Academic thesis
Susanne Graner: | The “Lemon Room“designed by Bruno Paul in Faber-Castell castle in Stein near Nuremberg | Back |
Language: | Original - Translation | |
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Abstract: | The "lemon room? is one of three rooms designed by Bruno Paul and executed by Vereignigten Werkstätten für Kunst im Handwerk Munich between 1905/06 in the New Castle of the family Faber-Castell in Stein/Landkreis Fürth near Nürnberg. The outstanding feature of this room is that it is partly paneled with so-called lemon wood. Analysis of the wood revealed that the lemon wood is a satinwood (Chloroxylon swietenia). Satinwood from East India or West India was a much in demand, expensive veneer wood. Apparently, it was solely employed by Bruno Paul and then only between 1904 and 1910. All the visible wooden surfaces of the lemon room bear a high-gloss transparent coat of varnish, now in poor condition due to its poor quality. Analyses by Dr. Johann Koller and Ursula Baumer of the Doerner Institute permitted narrowing down the sort of varnish. At the turn of the century, neither exact definitions of the terms varnish and lacquer nor systematic classification of the different types of lacquer existed. On the other hand, the early 20th century saw the development of a surprising number of new varnishes. Oil-resin varnishes, spirit varnishes and a large group of chemically altered resin/varnish additives respectively synthetic resins are the most important types of varnish for obtaining a transparent, glossy coat on wood. The varnish on the surfaces of the lemon room is an unusual early synthetic resin which, by coincidence, survived probably due to the fact that the rooms were no longer used. |
Keywords: | lemon wood, satin wood, celluloid, zapon |
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Arbeit zur Einsicht und Kopie freigegeben Auszüge in Restauro, Ausgabe 6, 2003, S. 392 - 399 |
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