WhatsApp usWe are happy to assist you with sensitive works on paper or silk. Please fill out the form below and our team will respond with a bespoke treatment plan.
Asian Paper Restoration
Ukiyo-e prints and similar mediums require extra protection due to their UV-sensitive pigments and extremely fragile materials. Our team is experienced in the preservation of scrolls, woodcuts, ukiyo-e, folding screens and calligraphy.
What can we restore?
Our conservation team cover the restoration of the following issues:
- Foxing, staining and discolouration
- Tears and creasing
- Water damage and mould growth
- Fire and smoke damage
- Insect or pest damage
- Acidic staining and frame damage
- Damage following a household disaster or accident
Following restoration our framing experts can provide bespoke framing options including UV protection to ensure the print is safely preserved.
Risks facing traditional Asian art
Japanese and Chinese prints may use water or vegetable-based inks or pigments held in rice paste, making them very sensitive to moisture disturbances and at extremely high risk of fading from light exposure.
The paper they sit upon is also frequently handmade and may be particularly brittle due to age or environment and require a conservation appropriate mount or lining for stability.
Organic materials such as rice paste may easily face insect infestation or mould growth. Our conservator is able to safely eliminate insects and spores before carrying out restoration work to the damaged areas.
Protective framing
As well as restoration services, our team can provide protective framing with non-acidic, conservation-approved materials. This is very important for Asian artworks which may be highly susceptible to material deterioration from the atmosphere and acidic surroundings.
UV protection
When Hokusai’s ‘The Great Wave off Kanagawa’ and ‘Red Fuji’ were displayed at the British Museum, research suggested that if these prints were displayed for just three months at 50 LUX, they would have to be stored in the dark for at least a year before being exposed again. When they were displayed, it was only for 20% of the time to only a dim amount of light.
The pigments and dyes in woodblock prints and other Asian papers can begin to fade in even the lowest levels of light, so UV protection is extremely important.
UV protective glazing and museum glass are available from our framing technicians to be placed in an existing frame or a new option to suit the artwork or your interior design needs.
