Last week, the extensive previous restoration of the museum’s Han Tomb Tower was discussed. The wide

Last week, the extensive previous restoration of the museum’s Han Tomb Tower was discussed. The widespread previous damage and resulting inappropriate restoration made this treatment a large job requiring the skills of eight object conservators. Groups of two were each assigned a component with one group working on two components.These groups first reversed the previous restoration including all adhesives and fill materials. The surfaces of the ceramics were cleaned to remove dirt, dust, and any remaining restoration materials. Then the object was re-adhered using a stable and appropriate adhesive. Once this step was complete, the extent of the loss to the object could be assessed. Parts of roofs, an entire wall, and many of the more decorative elements were missing from all components.The curatorial department was consulted and it was decided to fill these losses.  A removable epoxy pigmented to blend with the red earthenware was selected. The material can be molded, shaped, and pigmented to blend with the original glazed earthenware. This last step helps to blend the fills with the surrounding glazed surface and will be discussed next week along with a time lapse video of the process.Posted by Kate Fugett -- source link

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