Conservation: Revealing a Hidden Skeleton of Death
Conservation: Revealing a Hidden Skeleton of Death
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Follow curator Nick, conservator Dana and conservation scientist Lucia on their journey to unravel the mysteries of this fascinating object. Made of a rare plant resin called mopa mopa and decorated with a technique known as Barniz de Pasto, the intricate piece is unlike anything else in our collection.

When it was acquired in 2015, a routine x-ray revealed a remarkable discovery: a vivid skeleton of death, or memento mori, lay hidden beneath a layer of paint, applied some 300 years after it was made.

Watch as the overpaint is finally removed to reveal the skeleton in all his glory, along with a cryptic message – the final part of the puzzle.

  • 00:00 A secret skeleton
  • 01:27 Colombian plant and animal life
  • 02:03 What is mopa mopa?
  • 04:14 European sea-monster or Andean deity?
  • 05:10 Science conservation discoveries
  • 06:08 Alterations and repairs
  • 07:30 X-raying the cabinet lid
  • 08:02 Micro computer tomography and XRF mapping
  • 10:02 Memento mori
  • 13:04 The last reveal – removing the overpaint
  • 16:30 Lettering and the skeleton appear
  • 17:34 The final puzzle – cracking the code

 

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