Approach to the conservation of Japanese paper objects

Svrha ovog članka predstavljanje je konzervatorsko-restauratorskih radova izvedenih na dvama japanskim ukiyo-e drvorezima iz razdoblja Edo (1603. – 1867.) te dvama oslikanim listovima lepeza iz razdoblja Meiji (1868. – 1912.), kao i predstavljanje rezultata mikroskopskih i mikrokemijskih ispitivanja te analiza pigmenata. Riječ je o drvorezima Ljubavnici Kitagawe Utamara i Tsuki (Mjesec) Suzukija Harunobua te o dvama oslikanim listovima lepeza na papirnatom nosiocu inv. br. MGR-EW-161 i MGR-EW-170, atribuiranim slikaru Kawakamiju Togaiju. Restaurirane umjetnine specifičnih karakteristika i složenih izvedbenih tehnika bit će predstavljene u tekstu uz osvrt na autore te pripadajuće umjetničke pravce.The paper presents conservation carried out in 2020 and 2021 on two Japanese ukiyo-e woodcuts from the Edo period (1603–1867), and two Japanese fans from the Meiji period (1868–1912). The artworks are Suzuki Harunobu\u27s "Tsuki / Moon" and Kitagawa Utamaro\u27s "Lovers" woodcuts from the Varaždin City Museum, and painted fan leaves on a paper carrier (inv. nos MGR-EW-161, MGR-EW-170) from the Museum of the City of Rovinj, attributed to the Japanese painter Kawakami Togai. The results of microscopic and microchemical tests, and analysis of pigments and binders, are also presented, with reference to the artists and the characteristics of execution styles and artistic directions in which the works of art were created. Experience in working on these works of art at the Department of Paper and Leather of the Croatian Conservation Institute was gained in 2013 during the conservation of the ukiyo-e woodcuts "Geisha with an escort" and "Geisha with a vase" by Eishi Hosoda, and in 2018 during the conservation of the woodcuts "Collecting mulberry silkworm larvae" by Kitagawa Utamaro and "Toilette" by Komai Yoshinobu. The characteristic problem of ukiyo-e woodcuts is their extreme sensitivity to direct light. The damage is clearly visible, because there are changes in the original colours, and sometimes they fade completely. Another common problem is various types of unsuitable bases onto which the woodcuts were glued with various adhesives or self-adhesive tapes. The two painted fan leaves on paper carrier were probably never used as a fan. They were found in poor condition, covered with well-defined surface impurities, and high humidity had caused deformations and separation of the characteristic Japanese impregnation from the paper carrier, thus endangering the painted layer, which was peeling in small fragments. The aim of conservation was to stabilize the paper carriers, traditional coating and painted layers of these rare and valuable works of art