8/12/2019 Helmet of Saint Wenceslas Comeback Of
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Helmet of Saint WenceslasAt last now you can admire the restored
original Helmet of Saint Wenceslas in its full glory at a permanent
exhibition entitled TheStory of Prague Castle. The helmet which
graces the exhibition The Story of Prague Castle is a precious
relic of St Wenceslas and theSaint himself is often depicted
wearing it. This is the most precious piece of ironwork in all of
the Czech Republic said MilenaBravermanov the curator of the
collections of Prague Castle.
The helmets nose-piece probably represents the figure of Jesus
Christ, but some are of the opinion that it may bethe German god
Odin. Based on expert analysis, the piece may have been used during
actual fighting. A research
project that had been done prior to the restoration revealed
that the helmet is about as thick as other helmets used
in fights. Additionally, there is a scratch caused by an axe or
by some other sharp and heavy object.
Danger of corrosion
We x-rayed it, chemically analysed corroding agents and compared
it with the situation in 1989 when we carried a similar study,
said the restorer of archaeological metals, Alena Havlnov. We
discovered that the iron hidden under the silver plates that
decorate
the nose-piece was corroding, which could cause the nose-piece
to fall off in future. Therefore it needs to be protected, said
Havlnov. Conservation and restoration involves a high degree of
team work which his why a committee was established to deal
with
the helmet. It was composed of top restorers, art historians,
gunsmiths and representatives of the chapter house that owns
the
helmet. We agreed to remove the corroding agents that cover the
helmet. After the surface had been cleaned, the helmet was
covered with varnish that should prevent the silver foil from
peeling off. To top it off, the calotte (the iron piece that covers
the head)
was treated with wax to rid it of the undesirable gloss.
Damaged not only by time
Unfortunately the helmet is not complete; the upper part of the
calotte is missing. This damage was done at some point in the
course
of previous centuries. Apart from the damage caused by hitting
the helmet with a sharp object, the experts also discovered a
flaw
probably caused by the fall of the helmet. Also in this case we
cant determine the exact time when the damage happened, said
Havlnov pointing out that the mechanical damage accelerated the
corrosion.
Box to survive several dozen years
From now on, the Helmet of Saint Wenceslas will be deposited in
a special box made of unbreakable glass with a stable
temperature
and humidity to prevent any future damage. Parameters are
controlled by computer and humidity is kept on stable 20% level by
silica
gel that will be regularly replaced. The box should last at
least twenty years, said the curator of the collections, Milena
Bravermanov.
Oldest piece of furniture
Other items in the exhibition are a chest and a piece of cloth
that has some kind of connection to the death of Czech Prince Konrd
II
Ota. Both pieces were found in the crypt of St Vitus Cathedral
where relics of Charles IV are also kept. The chest is however
significantly older, it was made around the end of the 12th
century and it is the oldest piece of furniture in the Czech
Republic. Experts
discovered that this is the chest that carried the relics of the
king from Italy, where he succumbed to a plague when he was
helping
Henry VI during Italian battles. All this was found in the royal
crypt, where nobody else but the king could have been buried,
Bravermanov pointed out.
Only the bones made it to Bohemia
Milena Bravermanov also explained how it is possible that the
king was transported to Bohemia in such a small chest. It was
quite
common that if a king or a church dignitary died far away from
his home country, it was just his bones that were carried back.
The
soft parts of the body were buried by Napoli, said
Bravermanov.
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