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Analysis of Illuminated Manuscript Cuttings Placement

Salary This is an unpaid doctoral placement that is financially supported by the successful applicant’s PhD stipend in line with UKRI guidance.
Location Cromwell Road, London
{Mergefield Value}
{Mergefield Value}

This is a Fixed Term Contract, Full Time vacancy that will close in {x} days at {xx:xx} BST.

The Role

To provide opportunities for early-career training for PhD students, the V&A has made available a range of doctoral placements based in collections departments, archives, the National Art Library, research, and collections care and access. Each placement is a discrete project designed by members of V&A staff (who will also act as the placement’s supervisor), involving collaborative as well as independent research.

The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has in its collections over 2,000 manuscript cuttings. Mostly cut out of Western medieval and renaissance illuminated manuscripts in the late 18th and 19th century to be collected and sold, they were bought in large numbers by the Museum to act as a visual sourcebook for designers, craftspeople and art workers who could come and consult them in the Museum’s library.

The project will focus on the characterisation of the materials used in four manuscript cuttings to increase our knowledge of these objects, help with their dating, authentication, attribution and provenance research, and gather evidence to inform future conservation approaches.

Some of the objects were purchased as modern copies but seem to be genuine, while others may have areas overpainted later. Non-destructive scientific analysis will help to understand better these pieces and confirm, refine or contradict this judgement.
Under the guidance of the V&A scientists, the student will use the following techniques:
• Infrared reflectography to investigate underdrawings and any past restoration/intervention.
• Digital microscopy to collect high-resolution images and help to identify degradation issues.
• XRF mapping to provide the elemental distribution of most of the materials used, enabling a first, tentative identification and suggest dating.
• Raman microscopy to provide the molecular identification of pigments, dyes, and their degradation products, if applicable.

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Closing

in X days

{Expiry}