Project Aims
CRAFT investigates the manufacturing of funerary cartonnage during the Ptolemaic and Roman periods of Egyptian history. The project wants to address how cartonnage pieces were physically constructed and decorated. It wants also to investigate whether there were regional variations in the craftsmanship techniques, iconographical schemes, and decorative layouts.
What is Cartonnage ?
The term 'cartonnage' refers to a material composed of layers of linen or papyri, often combined, which were shaped and adhered together using resins or plaster. This material was then dried, smoothed with additional plaster, and embellished with extra details, paint, or gold leaf. Throughout Egyptian history, various artefacts were crafted from cartonnage, including mummy masks, chest plates, pectorals, leg coverings, foot casings, and the more elaborate cartonnage cases and full body covers.
3D Scanning
The geometry of artifacts is captured using a 3D handheld scanner. These devices can accurately record an object's shape using structured blue light to within 0.1mm precision. This process creates an exact digital replica of the artefact that can be used for further analysis.
Photography
The artifacts are photographed using a high-resolution DSLR camera with a 42 Megapixel capacity, ensuring that the intricate details of the decorations are captured. These photographs serve not only for research purpose but also to enhance the 3D model quality (referenced below).
MSI Photography
Multi-Spectral Photography is conducted on a chosen set of artifacts. MSI is especially effective in evaluating the presence of pigments, binding agents, or areas that may have undergone conservation treatment.
Mould recording and inspection
Special attention is given to analysing the shapes of artefacts to determine if craftsmen consistently utilized identical moulds for producing specific categories of objects and to ascertain if there are regional differences in crafting techniques.
Mould examination
Data captured by the 3D scanner is converted into a solid mesh, enabling detailed analysis of external and internal shapes, volumes, dimensions, and thickness, as well as facilitating measurements to determine similarities with other specimens.
Texturing phase
High-resolution photographs are aligned and merged with the 3D model obtained by the scanner, ensuring a faithful reproduction of the original artefact ('digital twin') in terms of both geometry and decoration.
Iconographic and Stylistic Analysis
CRAFT encompasses the analysis of iconographic patterns to discern if certain religious motifs are endemic to specific geographical regions. Additionally, it considers stylistic elements to identify the work of particular groups of craftsmen working within those regions.​
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Provenance and Provenience
Archival research, combined with stylistic analysis, is conducted to secure information about the geographical origins of artifacts (provenience), their provenance, and the journey they took to their current location in global museum collections.
