Hanging scroll painting restoration

[Henry Wilson]

As most of you know finding a good restoration service can be hard going. Last year, I made the big decision to have a favourite kakeuji of mine restored. I found by chance an English speaking company located in Kobe, Japan who did an excellent job with a full restoration. They did a write up on and made a short video of the whole process. I strongly recommend them if you decided to get such work done which surprisingly did not cost that much. Have a look at what they did at the link below. Enjoy!

 

Restoration: Deer Kakejiku by Gyokusen Mochizuki

 

https://nomurakakejiku.com/kakejiku-art-blog/post-8337.html#Inquiry_for_Remounting_Deer_Scroll_Painting_by_Gyokusen_Mochizuki

[Brian]

Wow Henry. That is an amazing restoration and agree with everything they posted. The change is like night and day.
Please extend my compliments to them on both their work, and also the way they presented the entire restoration on their website. It is a superb "blog" type page that gives a ton of insight into the work.
Didn't think it would interest me as much as it did. Would not hesitate to recommend them based on what I see here. Well done.

[b.hennick]

Thank you for sharing this with us. I have been looking for someone to restore a work for years. P.m. to follow.

[Ken-Hawaii]

Same here, Henry. Thanks!

[Ed]

Wow, that was an amazing transformation. Thanks for sharing.

[vajo]

For my taste i have a little critic. They lost some  details like the texture of the Rocks/ Landscape. The artist made the sharp lines to make the landscape rough, now it looks like a medow. Restauration should not make it new overall. But this is the taste of my view.

 

But congratulation for your picture. It looks very nice.

[Henry Wilson]

Hi Chris

 

Thank you for the comment. I am not quite sure I see what you mean as the restoration has not altered the paintwork at all. The texture of the rocks and landscape are different effects made my brush and ink. It could be the creases that have been removed that makes the painting look flat. The only sharp lines on the landscape were the creases.

 

But, you highlight the interesting age old question of how far restoration should go?

 

I recent went to the Nezu museum to see the latest exhibition there on Buddhist images. They have on display for the first since it has been restored a myoo statue but there was still noticeable damaged to it. For example, it still has large cracks on the face (if I recall correctly) which I doubt were part of the original intended design because in the medieval period, who would create a damaged deity? In comparison to that restoration, my scroll looks brand new even though Yoshida Kenko wrote “It is only after the silk wrapper has frayed at top and bottom, and the mother-of-pearl has fallen from the roller, that a scroll looks beautiful.”

Source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsurezuregusa

 

Why didn’t the restorer create such a beautified effect for my scroll? Maybe the medium of paper has something to do with this? Could it be a difference between restoration and preservation? Maybe the Nezu should have described the myoo statue as preserved rather than restored?

 

To answer my own questions, I searched the NMB archives and found this old thread. I haven’t reread it in it’s entirety but from what I recall, it explores some related ideas.

http://www.militaria.co.za/nmb/topic/21171-restoration-of-tosogu-nihonto-etc/?hl=conservation&do=findComment&comment=215535

 

I hope this post isn’t off topic.... or worse.... pedantic!!! ☺️

[vajo]

Hi Henry,

thank you to explain it. It is, as allways impossible to judge really from pictures. You see your treasure live and can best judge how beautifull it is. I can only look at the website pictures of the restauration. Overall as i said a nice picture that i would present allways like you in my home. Well done.

 

Best

Chris

[uwe]

Impressive!

Thanks for sharing Henry!

[brannow]

Nice restoration.  I will ask the obvious question though, how much did this restoration cost?  I have a few I would like to get restored if practical.

[Henry Wilson]

Cost depends on the degree of damage. Send me a PM and I will tell more coz talking money in public can be embarrassing.