Jana Dřevikovská and Martina Ohlídalová,  National Library of the Czech Republic

The 11th-century Codex Vyssegradensis from the collection of the National Library in Prague: Investigation and consolidation questions

Codex Vyssegradensis is one of the most precious illuminated manuscript from the collection of the National Library in Prague and in terms of conservation one of the most problematic works of art. This manuscript was created and illuminated for the coronation of the first Bohemian King Vratislav II, around the year 1085 and historians usually speak about Codex Vyssegradensis in connection of three other manuscripts, Codex aureus Gnesnensis, Codex Aureus pultoviensis and Evangeliarum from Prague Castle Archives.

One of the main tasks from the first part of our investigation was the documentation and definition of damages of codex, and the preparation of the codex for the exhibition "Open the Gates of Paradise" - The Benedictines in the Heart of Europe 800 - 1300.

The manuscript has been carefully monitored for many years because of the great problems with the stability of its full-folio illuminations on parchment. The uniqueness of this codex is its large areas of false brass "gilding". There are serious problems with powdering and local cracking of colours. At the same time there is evidence of corrosion in the imitation brass gilding (darkening, colour change and presence of green corrosive products). Paint layers containing copper belong to the most reactive and in this case there is also a certain level of damage of parchment support. There is a big discussion among conservators on possible consolidation of the illuminations of codex.

The article will present some results of non-destructive investigation of colours, such as Infrared photography, False Color Infrared photography, X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis, UV- VIS Spectroscopy and FTIR Spectroscopy.