Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection

The Thematic Exhibition "Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection" has been held every year since 2000 with the goal of introducing the conservation and repair activities that take place at the Tokyo National Museum. While roughly 100 items are repaired every year, this exhibit features 21 items, along with accompanying pictures, that were chosen as representatives of the various fields: the arts, the decorative arts, archeology, historical objects, etc. Examples of unique repair situations are also selected.

The Tokyo National Museum's missions are to present cultural properties to the public and also to preserve the collection so that it can be enjoyed in perpetuity. The museum maintains the exhibition and storage areas, makes improvements to transportation and treatment methods, and performs both minor and full-scale repairs to preserve or restore the items. In addition, solving problems posed by materials or technology plays an extremely important role. There is an inherent contradiction between storing the items for preservation and making them available for the public to enjoy. However, in order to have these items be passed on to the future generations, we feel it necessary to take both of these aspects into account in our daily activities.

Through this exhibition, we hope to deepen the understanding of preservation techniques necessary for these important cultural objects. Lastly, we would like to extend our thanks and gratitude to all the individuals and organizations that made the 2005-06 restoration projects possible.