Restoration is a major issue for ancient art works,
because most do not survive in original condition. When works of art
are restored, they are changed. Today, efforts are made to keep
changes to a minimum and to do restoration that is reversible (in case
restoration is done incorrectly or in case restoration actually damages
the art work). Examples of questionable--or even bad--restoration
include painting six fingers onto the hand of one of the disciples in
Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper! Other curious restoration jobs
include replacing wooden columns at the Minoan palace complex of
Knossos with columns made out of concrete. The concrete columns
were brightly painted, making it difficult to tell that what was
restored and what was original.
Today, this type of restoration would not be permitted. In the
past,
however, all types of creative restoration were done, including the
statue
depicted below. 
It is a Faun (a follower of the god of wine, Bacchus) sculpted in
the ancient world. Actually, though, it is not a single statue.
It
was created from the fragments of several statues. The piece
consists
of at least five different types of marble (coming from different
pieces
of original sculpture), including a portion that was carved centuries
later in the 19th century. This restoration allowed the designer
to reconstruct a statue out of pieces, creating a single recognizable
work that could be displayed in a museum. The work of art as it
exists today, however beautiful
it might appear, is not very accurate or authentic. You can find this
work
on display in the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania
in
the Greco-Roman section.
An example of good restoration--and how difficult that is to do--can be seen by clicking on this link to Penn's conservation of the Ram in the Thicket. This sculpture, about ten inches in height, was part of a burial excavated at Ur (in modern Iraq) and was created by the ancient Sumerians around 4500 years ago.
Restoration is a constant process. Here is a photo of a carving created by the Tlingit (a group of Northwest Coast American Indians), depicting Raven, a major Tlingit mythological figure.
This
wooden clan hat (worn on the head during feasts and festivals)
originally
had an ermine pelt hanging form the two cylindrical rings on Raven's
head.
While visiting the University of Pennsylvania in June 2004, it was
clear
that Raven's animal pelt had fallen off and was resting on his tail.
Not
a very dignified way to display an ermine pelt, which was a sign of
status
and wealth! The curators at Penn will have to restore Raven's pelt to
the
rings on top of his head. This is likely to take some time, because the
work
will have to be done carefully. Other concerns also are important in
protecting
this work. Small bugs occasionally infest the animal pelts on
display.
To protect the fur, the pelts are frozen (killing the bugs) and
placed
back on display.
It is a Faun (a follower of the god of wine, Bacchus) sculpted in
the ancient world. Actually, though, it is not a single statue.
It
was created from the fragments of several statues. The piece
consists
of at least five different types of marble (coming from different
pieces
of original sculpture), including a portion that was carved centuries
later in the 19th century. This restoration allowed the designer
to reconstruct a statue out of pieces, creating a single recognizable
work that could be displayed in a museum. The work of art as it
exists today, however beautiful
it might appear, is not very accurate or authentic. You can find this
work
on display in the University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania
in
the Greco-Roman section.An example of good restoration--and how difficult that is to do--can be seen by clicking on this link to Penn's conservation of the Ram in the Thicket. This sculpture, about ten inches in height, was part of a burial excavated at Ur (in modern Iraq) and was created by the ancient Sumerians around 4500 years ago.
Restoration is a constant process. Here is a photo of a carving created by the Tlingit (a group of Northwest Coast American Indians), depicting Raven, a major Tlingit mythological figure.
This
wooden clan hat (worn on the head during feasts and festivals)
originally
had an ermine pelt hanging form the two cylindrical rings on Raven's
head.
While visiting the University of Pennsylvania in June 2004, it was
clear
that Raven's animal pelt had fallen off and was resting on his tail.
Not
a very dignified way to display an ermine pelt, which was a sign of
status
and wealth! The curators at Penn will have to restore Raven's pelt to
the
rings on top of his head. This is likely to take some time, because the
work
will have to be done carefully. Other concerns also are important in
protecting
this work. Small bugs occasionally infest the animal pelts on
display.
To protect the fur, the pelts are frozen (killing the bugs) and
placed
back on display.