Historical repairs on ancient Chinese bronzes
Identification and Conservation Issues
This project reconstructs the historical restoration of Chinese bronzes to identify conservation risks where intervention can improve preservation, and contribute to the historical discussion on the conservation of ancient Chinese bronzes in international collections.
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Traditional restoration techniques for ancient Chinese bronzes have been used since antiquity becoming particularly popular in the period from the 15th to the 19th century. Treatments such as surface patination often altered the original appearance of an object, reflecting changing historical styles and tastes in restoration in China. The challenge facing conservators who now deal with Chinese bronzes is that no technical research on traditional restoration practices in China has been carried out. This gap in the knowledge makes it difficult to conserve these objects, as there exists no reference framework for preservation or intervention. Systematic research into the methods and materials used throughout history is therefore essential.
AIM OF THE PROJECT
The majority of the ancient Chinese bronzes now in the Rijksmuseum collection entered the Netherlands in the early twentieth century. However, the stories behind these objects are still waiting to be discovered. Through a survey of literary texts and a study of the objects, this project will reconstruct restoration treatments applied to these bronzes throughout history. Aging artificially the reconstructed samples will allow us observe changes in the material, and determine the preservation issues caused by old treatments. The pre- and post-aging reconstructions will form a database and reference frame to recognize the alterations of ancient Chinese bronzes and to examine the intentions behind the treatment of these historical objects.
RESEARCHERS
Ke-Shiuan Tracy Han
t.han@rijksmuseum.nl
Migelien Gerritzen Fellow
Sara Creange
S.Creange@rijksmuseum.nl
Conservator of Metals
Ching Ling Wang
C.Wang@rijksmuseum.nl
Curator of Chinese Art
PARTNERS AND SPONSORS
This research is made possible by the Migelien Gerritzen Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund, and is part of the Rijksmuseum Fellowship Program.
