Conservation and restoration of Tibetan thangkas

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The conservation and restoration of the Tibetan thangka is the physical preservation of a traditional Tibetan form of religion known as thangka (also spelled as "tangka" or "thanka"). When applied to a significant cultural heritage, this activity is generally performed by conservator-restorer.

Thangka is a vertical scroll painting in a format, usually in a rolled-up size, often about half to one and a half meters, although the big thangka for a special ceremony can get dozens of people to unroll and display it. Like religious wall paintings, thangka is considered to function as an intermediary between the mortal and divine worlds.

Thangka started as a traditional art form of Nepal. This form was originally exported to Tibet after the Bhrikuti Princess of Nepal married SongtsÃÆ'¤n Gampo. In the early days, these painted scrolls became very popular for traveling monks because of their portability. During the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1912), thorak paintings flourished in Tibet.

Video Conservation and restoration of Tibetan thangkas

Pertimbangan etis

Some initial conservation thangkas treatment involves the following well-intentioned errors:

1. removed and discarded and treated painted with methods appropriate for Western oil paintings; including webbing and framing paintings in Western aesthetics
2. removed and discarded mounting and treated painting with appropriate method for Chinese or Japanese scroll painting in silk or paper, then mounted paintings in aesthetic scroll-painting
3. leave the painting in installation and install it in place with the appropriate method for Western-style painting
4. is painted without an understanding of the original iconography or painting method
5. leave the painting in place in the installation and cut the top and bottom, then frame the entire thangka in a traditional Western style frame
6. deleted and removed cover
7. is given every installation of a powerful chemical treatment for bacterial growth, when possible mild cleansing, delivery, and proper appearance and storage will be sufficient
8. coats the painting with a mixture of aqueous adhesives of animal glue and wheat flour, risking moisture penetrating the soil and a layer of paint from behind.

Prior to conservation, it is important for conservators to consider iconographic content and social significance. Ideally, no aspect of care should compromise the object's original purpose. To obtain and apply this reverence requires extensive research into the cultural significance of the object to be treated and the materials and methods of its construction. Such research requires informants from cultures, both artists and religious authorities. Conservators also need to be aware that brocade and mounting techniques are an integral part of the piece, and must retain these elements as much as possible.

Maps Conservation and restoration of Tibetan thangkas

Different types of thangkas

The traditional painted thetsa is made by using mineral and vegetable pigments in a medium of hide glue, with silk brocade boundaries becoming common during the early periods of Ming and Qing. Contemporary thangkas are usually painted gouache on cotton cloth.

Apart from typical paint on thangkas cotton fabrics, the following types of thangkas are also available:

1. The dpar ma, woodblock printed thangka produced on canvas. A wooden block is carved with a line of painting before it is printed onto the canvas. This simplifies the painting process and provides special effects.
2. The thangka metal, whose durability and concept folded is to serve travel needs.
3. The Papier-mÃÆ' Â ¢ chÃÆ' Â © thangka is unique for the three dimensional view of the central image.
4. The drun ma drum, the thangka embroidery that is usually executed in the far eastern part of Tibet and China for export trade.
5. Thangka weave. This form of thangka was created in the post-1950s period because of the lack of traditional thangka painting artists at that time.
6. dras-drab-ma, gos-sku, appliquÃÆ' Â © thangka which consists of many pieces of cloth in thangka.

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Typical damage to thangkas

Physical and mechanical damage

Thangka is designed to be easily rolled over to transport and this is the source of physical and mechanical damage. Scroll compress and shrink the surface and abrasion is compounded when cover is lost. It's not an easy task to roll it with all the different components and more if it's distorted. Moreover, the various components of thangka rarely have the same composition or thickness. As a result, when rolled, the pressure is uneven in all parts resulting in the occurrence of folds and creases. These folds and creases are destructive because they form weak areas. Big Thangka is at high risk for such damage.

The most vulnerable element of these multi-media scrolls is their fabric border, often made of silk brocades. The silk is vulnerable and quickly attenuated by the moist walls of the abbey, heavy paintings, and heavy heavy rootstocks, which easily break the fabric boundary, especially with repeating rolls and unrolled paintings for display. Borders are usually the first of the failed complex structures.

This condition is further aggravated by the construction of thangka. The difference in weight between the central image and the boundary, and the weight of the heavy rootstock, creates tension from all directions. Repeatedly and unrolling further increases the fracture rate. Thangkas is built with stitches, which creates potential areas of weakness because the fabric is pierced and compressed. When the thread suture decreases faster than the fabric, the overall fragility in the structure increases. The tension caused by the weight difference between the central image and the border, the weight of the heavy rootstock, further increases the fracture rate.

The borders are usually the first to fail, because they are separated from each other and from the central image; losses in the common border and the original boundary are rare. The upper border is usually the highest risk. Wrinkles in the lining have been observed as well; the main cause has been suggested because of the larger layer dimension of the thangka, which is probably the original concept in thangka development.

View condition

When thangkas is exhibited in their original Tibetan settings, they are confronted with soot and air chips from burning butter and incense lamps. Although butter or oil sometimes spreads over the painted thangka in an attempt to preserve it, the accumulation of dirt and oil darken the surface and may remove the image and color beneath it. In addition to difficult to remove, the presence of butter or oil in fiber accelerates fiber degradation.

Humid conditions

Humidity sources can include relative humidity, water in walls, holy water sprinkled, or water in adhesives used during treatment. Water damage may appear as color bleeding, leaving the sidelines. Different materials in thangkas respond differently to changes in relative humidity, and therefore cause stress and dimensional distortion.

Light

There are three types of light: ultraviolet (UV) light, infrared radiation and visible light. These three types are harmful to artifacts and the damage caused by all light is cumulative and irreversible. Exposure to light in all forms causes a chemical reaction to occur in the molecular level of an artifact. Exposure to light can cause textiles to weaken and fade, dye and paint become dark or discolored, and paper becomes weak, whitened, yellow or dark.

Therefore, thangkas is chemically and physically altered when exposed to light. Ultraviolet in light accelerates fiber and dye degradation through photo-oxidation.

Pests

Pests can cause severe damage to the thangka. Animal pests such as rats and birds can physically attack thangka for foodstuffs or nesting or cultivate it with dirt. Insect pests are usually found in thangka because of the organic nature of this scroll painting. The fungus grows easily on cellulose fabric, decompose it and it can easily spread to other textiles. Signs of damage to the mold include the musty odor, the presence of black or white flour growth, yellow or multi-colored stains, and condensation.

Losses

Often veils, ribbons and buffers, or sticks have been lost. Some possible explanation is that they are discarded when they get severely bad and are not replaced. But there are also times when they are deliberately deleted. Installation can be removed to allow transportation abroad. The dealer or collector or museum sometimes deletes it for some reason.

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Conservation treatments

Prior to carrying out conservation treatments, the conservator should always undertake a scientific investigation of the original material used. The Conservator is responsible for selecting materials and methods appropriate to the objectives of each specific treatment and consistent with current accepted practice. The advantages of selected materials and methods must be offset by their potential adverse effects on future examinations, scientific investigations, treatments, and functions. The conservator should also ensure the maintenance procedures and materials used are properly documented.

Here are the details of typical treatment methods for thangkas:

Separation

The original sewing used to attach the thangka to the textile border was carefully picked and retained the original sewing thread. This is to separate the thangka paintings (usually done on paper) with their textile borders, and ensure that each component is properly treated with the appropriate procedure.

Removal of previous repair fixes

The goal is to repair the damage and damage to the thangka and its layers. By doing this, re-stitching the vulnerable area can be done.

Net surface

Cleaning can improve the aesthetics of the thangka and help its interpretation, which may be difficult when dirt accumulates. In addition, removal of defilements facilitates good contact and bonding between silk and support in adhesive treatment. This will also reduce the risk of further penetrating penetration into the silk during humidification.

Humidification

Humidification introduces moisture in the form of water vapor into the thangka to relax the fibers quickly. Then followed by drying and flattening under precisely controlled conditions such as flanking thangka between blotting material sheets and under heavy weight enough to prevent cockling.

Disinfecting

Infestation pests such as beetles and frass usually occur in thangka due to its organic nature. A common method for removing pests is fumigation with nitrogen in Controlled Atmosphere Treatment (CAT).

This gas creates asphyxia effects on target pest insects such as cloth moths (Tineola sp.), Gegat (Lepisma saccharina) and other textile pests. This fumigation method is known as CAT (Controlled Atmosphere Treatment) and is widely used in the conservation of antiques, artifacts, and precious books.

Relining

When the original support/component of the component is too weak, brittle or torn, unable to meet its purpose, it is necessary to support an unhealthy structural thangka.

Needed to take into account the spiritual character of the thangka and retain the possibility of the traditional use of religion, thus allowing for the traditional vertical look. The back coating should be flexible enough to allow rolling and unrolling, even if this does not always happen after treatment. It should also allow visual access backwards, to read the inscription that is part of the thangka consecration and confer its spiritual presence.

Loss loss

Certain disadvantages can disrupt a person's ability to interpret thangka or appreciate it. Loss of loss compensation and/or total replacement has been made to maintain the design or art form. It aims to maintain the significance and values ​​that have been reduced by the loss. This is where conceptual integrity takes precedence over material integrity.

However, the conservator must ensure interventions to compensate for losses must be detectable by the general inspection method. Such compensation shall be recoverable and shall not erroneously modify the known aesthetic, conceptual, and physical characteristics of the cultural property, especially by eliminating or obscuring the original material.

Mounting

The installation is an integral part of the thangka. And because it is important both structurally and symbolically, efforts are always made to save it. It is possible to ascertain whether the current installation is, in fact, original with a rigorous inspection from the edge of the main panel. The presence of multiple rows of puncture holes may indicate that the installation has been altered.

If the original installation is no longer suitable for reuse, the conservator may look for a design similar to a silk textile or brocade and dip it into the same color as the original. The color and design of textile borders and brocade silk play an important role in praising thangka paintings.

Preventive preservation

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Factors that exacerbate the damage have been considered and favorable conditions for conservation and measures for protection against future damage have been triggered. The following are the preventative measures for thangkas treatment:

1. The use of two thick bands, slightly shorter than the thangka, is sewn to the ends of both rods on the back side of the thangka, to prevent the rootstock from tightening the thangka.
2. The rolling of the thangka is performed on a flat surface and not in a hanging position to minimize tangling, rolling carefully but firmly on the rootstock.
3. Practice of display rotation compared to permanent display, to achieve long-term preservation. This has been justified on the grounds that it is a normal practice in temples or monasteries to put thangka only on special occasions and such practices basically retain thangka.
4. Use of displays to prevent dirt accumulation.
5. Use of appropriate lighting and light levels.
6. Terms of handling instructions, list conditions, and display recommendations such as traditional water spraying restrictions to minimize problems.
7. Use of inert materials for storage and display.

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Storage method

Storage for long-term preservation has also been developed taking into account the various needs of the thangka. Here are some recommendations.

1. Individual storage of thangkas in a flat-level archive box lined with acid-free paper.
2. Make sure the microclimate in the storage area is suitable as it is through the use of silica gel.
3. Rolled on dowels with 2 "soft padding Soft padding to accommodate shells in painting, and large diameter to reduce the curvature of the rolled paintwork Retaining hanging in the shell file box so that the weight of the thangka is not carried by the painting parts. The shell box protects thangka from dust, light and pressure and allows the efficient use of storage space.
4. Make sure the storage conditions are clean of pests and fungi.
5. Make sure the storage location temperature is kept constant at around 24 Degrees Celsius.

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Case study

Akshobhya Buddha in heaven Abhirati thanks by Julie Goldman

• Ashobhya Buddha in his Holy Land Above the Heaven of Thankga
• Museums: LACMA
• For exhibition: Tibetan Wisdom and Compassion: Tibetan Holy Art
• Treatment for the section:

1. Surface cleaning
2. Moisture to remove tangles because storage method is scrolled early
3. Losses intended (but not painted)
4. Turn cotton support into Japanese-style drying boards tailored to caribari
5. Added a new dyed silk threshold to match the original color.

Ajita thangka and Hva Shang thangka by Mike Wheeler and Teresa Heady

• Ajita thangka and Hva Shang thangka
• Museums: National Museum of Ireland
• Maintenance explained:

1. Separation of thangka paintings from the original brocade
2. The treatment of previously humidified paintings in SympatexÃ,® sandwiches followed by washing on a dehioned moisturizing paper with deionised water
3. Sprayed with a 50:50 mixture of water and ethanol to help minimize the possibility of interruption and to help break the surface tension that might hinder the cleaning process
4. Lining thangkas with Japanese Sekishu paper and wheat flour pasta to give him strength.
5. Dry up the caribari board
6. Attach a painting back to the brocade

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References

Source of the article : Wikipedia