| Resumo: | The work developed throughout this project involves the study and the intervention done on fifteen tile panels by Jorge Rey Colaço (1868-1942), created in the first half of the 20th Century and which belong to the collection of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (MNAZ) (National Tile Museum) in Lisbon. The panels display several motifs and production techniques revealing the artist’s creativity, technical knowledge and aesthetic perception. The project includes the conservation and restoration intervention on the set of tiles, including the production of replicas to compensate for missing elements, with the aim to integrate the panels in an exhibition of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo which has been on exhibit since November 2019. After making photographic and graphic records of each panel with a detailed analysis of their state of conservation, all mortar was removed from the back of the tiles. Then, the tile faces were cleaned, followed by the consolidation of the tile glazing and clay. Broken pieces were glued, gaps were filled and glaze was applied proceeded by chromatic and pictorial reintegration. A visual examination which included the use of a binocular stereoscope to record images was done, as well as an elemental analysis using the technique of energy dispersive micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (μEDXRF). This procedure enabled us to characterize the pigments present in the glaze and the ceramic paste. Transparent lead glaze was identified, along with grit and terracotta, and the use of different metallic oxide pigments and differentiated firing temperatures. This study also includes research on the production techniques used and the graphic sources which originated each tile theme. The aim of this project is to produce the missing elements of the set of tiles, saving the identity of the pieces regarding art and cultural heritage conservation and restoration ethics, respecting the criteria of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo.The entire process developed in the workshop is described in this report. It specifies the tests used for pastes, colours and glaze which, together with the previous study, aided in the choice of the materials and a methodology for reproducing tiles to properly fit in the different panels.Finally, the panels are presented in the exhibition “Jorge Colaço and the figurative tiles of his time” and in the showcases which summarize and show the different restoration techniques applied. The exhibition is open to the public in the temporary exhibition hall of the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (MNAZ).
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