We are excited to announce the launch of the new Mora Samples Collection Website!
As part of the ICCROM Digital Transformation Initiative, this platform opens doors to over 1,000 samples of wall paintings from heritage sites and monuments in more than 30 countries. These extraordinary samples were, in most cases, taken by Paolo and Laura Mora, two remarkable heritage conservators who played a major role in establishing modern conservation practices. Both collected these materials during technical missions and conservation projects undertaken on behalf of ICCROM between the 1960s and 1980s.
The samples were gathered and analyzed to identify the materials and the painting techniques of the mural paintings under conservation. They also served as a didactic tool for numerous ICCROM International Mural Painting Conservation Courses, showcasing different traditional technologies from cultures worldwide. The specialist knowledge arising from these studies combined with a wealth of fieldwork experience formed the foundation of Mora’s book, co-authored with Paul Philippot: “The Conservation of Wall Paintings,” first published in 1977 and still revered as the cornerstone reference in the field.
New samples from the Mora Collection, from countries such as China, France, Germany, Japan, Türkiye, and the United Kingdom, have been catalogued and will soon be available online. This archival project is undertaken by ICCROM in collaboration with the Hercules Laboratory of the University of Évora, Portugal.
Enjoy the new Mora Samples Collection Website!
Stay tuned to find out about the forthcoming publication of new samples.
As a follow-up activity, ICCROM launched in 2020 the Heritage Samples Archives Initiative (HSAI), which involves more than 25 partner institutions and aims to raise awareness of the importance and vulnerability of sample collections, and promote methodologies for managing, preserving and sharing data of such collections.