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The wood species of 18th- and 19th-century Italian historic berlines (gala carriages mainly made of wood) housed in the Palazzo Pitti museum in Florence were investigated using non-destructive techniques based on the use of portable digital microscopes. Overall, thirteen wood taxa were identified. Among those, walnut (Juglans regia) was the most abundant species in berlines commissioned by noblemen of high rank, such as kings, princes and grand dukes, whereas in the other carriages of lower lineage, the walnut was replaced by elm (Ulmus sp.) wood, a species commonly used for carriages. Some species were typically present in specific parts of the structures, such as elm and ash (Fraxinus sp.) in the transoms and struts of the undercarriage, oak (Quercus sp.) in the wheel's spokes, poplar (Populus sp.) in the seats, panels and mouldings of the body and European beech (Fagus sylvatica) in the light frames. Species found only occasionally, including chestnut (Castanea sativa), fir (Abies alba) and spruce (Picea abies), may have been introduced in occasions of restoration or substitution. The results also showed a preference for the use of local species, which is different from carriages in other European countries where exotic species were already used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A restoration project on the ancient Villa Rucellai in Quaracchi, Florence (XV century, project attributed to Leon Battista Alberti), kicked off the on-site inspection of the wooden structures, as basic way for the assessment of historical timber buildings. During the inspection of the two-trusses timber roof, some significant remains of pictorial decorations were found and, on many surfaces of the timber elements, some fragments of fabric were discovered. In front of these facts, by means of a multidisciplinary approach, the trusses were deeply investigated according to the following examinations: image analysis to recognise all the surfaces covered by textile materials; 14C dating on fabric and wood, in particular applying wiggle-matching for the latter material; microscopic analysis to identify the textile fibers and the wooden species. The results of the analyses, combined with the relevant information obtained by the on-site technological inspection, confirmed historical information on the Villa and proved the use of mercerised flax fibers, derived from pre-existing fabric artefacts, far older than decoration; in addition, it showed the widespread application of fabrics made of linen, to smooth the wood surfaces for painting, allowing us to establish the first case of "marouflage" ("incamottatura") applied on structural timber elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This short article updates the information given in a note appeared in the Gumbat/Balo Kale excavation report (Olivieri et al. 2014). The new note it has been accepted in this Journal (with the courtesy of ACT/ISMEO) in recognition of its seminal importance. In fact, it is one of the first instances where modern xilotomic analysis is applied to archaeological remains of historic period in Pakistan. A study model that the Editors of this Journal hope may be replicated in future in other important sites of Greater Gandhara. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We identified the wood of the sticks of eight bows in the historical collection of musical instruments in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. Wood identification was carried out non-invasively (i.e., without sampling wood from the original objects), because the removal of samples from fine musical instruments will affect their aesthetic integrity and/or functional quality. Identification attempts using reflected light microscopy of wood surfaces, gave only partial results due to the poor quality of the surfaces and the particular geometry of the sticks that does not have any transverse surface. Application of Synchrotron light X-ray microtomography (μCT) in phase-contrast mode to the whole sticks allowed us to obtain stacks of transverse-sectional images that, processed as virtual volumes, revealed several anatomical features. With μCT it was possible to identify three bows as Brosimum guianense (Moraceae), one bow as Caesalpinia echinata (Caesalpiniaceae), and four bows as Manilkara sp. (Sapotaceae). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]