page_title: Radiography of cultural objects
section_title: Implementation
hierarchical_section_title: Radiography of cultural objects / Radiography of sculpture and other three dimensional objects / Implementation
caption_attribution_description: English: This image of an African Songye Power Figure in the collection of the Indianapolis Museum of Art (2005.21) is a combination of a digital photograph and a digital radiograph, with three enlarged details. The radiograph allows for a more complete understanding of the interior features of this figure. Areas highlighted in blue indicate the presence of pockets of sacred substances while the brown highlighted lines illustrate channels that connect these centers. This image was first published in the Summer 2010 issue of African Arts (Vol.43, No.2, Pages 38-51). All images were produced at and by the Indianapolis museum of art. Français&#160;: Cette image d'une figurine africaine Songye figurant dans la collection du Indianapolis Museum of Art (2005.21) est une combinaison d'une photographie numérique et d'une radiographie numérique, dont trois détails agrandis. La radiographie permet une compréhension plus complète des caractéristiques intérieures de cette statue. Les zones surlignées en bleu indiquent la présence de poches de substances sacrées, tandis que les lignes surlignées en marron représentent les canaux qui relient ces poches. Cette image a été publiée pour la première fois dans le numéro d’été 2010 d’African Arts (Vol.43, No.2, Pages 38-51). Toutes les images ont été faites au musée d’art d’Indianapolis.
context_page_description: The radiography of cultural objects is the use of radiography to understand intrinsic details about objects. This process can reveal various details about objects that are not visible to the naked eye. This information, which includes structural elements, aids conservators as they assess object condition and consider treatment plans. Radiography can also reveal previous compositions and earlier repairs.
context_section_description: The plaster cast of Michelangelo’s David at the Victoria & Albert Museum was X-rayed revealing that the supports in David’s legs were positioned similarly to that of bones in a human leg. The size of this particular piece required a portable machine to complete the X-rays.
  The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna, the Research Centre Seibersdorf, and the New York Historical Society have used X-rays to learn more about the manufacture of art nouveau style glass. In particular, they are investigating differences between Tiffany glass of New York and Austria’s Loetz glass to learn more about differences in the manufacturing process.
  In the X-rays of a wooden power figure at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, conservators discovered that there were hollowed out sections through the center of the sculpture that connected three filled cavities. Information about the network inside of these sculptures has aided curators as they research the function of these pieces. The findings have led to the use of radiography to compare power figures in other collections.
caption: Radiograph of the African Songye Power Figure at the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
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