Book and paper: Combining Traditional Thinking and Innovative Methods on the Conservation of Chinese hanging scroll – A Case Study From the National Palace Museum Collections by Sun-hsin Hung,
Graduate Institute of Arts, Taipei
Pineapple paper in conservation of hanging scrolls.
Recognizing a shortage of East Asian conservators. Specialized conservation laboratories in U.S. are few
Shortage of Manpower – led to look for alternative materials and methods.
11th Century examples; mounting technique has lasted for 1500 years.
Hand scrolls, hanging scrolls, fans, albums, usually are opened and closed a lot.
Discoloration and pigment loss, delamination, creases are the most common problems. Of these, creases are most common.
Mounting can take 1-2 years, especially if the paper is very brittle. It is impossible to remount every painting. We juggle “practical stabilization” with “complete remount”
Treatment for the painting example in this talk.
Cultural restoration – this work is from 1741, Qianlong Empire.
Qianlong Reign was 1736-1795 – many innovations in Chinese painting and calligraphy during this time.
Reinforcement paper strip application is indeed a type of partial restoration.
1.2 – 1.4mm strips are used usually on painting scrolls.
[Video playback had technical difficulties]
“Package” of the mounting used in this treatment was demonstrated:
[Top down]
- Plastic cloth
- Wet towel
- Gore-tex
- Rayon Paper
- Paper strips
- Painting upside down
- Rayon Paper
New material tried out – pineapple paper. [Fenko Pineapple Pure White]
Convenient method for minimal intervention.
Can be used for 1) Reinforcing paper strips and 2)Partial remounting
Case Study #1 – Yuan dynasty scroll treatment – placed face down
Used a modification of traditional hinge
Paste is brushed on the left and right sides of the hanging scroll.
The pineapple fiber paper is folded over (lengthwise) and slipped over the left and right sides where you applied the paste. Folding the paper improves strength during treatment
Allow to dry overnight.
Excess pineapple fiber paper is trimmed from the scroll.
When using the “Gore-tex package” it takes a longer time.
With Pineapple paper, shorter time and you can use a frame during drying.
Pineapple paper is also more reversible than some traditional papers; it is made from pineapple leaf fiber.
In 2018 –experiment carried out to test the strength, holding endurance, tear strength. With a thickness of 0.052mm fiber of pineapple paper had excellent strength. Seems to be better than Shin paper.
A scroll is really a 3-D object.
Case Study #2 – Xi Yuan Ya Ji”
Outermost silk very aged, became impossible to roll up the scroll. Very deteriorated edges were reinforced with pineapple paper.
Conclusion
Pineapple paper is useful for highly degraded edges. New material gives improved method with minimal intervention.
Question from the audience: Why continue to roll hanging scrolls and hand scrolls?
Scroll is like a book – format meant to allow that.
Abstract Link: https://aics47thannualmeeting2019.sched.com/event/IugG/book-and-paper-combining-traditional-thinking-and-innovative-methods-on-the-conservation-of-chinese-hanging-scroll-a-case-study-from-the-national-palace-museum-collections
sunhsin@npm.gov.tw
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