Replication of a Medieval ivory diptych panel
Conservation Technologies was commissioned by Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales - to produce a replica of a medieval carved ivory panel. The panel, thought to date back to 1340-1360 and belonging to National Museums Liverpool, is one half of the Llandaf diptych: a rare surviving example of a medieval ivory carving from a secular context with a Welsh provenance. The other panel of the diptych was donated to National Museum Wales in 1901. It was only in 2006 that curator Dr Mark Redknap of the Department of Archaeology and Numismatics, National Museums Wales, discovered that these two panels actually matched perfectly and belonged together, as reported in British Archaeology|.
Conservation Technologies laser scanned the left hand panel belonging to National Museums Liverpool and produced a 3D computer model of the carving, from which a highly accurate replica panel was cut into a high density polyurethane modelboard using computer-controlled machining. The replica panel was then patinated by hand. Once finished, the replica panel was 're-united' with the right hand panel at National Museum Wales to 'complete' the rare Gothic diptych.
Both of the original diptych panels are on display together at National Museum Cardiff for a year from July 2008. When the original left hand panel returns to Liverpool, the replica go on display in its place.
Have a look at images taken during the recording process in the image gallery.
Acknowledgements