, entreprise en 2013 par le Fonds Ethiopien pour le Patrimoine en collaboration avec des partenaires éthiopiens, et il inclut un récapitulatif des découvertes faites à ce jour. Les auteurs espèrent qu'il puisse fournir une orientation utile à des recherches technico-scientifiques conduites dans des circonstances similaires dans d'autres régions du monde. Traduit par Claire Cuyaubère.RESUMOPouco conhecido do mundo exterior, as terras altas do norte de Tigray na Etiópia têm uma herança extraordinária de pintura mural. Essas pinturas surpreendentes até agora evitaram a multiplicidade de erros de conservação que afetaram negativamente as pinturas murais em outros lugares, mas permanecem vulneráveis a uma variedade de problemas. É necessária uma pesquisa cuidadosa e delicada para aumentar o conhecimento e desenvolver abordagens apropriadas para sua preservação. A pesquisa técnica é fundamental nesse processo, mas é inevitavelmente circunscrita pela disponibilidade de recursos. Além das restrições habituais de tempo e orçamento, os conservadores, que trabalham em locais remotos como os de Tigray, geralmente enfrentam sérios desafios ambientais, operacionais e de acesso. Os locais de pintura mural também podem ser locais de uso religioso onde o acesso aos espaços pintados pode ser proibido ou muito limitado. Este artigo descreve a abordagem desenvolvida para a primeira grande condição de vários locais e pesquisa técnica de pinturas murais na Etiópia, realizada em 2013 pelo Fundo do Patrimônio Etíope em colaboração com parceiros etíopes, e incorpora um resumo das descobertas até o momento. Os autores esperam que ele forneça orientações úteis para pesquisas técnicas conduzidas em circunstâncias semelhantes em outros lugares. Traduzido por Beatriz Haspo.KEYWORDS: Ethiopiawall paintingtechnical examinationoriginal technologynoninvasivelow-techUSB digital microscopymultispectral imagingUVL AcknowledgmentsFor an ongoing project that began in 2013 and has involved several field missions, many people deserve acknowledgement. Too numerous to all mention by name, we extend our gratitude to everyone who have supported our endeavors. Particular thanks are due the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, the Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Authority, the Tigray Bureau of Culture and Tourism, and the Lasta Office of Culture and Tourism, without whose collaboration and assistance the surveys would not have been possible. We are indebted to the Ethiopian colleagues who worked alongside us in the field, in particular Abel Assefa, Ashenafi Hagos Alemayehu, Mekonen Hagos Desta and Welday Asgedom, for their commitment to preserving Ethiopian wall paintings. We are grateful to the Ethiopian Heritage Fund (EHF) and its benefactors for their enduring support. We are also thankful to the Gerda Henkel Stiftung, whose recognition of the value of the survey work enabled its resumption in 2019. For analytical help we are grateful to Jim Davy, Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, for assistance with SEM-EDS; Dr. J. Huggett of Petroclays for XRD analysis of clay minerals; and Joy Mazurek, Getty Conservation Institute, for carrying out GCMS analysis of binders and glazes. The Courtauld provided analytical facilities in 2013–2014.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationFundingFunding for field missions and research in 2013 and from 2014–2018 was provided by the Ethiopian Heritage Fund. Survey work undertaken in 2017 was part of the PROHEDEV initiative funded by the European Union Development Fund. Investigations at Yemrehanna Kristos in 2016 and 2017 were part of a project implemented by the Ethiopian Cultural Heritage Authority and the World Monuments Fund, with funding from the US State Department Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. The survey activities resumed in Tigray in 2019 are funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation.Notes on contributorsLisa ShekedeLisa Shekede and Stephen Rickerby are freelance wall painting conservators. They work both independently and in association with organizations including the Courtauld, the Getty Conservation Institute, the World Monuments Fund, and the Ethiopian Heritage Fund. Address: 12 New Street, Ross-on-Wye, Herefordshire, HR9 7DA, UK. Emails: lshekede@rickerby-shekede.com and srickerby@rickerby-shekede.com.Blair PridayBlair Priday is the director of the Ethiopian Heritage Fund, a UK-based charity which she helped to found in 2005. She has been its director since 2010. The charity’s two aims are to preserve and conserve Ethiopian art, and to promote and raise awareness of Ethiopia’s artistic heritage within Ethiopia and internationally. Address: Castle House, Eardisley, Herefordshire, HR3 6NT, UK. Email: info@ethiopianheritagefund.org.