Treatment

Structural stabilization of the unstable rendering layers was the primary objective of treatment. The plaster surround and two large interior fills were removed mechanically. A 2.5% (w/v) solution of methylcellulose in water was used to consolidate the exposed edges of the painting. Of the wide range of consolidants tested for consolidation, the methylcellulose solution imparted sufficient cohesion to the layers while causing minimal changes in the visual appearance of the rendering and adjacent ground and paint layers.

A 50% (w/v) solution of Acryloid B-72 in acetone, bulked with an equal volume of glass microspheres,5 was selected to reestablish adhesion and fill voids between the fabric scrim and plywood support. Of the materials tested, the B-72-microspheres mixture was selected for its adhesive and bulking properties and its ease of reversibility with a heated spatula. The mixture was injected beneath the lifting perimeter of the painting.

The edges of the rendering were then coated with an isolating layer of a 5% (w/v) solution of Acryloid B-72 in xylene before losses were filled. The perimeter of the painting was enclosed with Poly Filla bulked with macerated blotting paper and toned with pigment to approximate the color of the rendering layers.

The presence of accumulated surface grime and the discolored, selectively applied surface coating altered the color balance, clarity, and contrast of the image. Cleaning tests for the removal of these materials were conducted using a variety of aqueous and nonaqueous cleaning systems (including solvent gels and chelating agents); however, the friable paint surface was found to be sensitive to mechanical abrasion from dry cleaning methods and aqueous cleaning systems. The uncoated red and green areas were particularly vulnerable to aqueous systems, which were only partially effective in removing accumulated grime. Moreover, the porous structure of the paint resulted in rapid penetration of aqueous and nonaqueous cleaning systems and prevented removal of gel cleaning systems that might otherwise have been used to restrict penetration. Selective removal of grime from coated areas, and subsequent reduction of coatings, was considered but rejected as a treatment option. A sable brush and microvacuum were used to remove standing grime from the surface, but embedded grime and the degraded coating were left intact. Removal of these materials has been postponed until sufficient time and funding is appropriated for a more thorough investigation. The original strip molding was reattached to the edges of the plywood support, and the painting was exhibited horizontally under a Plexiglas vitrine on a temporary basis pending further investigation.

Bearer of Good Wishes

From 1992 to 1995, conservators at the Williamstown Art Conservation Center treated a Chinese wall painting fragment, Bearer of Good Wishes, in the collection of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, Rochester, New York. The painting fragment was given to the museum by a private donor, and nothing is known about its provenance. Attributed on stylistic grounds to the late Ming dynasty, the piece depicts a figure standing against a background of clouds (Fig. 2). The figure holds a scepter, known as a ju-i, representing a Bearer of Good Wishes, the name by which the painting is now known.