Parchment and vellum analysis

Two cultural artifacts made of animal skin, part of the History of Pharmacy Collection, were analyzed through a collaboration between specialists of the National Museum of Transylvanian History (conservators, restorers, investigators) and PhD Lucreția Miu from the National Research-Development Institute for Textile and Leather in Bucharest.

The first artifact is a document with seal, representing the diploma through which pharmacist Blasius Galambos was granted a nobility title in 1644. The direct examination of the material and analyses performed with a portable microscope have revealed the fact that the document was written on vellum (parchment made from calf skin). The outer side of the skin, supporting the text, was carefully processed, while the inside shows traces of processing technique errors.

The second document, a diploma issued for pharmacist Samuel Velits, dated 1776, was made of goat skin, written on the outer side. The dents where hair follicles have been removed are visible in those areas where the text support preparation was partially removed through repeated manipulation.