TERMITE DAMAGE IN THE ICONOSTASIS
AT PANAGIA LIVADIOTISSA, SKOPELOS
by Dr Brian Ridout
1. INTRODUCTION
The 17th century church of Livadiatissa – Zoodochos Pigi was part of a small monastery until 1880. The surrounding buildings now form a private house but the church continues in use.
Much of the Iconostasis was replaced about 100 years ago but the original top section was retained. A plywood on soft wood frame back panel was added about 20 years ago (photograph 1) and the roof was recovered ‘at least 10 years ago’. The evidence reported here suggests that it was repaired at the same time (or before) as the back panel was installed.
Photograph 1: showing the position of the detached
Iconostasis panel with its modern softwood and ply wood backing.
A length from the N end of the original top section has become detached and examination shows that it is now in very poor condition (photograph 2).
Photograph 2: damaged upper section of original
Iconostasis screen
2. OBSERVATIONS
2.1 The damaged screen section
The section that has been removed is now a mass of indigestible wood rays and wood particles bound together with particles of lime and sand. The shape of the decorative surface is maintained by paint layers. This matrix, between the front paint layers and the back thin veneer of wood, is permeated with galleries of various sizes (photograph 3). The sound surfaces are perforated with small beetle emergence holes.
A search amongst the damage produced some desiccated worker termites, which would have produced the large galleries and the matrix material, together with a wing case from a furniture beetle (Anobiidae, Nicobium sp.) which would have caused the emergence holes. There were also several puparia from some form of fly and a few dead spider beetles (Ptinidae). These insects would have been living within the matrix, but would not have contributed to the damage.
We managed to find a small section of wood that was sound enough to attempt
a species identification. It appeared to be beech (Fagus
sylvatica) or possibly plane (Platanus orientalis).
The anatomical features of the wood are rather similar and the specimen
was in too poor a condition to make a positive identification. We do not
know how representative this sample was and there may have been other
wood types present. Plane wood could have been found in Skopelos, but
beech wood must have been imported from a more mountainous district.
Photograph 3: termite damage held together by paint
on the front and a veneer of timber on the back (shown). Note the beetle
holes caused by Nicobium
sp. (arrow)
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