Old Goa Revelations: A collaborative project on the shared heritage between India and Portugal

Abstract

In this collaborative project, a working group was formed for the integrated study of an Indo-Portuguese shared heritage collection: the Viceroys’ Gallery. A Portuguese team with expertise in heritage science, art history, biotechnology, conservation and museology travelled to Goa (India) in January 2019. Using a mobile unit, the team performed in situ analyses (combining physical imaging tools and micro-analytical techniques) of eight paintings with multi-repainted layers. The paintings had been previously selected according to their potential to illustrate issues of interpretation. Participating in the fieldwork were senior and junior researchers from the Archaeological Survey of India, who received training and capacity building in art historical assessments, scientific methodology and the interpretation of paintings analysis data. The collaboration resulted in the first appreciation of the intrinsic values of this heritage from the perspective of Portuguese and Indian researchers as well as new insights into this collection. As such, it demonstrated the benefits of this approach in the interpretation and preservation of a shared heritage.