22-SL-2006_Turin, Museum of Oriental Art, Shokannon

Facilitated description:

 

The Shokannon is a Japanese wooden sculpture and represents the deity of compassion.
The sculpture is represented standing with a precious metal and glass headdress.
The sculpture is kept at the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin. 
The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the sculpture in 2006.
The restorers consolidated (made more stable) the parts of the wooden base that were detaching.
They cleaned the sculpture with chemicals and a tool that uses laser light.
After the restorers painted the work to protect the sculpture from the sun's rays and dust.
The restorers also cleaned the copper (metal) and glass parts.
Eventually, they replaced the ruined copper wires and covered the copper parts with a product against oxidation (alteration of the material caused by unsuitable humidity and temperature. Oxidation is recognised by a change in colour).

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The wooden sculpture Shokannon It represents the bodhisattva (enlightened person) of compassion. The statue was purchased by the Compagnia di San Paolo on the American market. The restoration, funded by the Fondazione per l'Arte della Compagnia di San Paolo, was aimed at the exhibition of the work at the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, opened to the public in 2008. The work is in permanent storage at the MAO.

 

Restoration

Conservative interventions were carried out on the wooden support. First, the solids of the base were glued, paying particular attention to the cracked and detached areas. Subsequently, the detached decorative elements were re-adhered and a missing component of the base carving was reconstructed. A cleaning with chelating solution was then carried out in combination with the action of the laser. As a final protection, an aliphatic paint was applied.
The golden copper parts were first cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and brush; Subsequently, a chelating solution bath, rinses and dehydration procedures were carried out. In this way it was possible to obtain a homogeneous cleaning of the metal part and the elements in vitreous paste, using mechanical removal with scalpels and ethanol swabs only for the elements that had more stubborn residues. Twisted copper wire elements have been replaced. Finally, a layer of microcrystalline wax was applied to the copper parts to prevent oxidation. 

 

Bibliography

- M. Demmelbauer, P. Luciani, Shokannon, end of the Kamakura period - beginning of the Muromach period, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 67-71; 
- P. Croveri, A. M. Giovagnoli, Scientific Analysis: Shokannon, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 73-75.