18th Century Japanese Screen
Japanese screens were originally used in the dark rooms
of large palaces to lighten up
the room and also to create privacy. Many of these screens have a golden effect in the
front to brighten the room. The front of the screen is usually made from
mulberry paper or silk and is thus very fragile. The back is just a simple covering.
The screen becomes damaged because it is stretched over
over a wooden armature that has latticework inside. Movement over time will tear the
delicate mulberry paper or silk that is covering the front of the screen.
As the art restorer, Mike removed the back
plain layer, adjusted the inside lattice work and repaired the ornate
screen front. The front can sometimes be carefully connected together, but other
times
matching paper or silk has to be found to cover the torn places.
This Japanese screen dates to the 18th Century. Repairing these
old mulberry paper or silk screens is difficult because the surfaces are
almost as fragile as tissue paper and can bend and tear easily.
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