Konserwacja sgraffit i wykusza kamienicy "Pod Przepiórczym Koszem" w Legnicy

The most distinctive sgraffito decoration in Poland is found on the elevation of a house known as „Under the Quail Nest” in Legnica. The sgraffito in question was added into the elevation when the building was repaired in about the middle of the 16th century. The present-day state of the sgraffito is the outcome of three various conservation undertalkings, which means that we deal with four chronological layers: the original sgraffito from the middle of the 16th century, the supplementation from 1909, the year of restoration, new fragments made in 1971 during conservation and restoration, and, finally, supplementation carried out in 1993 in the course of the last conservation and restoration. At the end of the 18 th century or at the beginning of the 19th century the sgraffito decoration was covered by plaster and remained invisible and unknown for about hundred years. Conservation conducted at the beginning of our century recreated considerable parts of the most damaged sgraffito according to the then prevailing opinions i.e. by resorting to drawings — tracings of the pertinent fragments. The conservation performed in 1993 entailed cleaning the surface of the sgraffito, the liquidation of damaged joints and the supplementation of gaps. New bindings were applied after the completion of the work. The last operation involved infusing the whole surface with a hydrophobic substance. The stabilization of the sgraffito mortar was carried out by means of the injection method. In several spots the damaged joints were eliminated by applying the stucco technique used for transferring murals. As a rule, conservation was dictated by the unsatisfactory preservation of an object which, however, can be insufficiently legible. This was the case of the corner bay of the house in Legnica, whose actual condition became obvious after cleaning and the removal of loosened putties. This procedure disclosed the considerable threat to the construction. It now became necessary to take the bay apart, to conduct appropriate construction work and then to put the bay together again. The first of the three procedures entailed the transference of the sgraffito. This operation had to take into consideration the inclination of the sgraffito and the retention of the plastic qualities of the surface. The face was secured and the brick foundation was taken apart. After the completion of the construction, the sgraffito was replaced and the facing removed. The whole operation of the transference and the replacement of the sgraffito did not cause additional damage. Following conservation, the bay regained its earlier lightness and became an element which considerably enhanced the decorative merits of the house. The conservation of the sgraffito and masonry of the „Under the Quail Nest” house required the employment of numerous conservation techniques as well as technical and organizational solutions. Their realization was based on earlier conservation documents — written, photographic and published.