Of Earth and Sky: A Pair of Ming Hanging Scrolls, from Past Repairs to Present Conservation
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Marinita Stiglitz
Marinita Stiglitz graduated in Art History at the University of Rome La Sapienza and studied conservation in Italy and in the United States where she specialised in works on paper and particularly on East Asian art on paper. She worked as a freelance conservator in Rome and in 2004 she joined the Conservation and Collection Care Department of the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, UK, where she is currently Head of Paper Conservation.
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Julia Bearman
Julia Bearman has a degree in Fine Art (1988) and a postgraduate diploma in conservation from Camberwell College of Arts London (2003). Following a two-year internship she worked as a conservator in museums and archives. Julia now specialises in the conservation of works on paper at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, UK.
Abstract
A pair of Chinese scrolls representing the earth and sky were donated to the Bodleian Library in 1684. They are thought to be ephemeral items printed during the late Ming dynasty. Records indicate that in 1883 the scrolls were trimmed, patched with transparent paper, backed with cloth and mounted in an unsympathetic manner. In this paper, we consider the conservation and preservation measures adopted by the then Bodleian Librarian and reflect on his participation at the St. Gall Conference in 1898. The conservation treatment of the scrolls completed in 2015 was guided by their past repairs, current ethical considerations and scientific analysis. Breaking the strong bond between the transparent paper and the fragile surface of the scrolls required experimentation with the Albertina Compress and Gellan gum. The recreation of functional hanging scrolls involved the use of traditional scroll-mounting techniques and the reinterpretation of the Chinese mounting style from a western conservation perspective. We also discuss the experience gained in treating two artefacts with almost identical problems.
Zusammenfassung
Himmel und Erde: Zwei chinesische Rollbilder aus der Ming-Dynastie. Frühere Reparaturen und heutige Konservierungsmaßnahmen
Zwei chinesische Rollbilder aus der Ming-Dynastie mit Darstellungen des Himmels und der Erde kamen 1684 als Schenkung an die Bodleian Library. Es handelt sich dabei wahrscheinlich um Gebrauchsobjekte, die in der späten Ming-Dynastie gedruckt worden waren. Internen Aufzeichnungen zufolge wurden die beiden Rollbilder 1883 beschnitten, mit Transparentpapier ausgebessert, auf Stoff kaschiert und in einer dem Objekt nicht angemessenen Art montiert. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt die Restaurierungsmaßnahmen des damaligen Bibliothekars der Bodleian Library, in denen sich seine Teilnahme in der der St. Gallener Konferenz 1898 widerspiegeln. Die Konservierung der Rollbilder, die 2015 abgeschlossen werden konnte, wurde von früheren Eingriffen, aktuellen ethischen Überlegungen und naturwissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen geleitet. Um die starke Verklebung zwischen dem Transparentpapier und der fragilen Oberfläche der Rollbilder zu lösen, wurden zahlreiche Tests mit Gellan und der Albertina Kompresse durchgeführt. Die Wiederherstellung der Funktion der Objekte als Rollbilder konnte nur durch die Anwendung traditioneller Rollbild-Montagetechniken und der Neuinterpretation des chinesischen Montage-Stils aus der Perspektive westlicher Papierrestaurierung gelingen. Der Beitrag thematisiert auch die Erfahrung, die durch eine Behandlung zweier Kunstwerke mit fast identischen Problemstellungen gewonnen wurde.
Résumé
Entre terre et ciel: une paire de rouleaux suspendus Ming; des réparations passées à la restauration d’aujourd’hui
Une paire de rouleaux chinois représentant la terre et le ciel a été donnée à la Bibliothèque Bodleian en 1684. Ceux-ci sont considérés comme étant des éléments éphémères imprimés au cours de la fin de la dynastie Ming. Les rapports indiquent qu’en 1883, les rouleaux ont été coupés, réparés avec des patchs de papier transparent, doublés avec du tissu et monté de manière non appropriée. Dans cet article, nous examinons les mesures de restauration et de préservation prises par le bibliothécaire d’antan de la Bodleian et apportons une réflexion sur sa participation à la Conférence de Saint-Gall en 1898. Les choix de traitement de restauration des rouleaux achevé en 2015 ont été influencés par les réparations antérieures, les considérations éthiques actuelles et les résultats d’analyses scientifiques. Rompre le lien fort entre les patchs de papier transparent et la surface fragile des rouleaux a nécessité des expérimentations avec des compresses Albertina et de la gomme gellane. La remise en état fonctionnel des rouleaux suspendus a impliqué l’utilisation de techniques traditionnelles de montage de rouleaux suspendus et la réinterprétation du style de montage chinois avec une perspective de restauration occidentale. Nous abordons également l’expérience acquise par le traitement de deux autres objets présentant des problèmes presque identiques.
About the authors
Marinita Stiglitz graduated in Art History at the University of Rome La Sapienza and studied conservation in Italy and in the United States where she specialised in works on paper and particularly on East Asian art on paper. She worked as a freelance conservator in Rome and in 2004 she joined the Conservation and Collection Care Department of the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, UK, where she is currently Head of Paper Conservation.
Julia Bearman has a degree in Fine Art (1988) and a postgraduate diploma in conservation from Camberwell College of Arts London (2003). Following a two-year internship she worked as a conservator in museums and archives. Julia now specialises in the conservation of works on paper at the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford, UK.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our thanks to: David Helliwell for his guidance on aesthetic matters regarding the design of the scrolls and their significance, Valerie Lee for her precious advice during the treatment, Helen Wilson and our colleagues Virginia Llado-Buisan, Robert Minte and David Howell for their support.
References
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Material sources
Rayon (12 and 18 g/m²); Sanmoa; Blackless
Yoshida Co., Ltd, Kyoto, Japan
Usumino paper (9–12 g/m²)
Hasegawa Washi Kobo, Mino-city, Japan
Sekishu paper
Masumi Corporation, Tokyo, Japan
Red Star Xuan paper, catalogue number P3-1, from Anhui Paper Factory China
Man Luen Choon, Hong Kong
Albertina Compress
Klug Conservation, Immenstadt, Germany
Gellan gum KELCOGEL® CG-LA; Gelatine Type B
GMW – Gabi Kleindorfer, Vilsheim, Germany
Calcium acetate hydrate
VWR International Ltd., Lutterworth, UK
Methocel® A4M
Dow Chemical Company, Stade, Germany
Kimtech Science delicate task wipes
Kimberly-Clark Professional, Reigate, UK
HotRox electronic hand warmer
©2016 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Conservation Treatment of Samuel Holland’s Map of St John’s Island, 1765
- XL to XXL: Seeking Solutions for Transport, Exhibition and Storage of Charles Le Brun’s Cartoons
- Honeycomb Panels for Treatment and Vertical Storage of Large Paper Objects
- Large Custom Mount for a Drawing on Tracing Paper
- A Mounting Support Construction for a Paper-Caché Bust
- Ronald by Franz West. Mounting of a Three-Dimensional Papier-mâché Object
- Peep Shows on Display: Mounting Paper Theatres for Exhibitions
- Mounting Fans – Don’t Get in a Flap
- The Viennese Croÿ Albums: Options and Decisions Leading to the Conservation and Remounting of a Convolute of Double-Sided Gouache Paintings on Parchment
- Of Earth and Sky: A Pair of Ming Hanging Scrolls, from Past Repairs to Present Conservation
- Reframing Magna Carta – Comprehensive Planning and Pragmatic Outcomes
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- Conservation Treatment of Samuel Holland’s Map of St John’s Island, 1765
- XL to XXL: Seeking Solutions for Transport, Exhibition and Storage of Charles Le Brun’s Cartoons
- Honeycomb Panels for Treatment and Vertical Storage of Large Paper Objects
- Large Custom Mount for a Drawing on Tracing Paper
- A Mounting Support Construction for a Paper-Caché Bust
- Ronald by Franz West. Mounting of a Three-Dimensional Papier-mâché Object
- Peep Shows on Display: Mounting Paper Theatres for Exhibitions
- Mounting Fans – Don’t Get in a Flap
- The Viennese Croÿ Albums: Options and Decisions Leading to the Conservation and Remounting of a Convolute of Double-Sided Gouache Paintings on Parchment
- Of Earth and Sky: A Pair of Ming Hanging Scrolls, from Past Repairs to Present Conservation
- Reframing Magna Carta – Comprehensive Planning and Pragmatic Outcomes
