Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection

This is the eighth exhibition of the Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection, which has been held annually since 2000 with the aim of introducing the conservation and restoration activities that take place at the Tokyo National Museum. This year's exhibit includes 18 items of recently restored works, with accompanying photographs chosen to represent the various fields: painting, sculpture, the decorative arts, archeology, and historical objects, or for having unique restoration features related to the formats and techniques of the works.

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. In order to fulfill these missions, maintenance of the exhibition and storage areas, improving the transportation methods and treatment of the objects, and performing both minor and full-scale repairs are required 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 passed on to future generations, we feel it is necessary and take both of these into account in our daily activities.

Through this exhibition, we hope to deepen your understanding of the preservation techniques necessary for these important cultural objects.