Coherent-optical localization and assessment of importance of damage and defects of cultural heritage

Abstract Some experimental results are presented, related to practical applications of a holographic nondestructive technique for inspection of museum item conditions, especially in the detection of deformation, stress concentration and defect localization. These results are obtained using the basic principles of traditional double-exposure holographic interferometry, as well as its electronic variant with computer image processing. In the latter case the accuracy in displacement measurements was studied on a test object. Two museum items have been selected for their condition inspection: a XVIIIth century icon on wooden panel and a precolumbian terracotta anthropomorphic. The technique described can give quite accurate metrological information, and is also rather promising for rapid qualitative analysis of the object condition before and after restoration, as well as during its storage.