Delicately Painted Japanese Folding Screen

Paper Department:

Inpainting and Tear Repair Treatment

Emilie van der Hoorn, Associate Paper Conservator, during treatment

The studio often receives inquiries for damaged Japanese screens. Our Paper Department recently worked on a delicately painted two panel folding screen that depicts two small intricate quails surrounded by grasses and flowers. Each panel is comprised of paint and ink on a gilded surface, with a decorative silk border and lacquered wood frame.

The treatment for the screen included dry cleaning the silk borders and the backside of the panel. The losses in the quail feathers, grasses and botanicals were consolidated and finely inpainted using watercolors. The tear was repaired by inserting a strip of Japanese tissue with wheat starch paste under the delaminating areas and the small losses in the gilding were filled and toned.