Advances in the treatment of works on paper from the Asian Art Collection of the National Gallery of Victoria

Abstract

The National Gallery of Victoria exhibition The cricket and the dragon: Animals in Asian Art included 120 works and presented an ideal opportunity to undertake conservation treatment on a number of artworks that had not previously been displayed due their fragile nature (Cains 2008, p. 5). The treatment program spanned 10 months and involved a number of interesting treatments that required considerable research into the various art forms. Using the case studies of an Indian miniature painting, an Indian paper cutting and Japanese hanging scroll, this paper presents an overview of our preparation for the exhibition, including research into materials and techniques, technical examination, sourcing indigenous tools and materials for use in treatment and the development of new techniques that embrace both contemporary and traditional materials for treating a diverse selection of works of art on paper.