Research Summary

This project aims to contribute to a deeper knowledge of the history and artistic value of the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga glass collection, as to its conservation and public display. The study will focus on the objects that were collected by King Ferdinand II, with different European production, from the 15th to the 19th century.
The origins, history and technological characteristics of these glass objects will be studied, thus developing and expanding on the current knowledge by integrating historical information with analytical data. Archive research will help understanding the historical creation of the collection. Chemical analysis using non-destructive methods will be performed to obtain the glasses composition, which will help to identify their centers of production.
Furthermore, the current storage conditions are not optimal, so glass corrosion processes will also be a research topic of this project. This will be a critical point for the implementation of proper conservation methodologies.

PhD Project Title: Glass Collection from Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga – study and preservation.
Supervisors: Márcia Vilarigues (VICARTE, DCR UNL-FCT, Portugal), Anísio Franco (Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Portugal), Sarah Fearn (​Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, UK)