Bust of Roman emperor restored

A bronze bust of the Roman Emperor Augustus, which was given to Maltese university students when Italy was under Fascist rule, has just been restored.

Conservators James Licari and Ingrid Ross, both from Heritage ResCo, carried out the restoration, commissioned by the University Students Council (KSU). The bust, commissioned in Rome by Italian students, is housed at the KSU offices at the university, in Tal-Qroqq.

The bust was brought over to Malta by the Italian students on an exchange visit after a group of Maltese had visited Rome in 1930. During the exchange visit, the Maltese students had audiences with Italy's dictator, Benito Mussolini, as well as with Pope Pius XI.

Beneath the bust of the Roman emperor stands a round bronze pedestal, with a flat, moulded-edge slat base on a green marble column. On the column is a brass plaque with black lettering that reads: "Agli studenti di malta/gli studenti di roma/ con animo fraterno."

Another piece that benefited from this conservation is the standard owl finial. This consists of a copper band, surmounted by a ball, with a knot of a ribbon and the sides of the ribbon immediately on top of it. The knot holds the base of a wreath, which surrounds a Maltese cross. On the uppermost point of the wreath is an owl.

"The marble column had broken in two after it was dropped. Apart from the two pieces, several parts were chipped and scratched," Mr Licari said.

"In the case of the finial, several dust and dirt layers had formed on the various surfaces and were possibly amalgamated with the old wax layers.

"On the bust some sporadic areas of active corrosion were observed."

The work on the marble pedestal involved removing paint drops, inserting a stainless steel pin within the column, sticking the broken column together and integrating the scratched or chipped edges of marble.

The bust and the bronze finial were degreased (removal of old waxes), active corrosion products were removed and the metal surface was stabilised chemically. Finally a protective layer was applied.

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