Stratigraphy of the spheres
2015
The successive layers forming the shells of the two spheres are studied by Karin Wyss, Dr Stefan Zumbühl, Nadim Scherrer and Margaux Genton at the Swiss Institute for Art Research in Zurich […]
Category Archives: Probing deeper
Surfaces and pigments
June 2014
A battery of scientific methods is brought to bear to determine what kinds of pigment were used to print the globes. The final report concludes that all the identified components were available in Mercator’s time […]
Heterogeneous surfaces
March and June 2014
In a step that is indispensable for restoration work, UV fluorescence is used by Prof Dobruskin and Dr Scherrer of the Graduate School of the Arts in Bern (HKB|HEAB) to distinguish details of the spheres’ multi-layered shells […]
X-rays of the structure
June 2013
At the Swiss Institute for Art Research (SIK|ISEA), Danièle Gros further analyses the globes’ structure using X-ray technology. This method highlights a number of additional details […]
CT scan of the structure
June 2013
A series 578 computer tomodensitometry images were made of the terrestrial globe and 572 of the celestial globe to help better understand the spheres’ inner structure […]
A delicate trip to the CHUV
June 2013
The globes are taken to the Radiodiagnostics and Interventional Radiology department of the Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) for a tomodensitometry (CT) scan. How will this first major transfer be handled ? […]
A strategy and more high-tech tools
June 2013
Experts from UNIL’s School of Forensic Science (ESC) are asked to devise a coherent strategy for further testing […]