Liis Ristal

• Historical and modern conservation methods of a crack in stained glass. Practical case study of five selected methods
• Tutor: Merike Kallas, Monique de Caluwé
• Stained glass panel

The aim of this bachelor thesis is to explore glass conservation methods in case of a crack, a as that is the most noticeable damage to the naked eye, to cultivate more information based on my studies abroad and interest in the world of glass conservation in Estonia.

This work is partly based on personal experience from my internship in glass conservation in the University of Antwerp and partly a practical case study of a selection of five historic and modern conservation methods that will be showcased on a stained glass panel created for the thesis. The five methods were chosen on the basis of: frequency of usage in the past, the complexity of the technique, availability of the products and my personal experience using them.  The theoretical part consists of a historical overview, physical and chemical properties, introduction to different types of glass and damages and their causes and definitions to common terminology, with Estonian translations.

The five methods chosen were: replacing of the damaged piece, re-leading, false leading, copper-foiling technique and edge bonding with the epoxy resin Araldite2020.