Name 1
THE TOP MILLSTONE WITH THE FASTENING ELEMENT
Name 2
/
ID number
002.294.Idrija
Manager / Administrator
Idrija Municipal Museum, Prelovčeva 9, SI-5280 Idrija.
Ownership
Public
Owner
Municipality of Idrija, Mestni trg 1, SI-5280 Idrija
Local / Original ID Number
510:IDR;RZ-491
Type of Object
Mine, Smelting
Description
Short description
The millstone consists of two parts – lower and upper. There is a steel fastening element in the middle, which has a cross in the centre and serves for joining the two parts.
Measures
Length 106 cm, width 106 cm, height 22.5 cm.
Materials
Stone, steel.
Dating
1782
Author / Producer
The Cinnabar Factory of the Idrija Mercury Mine.
Picture attachments
Original use
The millstone was used in the process of dry procedure of obtaining cinnabar. First they mixed Hg and sulfur powder in a wooden barrel. The obtained black mass was poured into a 50-litre cast iron jug. Eight of these jugs were placed over the furnace and pipes for the sublimation of cinnabar (retorts) were placed on top of the jugs. The jugs were heated (to 400 °C) due to which the HgS sublimated and gathered on the cold walls of the retorts. After eight hours of burning, the furnaces were cooled down for two days. Then, the cinnabar was gathered from the retorts. It was then ground with the millstone in a wet procedure. Water wheels, powered by the water from the Rake channel, were used as a drive. After 1897, they were powered by the Francis water turbine. The ground product (vermilion) was, with the addition of KOH, washed first in the larger (600-litre) tubs and then smaller clay tubs. This was followed by the drying, sieving and packaging of cinnabar.
Present use
The millstone is being preserved, secured and presented as important mining heritage of Idrija with exceptional universal values. It is a part of the mining collection of the Idrija Municipal Museum. Visitors can view it within the permanent museum exhibition “Five Centuries of the Mercury Mine and the Town of Idrija”. It can be used for different types of mercury heritage promotions.
Original location
Idrija Mercury Mine (The Cinnabar Factory, on the left side of the Smelting Plant complex)
Present location
Idrija Municipal Museum, Gewerkenegg Castle (showroom 9).
STATE OF CONSERVATION
History of conservation:
The objects are properly conserved. Some of them require restoration, since a part of the edge is missing. Security of the premises is taken care of.
Present state
good
Necessary activities:
Regular seasonal maintenance.
DOCUMENTATION
Addresses / collections / links etc. where further in-depth information is accessible:
- Inventory Book of the Idrija Municipal Museum;
- Janouš, Alois, senior furnace supervisor (k. k. Oberhüttenverwalter). Geschichtliche Entwicklung
der Zinnoberfabrikation in Idria, Ad B. D. Z. 4521 de 1897;
- Janouš, Alois, senior furnace supervisor (k. k. Oberhüttenverwalter). Darstellung des Zinnobers in
Idria in der Gegenwart, Ad B. D. Z. 4521 de 1897;
- Kavčič, Ivica. Živo srebro: Zgodovina idrijskega žgalništva. Založba Bogataj, Idrija, 2008;
- Kavčič, Ivica. Proizvodnja živosrebrovih spojin pri idrijskem rudniku skozi stoletja. Idrijski razgledi, 61/2, 2016, p. 60–76.
- Janouš, Alois, senior furnace supervisor (k. k. Oberhüttenverwalter). Geschichtliche Entwicklung
der Zinnoberfabrikation in Idria, Ad B. D. Z. 4521 de 1897;
- Janouš, Alois, senior furnace supervisor (k. k. Oberhüttenverwalter). Darstellung des Zinnobers in
Idria in der Gegenwart, Ad B. D. Z. 4521 de 1897;
- Kavčič, Ivica. Živo srebro: Zgodovina idrijskega žgalništva. Založba Bogataj, Idrija, 2008;
- Kavčič, Ivica. Proizvodnja živosrebrovih spojin pri idrijskem rudniku skozi stoletja. Idrijski razgledi, 61/2, 2016, p. 60–76.
Submitted
Mestni muzej Idrija
Submitted by
Miha Kosmač
Date Submitted
12. 3. 2018
Date Edited
Never