“The Destruction of Heritage in Times of Armed Conflicts: A Study of the Specific Damages Caused by Military Weapons on Ceramic Heritage Objects and the Contribution of New Technologies in This Field to Optimize Debris Sorting and Support the Work of Conservator-Restorers.”
Based on the study of two corpora of objects destroyed during World War II—one at the Musée National de Céramique in Sèvres, near Paris, and the other at the Museo Internazionale delle Ceramiche (MIC) in Faenza, Emilia-Romagna—I examine the types of damage that bombings can inflict on different materials of the ceramic industry. By comparing the effects of blast force, impact, heat from fires, or sometimes all three combined on various ceramic objects (porcelains, stoneware, faience, and archaeological terracotta), a better understanding of these damages will help develop tailored restoration protocols, specifically aimed at facilitating and optimizing the work of conservation-restoration professionals in post-conflict debris sorting.
