The Conservation of Japanese Art: Conservation of Paintings on Silk (Short Version)

The conservation of Japanese art, conservation of paintings on silk. Nearly all traditional East Asian paintings and calligraphy are done on silk or paper, which are both thin and extremely fragile materials. For support, such works are usually reinforced on the back with linings made from several layers These linings form part of the mountings that allow these works to be displayed. The most common form of mounting is the hanging scroll. Paintings mounted as hanging scrolls are susceptible to damage and deterioration over time, so they have to be remounted from time to time. Usually, this takes place about once every hundred years. Let's look at how hanging scrolls are actually conserved and remounted. Before a painting itself can be conserved, the old mounting must be taken apart piece by piece. Next, the painting is conserved. Dirt is removed by cleaning the painting with water and blotting paper. Any vulnerable areas in which the pigments are damaged or lifting are consolidated with a solution of gelatinous animal skin glue called nikawa. Before taking off the first lining, which is attached directly to the back of the painting, a protective paper is lightly pasted onto the front of the painting to hold it in place. The first lining paper can then be removed from the back of the painting. There are two methods for removing the lining, a wet removal method and a dry removal method. The method used historically was the wet removal method, in which the entire painting is moistened with water to soften the paste between the lining paper and the painting. This allows the lining to be quickly stripped off. The dry removal method is the one you have seen here. The front of the painting is protected beforehand, and moisture is applied a little at a time to loosen up the lining paper on the back and remove it gradually. This new method was developed in the 1980s. It is safer and especially appropriate for East Asian paintings with pigments applied to the reverse side of the silk. After the first lining paper is removed, silk that has been artificially degraded is used to make infills for areas of the painting where the silk is missing. When this job is complete, the protective paper on the front is carefully removed. New first lining paper is pasted on and affixed with a brush. Another layer of lining paper is added on top of the first layer to further strengthen the mounting. Small strips of paper are applied to creased areas at risk of cracking. The new silk infills are hand-coloured to blend in with the surrounding older silk. With this, the conservation of the painting is almost complete. Next, the decorative parts of the mounting are added. Hanging scroll mounting borders are faced with textiles which are added around the newly lined and reinforced painting. These mounting fabrics serve both a visual function, framing the artwork and a safeguarding function since the borders protecting the painting while it is hanging are rolled up. Another layer of Japanese paper is added to the back of the entire scroll, covering both the back of both the painting and all the textile borders. With the addition of a hanging rod at the top, a roller rod at the bottom and a few other elements, the hanging scroll is complete. The conservation and remounting process is now finished. Some of the fabrics and fittings used in old mountings are extremely rare and valuable, so they are often repaired and reused. In the painting you see here, the mounting itself has historical value, so the old mounting fabrics were retained when the painting was remounted. The Conservation Centre for Cultural Properties, on the premises of the Kyoto National Museum, is home to a number of highly specialized conservation studios that help repair and conserve cultural properties. Today, however, traditional conservation materials are becoming increasingly difficult to find. In order to protect Japan's cultural heritage going forward, in addition to the artworks themselves, we must also think about the livelihoods of the craftspeople who make these tools and materials, ensuring that their skills and techniques are passed on to the next generation.