Alteration of Asian lacquer: in-depth insight using a physico-chemical multiscale approach†
Abstract
Oriental lacquer has been used in Asian countries for thousands of years as a durable and aesthetic coating material for its adhesive, consolidating, protective and decorative properties. Although these objects are made from an unusual material in Occident, Western museum collections host many lacquerwares. Curators, restorers and scientists are daily confronted with questions of their conservation and their alteration. The characterization of their conservation state is usually assessed through visual observations. However deterioration often starts at the microscopic level and cannot be detected by a simple visual inspection. Often,
- This article is part of the themed collection: Molecular Analysis for Art, Archaeometry and Conservation