Laura Lipcsei
Senior Conservator, Ceramics, Stone and Glass
Phone: 416.586.5710
Bio
Laura Lipcsei secured her Bachelor of Arts Honours Classics and Archaeology at Queen’s University in 1992 and returned to Queen’s to complete her Master of Art Conservation in 2001. In the interim, she obtained her Master of Art, Ancient Studies degree at the University of Toronto in 1994. Laura has worked at museums across North America, including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. She has worked as site conservator and excavated as an archaeologist for projects in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Tunisia. As a result of her training and experience Laura has a special interest in the art of the Ancient Mediterranean. Over the course of her career, Laura has travelled extensively with touring exhibitions and loan programs to Asia and Europe.
As Senior Conservator of Ceramics, Stone and Glass, Laura is responsible for a diverse group of archaeological, fine and decorative art objects at the ROM. In addition to examination and conservation treatment, her work includes the use of scientific tools of analysis to better understand an object’s composition and technique of manufacture in order to develop preservation and treatment protocols and answer questions related to authenticity. Laura has an interest in environmental conservation and preservation with special focus on materials used in display and in storage facilities. Together with other conservators from the department, Laura co-teaches an introductory course on art conservation at the University of Toronto.
Current projects involve the cleaning of two 17th to 18th century monumental Chinese marble sculptures, the Chinese Guardian Lions, which flank the East Entrance to the Museum; and the desalination and reconstruction of a Lebes Gamikos, an Ancient Greek red figure matrimonial vase and stand, possibly attributed to Washing Painter and dated to the 5th century B.C.