Conservation of a Book of Hours from Mafra's National Palace collection: Between Technique and Ethics

One of the characteristics of the Books of ours produced in Europe in the 15th century is the richness of the materials used in the decoration of the devotional images, representing the social and economic power of its owner and transforming them into luxury objects. This was one reason why these books became "best-sellers", carefully donated from generation to generation. The core point of this article is the presentation of the ethical approach for the conservation of a French Book of Hours dating from the early 15th century, now stored in the Library of the 18th century Mafra National Palace (Lisbon, Portugal), based on the study and comprehension of the techniques and materials used. In fact, for the full appreciation and understanding of the work involved in the construction of the Book of ours and the development of a conservation strategy, it is crucial to know which materials were used, determine their conservation status, and attest the interventions suffered throughout its existence. An interdisciplinary team studied the historic context of this prayer book, its techniques and material composition, its conservation condition, and decided the curative conservation approach (Araújo, 2012). In this article we intend to describe all the steps taken and explain the decision making, taking into account conservation ethics.