IPCI-Canada in association with Archetype, has 140 articles, 1200 pages, and over 1200 illustrations and will be an invaluable resource for both conservators and craftspeople.
The outcome of a rigorous selection process by an editorial board of prominent experts, it emphasizes conservation-minded techniques, presents alternative approaches to a wide range of repair issues, and is groundbreaking in the extensive attention that it gives to the bow.
The work's innovative combination of theory and practice, with extensive cross-referencing, is intended to foster a stimulating dialogue between scholars, conservators, and craftspeople.
In Volume 1, conservators and scholars examine important issues concerning connoisseurship, collections, documentation, materials, surfaces, safety, and the environment. It provides highly detailed schemas and the most rigorous and complete system available for the documentation of instruments and bows. The more practical articles that follow in the other two volumes are meant to be considered in light of the ideas raised in these articles.
In Volumes 2 and 3, craftspeople and editors have collaborated to produce detailed technical articles that are generously illustrated with photographs and drawings. Complex processes are broken down into simple steps, and all of the tools and materials required are listed in order of appearance. Terminology and systems of measurement are standardized throughout the work to ensure clarity and precise meaning.
This book is guided by a conservation approach that aims to safeguard our cultural heritage of instruments and bows for future generations. Its sale will help ensure the renewal of this heritage by raising funds for the protection of pernambuco trees.