## 2 Materials and Methods
### Substantiation and Elaboration of the Experimental Protocol  
In the elaboration of the protocol, the following steps were taken into account: multi-analytical scientific investigation to determine the nature of the materials and their state of preservation, application of preliminary consolidation and preventive insecto-fungal operations, wet cleaning of adherent deposits involving washing tests, final consolidation, grouting, chromatic reintegration by repainting and regilding, followed by revarnishing with or without repatination additives. Particular attention was paid to the selection of analysis methods in the system of co-assistance and corroboration between interdisciplinary techniques, as well as new materials and compatible application procedures. The first objective, that of multi-analytical scientific investigation, focused on three aspects:  
* determining the nature of the materials used in production and assessing their state of conservation (highlighting the damage, respectively, static and dynamic/evolutionary degradations);
* establishing the nature of the dirt, the degree of penetration/interaction with the painting layer and the extent of the deposits, including the subsequent unauthorized repainting and regilding interventions;the use of modern non-invasive methods to obtain information with multiple uses in the process of museum display of the icon, and in particular, in assessing the effectiveness of cleaning operations and in compatibility studies;  
In this regard, the scientific investigation used optical microscopy (OM) in visible light and UV, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and micro-FTIR spectrophotometry. In order to establish the state of preservation and the efficiency of the formulated/proposed washing tests, the analysis methods were corroborated with the CIE L*a*b*c colorimetry, respectively, with visible reflectography, UV and IR, but also by direct observation with the naked eye. Figure 2: Details of the icon with deteriorations and degradations: (**a**) Degradation by oxidative fouling and deterioration by dynamic longitudinal cracks with roofing degradations in the central medallion; (**b–f**) Superficial and profound lacunae, oxidative incrasation and missing ornament through fraction and loss; (**d–f**) Central lacuna in medallions and ornament; (**g–i**) Advanced weakening by xylophagic attack, deep longitudinal and transverse cracks, pictorial and support materials loss. Wood samples and pictorial material were used in the analysis, including gilded pieces, all coming from some small fragments detached from painted medallions and gilded ornaments. Furthermore, another sample was taken from the main fracture of one of the two icon fragments detached by a longitudinal crack in order to identify the wood species (Figure 1b). All samples, which were used in the analysis, also included a stratigraphic section of the painting layers (primer/bolus, polychrome layer, gilding and varnish), including dirt. These were analyzed under an optical microscope, choosing the most representative structural details of the samples. For some analysis techniques, a painting sample with a stratigraphy characteristic of the icon was used, one with dirt, two with the dominant pigments-red and blue, and two with polishes (having over the gold or silver foil and the bronze gilding restoration). The six samples were noted as follows: P1--section in the paint layer, with preparation; P2--dirt from the gold gilded surface; P3--red pigment with preparation; P4--blue pigment with preparation; P5--silver gilding; P6--gold leaf with traces of subsequent repainting with bronze. Following the determination of the conservation state of the main components of the pictorial materials and the composition of the dirt, we began the consolidation process. Along with this protocol, two more were used in the restoration of the icon.