Repairing Fragmented Times

The Shaanxi HistoryMuseum boasts acollection of over1.7 million artifactsranging from murals andbronze wares to ceramics， goldand silver wares， calligraphy，and paintings. However， theitems on display at any giventime represent only a glimpseof its massive collection， andmany treasures require delicatehandling. This responsibilityfalls on the museum’sconservation and restorationteam. They serve as a vital linkbetween the past and the future，ensuring the preservation andperpetuation of cultural heritage.Working diligently behindthe scenes， they meticulouslysafeguard each artifact， mostunseen by visitors before.Today， visitors to the ShaanxiHistory Museum have a chanceto witness the quiet eleganceand enigmatic allure of artifactrestoration through panes ofglass.

Mural paintings from theTang Dynasty （618-907） aresome of the most distinctiveand invaluable treasureshoused within the ShaanxiHistory Museum. The Galleryfor Tang Mural Masterpiecesshowcases nearly 600 exquisitepieces originating from over20 Tang Dynasty tombs. Therestoration of these murals froma dilapidated state to stunningrevival owes much to the skilledhands of conservators.

“Restoring murals is a raceagainst time，” explained ZhangYuanyuan， a member of themural restoration team at theconservation and restorationdepartment， outlining thefundamental process of muralrestoration. When collectinginformation about murals intomb chambers， they reinforceand protect the ancient artworksbefore moving them outfor better protection. Oncetransferred to the museum，the restoration process beginswith cleaning the back ofmurals. Cleaning exposes awhite plaster layer， to whichthey begin applying layer-bylayerreinforcement to create anew support structure for themural’s back. Frontal restorationinvolves four main steps：removing and cleaning thesurface gauze， treating damage，filling in missing parts， andaesthetically restoring the mural.

Cotton swabs and restorationknives are the primary toolsused by conservators. Breathingnew life into murals demandslong hours at a workstation thattests patience， visual acuity，mental acumen， and physicalstamina. The Shaanxi HistoryMuseum’s mural restorationteam features over 20 expertsspanning disciplines suchas art history， archaeology，mural studies， cultural heritageconservation and restoration，physics， and materials science.They form the backbone of themuseum’s key research base forconservation and restoration ofmural paintings and materialsscience， authorized by the StateAdministration of CulturalHeritage. Guided by the ethosof “upholding traditionswhile embracing cutting-edgemethods，” they approach eachartifact with reverence and fusepreservation techniques withresearch and application of newmaterials to ensure the continuityof China’s cultural heritage.