Articles published within the 'Sculpture, Polychromy and Architectural Decoration' section of the ICOM-CC Preprints of the 15th Triennial Meeting, Delhi (India), 22-26 September 2008, James & James, 2008
De Haar Castle, a holistic approach to the conservation of a late nineteenth century “Gesamtkunstwerk”
Jonathan Gration
The largest castle in The Netherlands as it is known today is the product of the combined input of three people: a Baron wishing to recreate an ancestral home to impress, a Baroness with almost unlimited funds and an architect with a passion for gothic architecture and medieval craftsmanship.
How does one approach the daunting task of restoring some 300 rooms? The sheer size of the late nineteenth century castle and diversity of materials and problems to be found inside make De Haar Castle a unique project in The Netherlands. The volume of work to be undertaken makes it impossible to use a focussed “micro” approach. It is imperative to treat each room and in extension the entire castle in a holistic fashion, to avoid fracturing the different parts of the conservation. The approach to the conservation carried out on De Haar Castle is multi (or cross)-disciplinary; a playing field where various crafts, material sciences, education, conservation and restoration meet and work together towards a common goal. This paper is not the presentation of a finished conservation, however it allows a glimpse into the process of starting up a multidisciplinary project.
Your monument….temple, my castle, my home: A Theory for Historic Interiors Research & Conservation
Helen Hughes
This paper outlines the problems hampering the development of Historic Interiors Conservation. Historic Interiors conservation is a developing conservation discipline which as it impinges on boundaries of art and architectural history, building archaeology and material analysis risks being marginalised or ignored. As interiors are often intimate spaces for personal retreat which are subject continual change, are attempts to mange them appropriate? A proposed methodology for the subject which has evolved from international discussions is outlined, which if adopted by commissioning clients, conservators and statutory bodies could improve standards of research and the conservation management of historic interiors.
Bringing back the grandeur: Conversion of Kom Tong Hall to Dr. Sun Yat-sen Museum
Eddy S T LEUNG, Wing-fai LAI, Evita S YEUNG*, Shing-wai CHAN
It has long been the practice in Hong Kong that historical buildings are “preserved” through restoring the original layout and form of the buildings, yet paying lesser attention to preserving or reviving the original materials and techniques that were deployed at the time of construction. This paper will discuss how the participation of conservators has changed the mind-set and concept of the curators and architects in the preservation of a historical building, as illustrated by the conversion of the Kom Tong Hall, a private residence built in 1914, to the Dr. SUN Yat-sen Museum in memory of the Chinese statesman. With resort to scientific studies and instrumental analyses, the original finishes on the metal balustrades and on the plaster moulding in the main hall were unveiled and the properties of traditional glazing putty were reconsidered. This information has helped to make the retention of the building’s historic features and details achievable.
CONSERVATION OF KHATAMBAND POLYCHROME DECORATIVE CEILINGS
Sreekumar Menon*, Maninder Singh Gill, Johanneke Verhave, Vera Blok
Ceilings executed in the Khatamband technique, a decorative form of wooden ceiling ornamentation native to Kashmir, can be found in several nineteenth century palaces and buildings in Punjab. Local variations in form and technique exist. Khatamband ceilings from Yadvindra Gardens, Pinjore, damaged due to various factors of decay, primarily termite infestation, were taken up for conservation treatment. Ceilings were dismantled, numbered and packed in boxes for transfer to a workplace. Treatment involved dealing with termite attack, consolidation of weak areas of paint, reinforcement of decayed wood, filling of losses, recreation of lost parts and inpainting. Cross-sectional examination of the painted surfaces of the ceiling revealed a complex stratigraphy of tin foil, lacquer and paint layers.
A Tibetan Polychrome Domestic Altar and Four Six-panel Cabinets: Materials Analysis, Implications for Dating, and Conservation Treatment
Beth Price*, Sally Malenka, Katherine Paul, Anne Kingery, Ken Sutherland, Xian Zhang, Katherine Cuffari
This paper discusses the painting materials and techniques and the conservation treatment of a Tibetan polychrome domestic altar (Kham Region) and four cabinets (Nga Ri Region) in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA). Comparative information from conservation and art historical literature on Tibetan thangkas is reviewed. Paints, grounds, and coatings on the altar and cabinets were characterized by instrumental analysis; western synthetic pigments (emerald green and synthetic ultramarine) are highlighted as useful dating markers for Tibetan furniture. Imitation gilding using tin leaf toned with yellow berberine, brass flake, and aluminum leaf was discovered. The conservation treatments of the furniture were informed by the Tibetan ritual context and coating histories. This research is part of an ongoing intermuseum project to study Tibetan polychromy, pigment use, and trade in the Himalayas.
΄Ajamī rooms - Polychrome wooden interior decorations from Syria of the 17th to the 19th centuries: a view into art technology and conservation problems.
Anke Scharrahs
Arab courtyard houses contain outstanding examples of polychrome wooden interiors dating from the Ottoman period. This paper focuses on aspects of the sophisticated painting technique and on problems resulting from past conservation/restoration treatments. Two examples are used to show the wide variety of painting materials and metal leaf applications described. Furthermore, selected damage phenomena are discussed with regard to problems in the conservation process.
Developing New Approaches to the Conservation of Qing Dynasty Painted Architectural Decoration at Shuxiang Temple, Chengde
Lori Wong*, Han Li, Chen Qing, Hu Yuan
The traditional approach in China to treating historic Qing period painted architectural decoration has been to renew and restore the paintings rather than to conserve. Though this practice is changing, with conservation now a more considered option, there is still little research and testing into suitable methods and materials to conserve these paintings. At Shuxiang Temple, Chengde, an imperial temple complex built in the Qing Dynasty, a team of conservators, scientists and craftsmen are working together to develop new approaches to the conservation of architectural paintings. Investigation into materials and techniques of the paintings and their conditions was first undertaken to better inform the treatment design. This was followed by treatment testing as a significant component of the overall project. The resulting treatment approach, which incorporates traditional materials with modern conservation techniques, will be used in the design and planning for the conservation of the painted decoration at Shuxiang Temple.