Carpenter Foundation supports conservation of Chinese scroll

This painting’s very fine brushwork and large size indicate that it was originally done for a significant Buddhist temple. Many paintings of this kind eventually found their way to Japan, as was the case with this object, since it was purchased in Japan and had been mounted with Japanese-style silk brocade borders.

“It could have been brought there by returning Japanese monks who had traveled to China in the late Ming or early Qing periods for religious instruction or pilgrimage, or it could have been purchased later in China by Japanese dealers or collectors sometime during the late 19th century or early years of the 20th century,” Hu said.

The painting’s relocation to Japan, where it was revered and treasured, may well have contributed to its very survival. “Numerous Buddhist and other religious paintings that remained in China were subject to damage or destruction during times of political upheaval and military strife,” Hu said. “Others simply suffered serious deterioration. Without proper care and storage, organic silk and paper materials succumb to the ravages of time.”

At some point in its history, the original hanging scroll apparatus—namely, the rod at the top and the roller at the bottom—were cut off from the silk brocade mounting surrounding the painting. Hu said this was done possibly to reframe the painting in a panel format, which was a method of display often undertaken by art museums in the West.

Although the painting is Chinese in origin, its subsequent life in a Japanese cultural and religious context is also significant. After the Museum received a $20,000 grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation to support treatment and conservation of the scroll, the Museum hired Nishio Conservation Studio to remount the painting in the Japanese style with appropriate new silk brocade borders. The Washington DC-based firm is the premier conservator of Asian paintings, scrolls, and screens.

Thinly painted and designed to be rolled, Asian scrolls have unique preservation challenges. The conservation of scrolls has a long tradition in Asia, but the techniques are not part of the training for most conservators of Western art. Nishio experts use traditional Japanese techniques paired with Western academic training.

“Having the work conserved by an outside specialist is the best choice for addressing the unique needs of Asian scrolls,” said Hugh Shockey, the Museum’s head of conservation. “As an aesthetic and functional object, the conservation of scrolls is not commonly taught to conservators of Western art, so having the treatment completed by a firm like the Nishio Conservation Studio, with foundations in Eastern and Western preservation practice, provides the highest level of conservation without altering its context or functionality.”

The scroll is composed of several different materials—including paint media, paper, and textiles—that are brought together in a layered package to create the final functional object to be hung directly on the wall. Shockey said the treatment required that all the layers be disassembled into separate components. The thinly painted image on finely woven silk was retained and repaired, while support paper and several other materials were replaced. The conservation team also added contextually appropriate wooden scroll rods to the top and bottom of the scroll mounting.

“It is this complete deconstruction, reconstruction, and restoration of missing elements that represents the greatest technical challenge,” Shockey said. “If done incorrectly, the result can be damaging and cause a loss of context and functionality.”

The Carpenter Foundation’s generous support for this conservation project ensures the preservation and longevity of this historic object and makes it possible for the Museum to display the scroll for visitors to enjoy.