Guidelines for the care of East Asian paintings: Display, storage and handling

Abstract

Summary Traditional East Asian paintings evolved over centuries into physically and aesthetically sophisticated objects. Made with delicate materials and time-honoured methods, East Asian scrolls, screens, and albums are complex, laminate mounting structures that are easily damaged by mishandling and unstable environmental conditions. In the East, customary practices for display, storage, and connoisseurship have been essential for long-term preservation. For East Asian paintings housed in the West, concerns have arisen about appropriate measures for care and maintenance in modern museum environments. Based on experience as a traditionally trained East Asian painting conservator and informed by Western preventive conservation practices, the author presents relevant traditional methods and modem innovations for the safe display, storage and handling of scrolls, screens and albums. Broken into three sections, the article introduces guidelines and practical suggestions to determine suitable environmental parameters, display methods, storage containers and handling techniques. By relating traditional practices and modern developments, the author hopes to increase awareness of East Asian paintings and encourage improvements in their preservation.