Taiwan’s National Palace Museum recently launched an exhibition titled “Reviving Cultural Treasures: Conservation and Restoration of Artifacts,” which began on October 8. This exhibition follows the 2023 showcase on “Artifact Testing and Restoration at the Palace Museum.” The new exhibit provides deep insights into the behind-the-scenes efforts of artifact preservation and restoration, highlighting the tangible outcomes achieved by the museum.
The museum’s director, Xiaozong Huang, emphasized that the National Palace Museum houses nearly 700,000 artifacts. Over the years, these treasures have endured the ravages of war, multiple relocations, and long-term preservation challenges, which have tested their endurance against varying environmental conditions and the passage of time. Since the artifacts were relocated to Taipei from Taichung’s Beigou, a mindset focused on preservation and care has gradually been developed. With the museum’s establishment in the Shuangxi area of Taipei, the professional restoration efforts have continued, allowing visitors to appreciate the priceless artifacts, which are products of the dedication from generations of museum staff.
Xiaozong Huang pointed out that the work of artifact conservation and restoration has traditionally operated behind the scenes at museums. However, this exhibition is unique in that it brings preventive conservation, scientific analysis, and artifact restoration openly to the audience. In the future, the museum plans to hold exhibitions every two years focused specifically on artifact conservation and restoration, consistently displaying the progress made in these areas.
In recent years, with the support of the Executive Yuan’s approved “New National Palace Museum Project,” the museum has been bolstering its capacity for conservation and restoration. Improvements are being made to the restoration spaces and equipment at the Northern Branch, while plans are underway for the Southern Branch’s National Treasures Hall to include a “Visible Storage” and a “Visible Restoration Room,” with the National Treasure Restoration Center anticipated to be completed by 2027.
The museum is also actively collaborating with universities and cultural preservation institutions in Taiwan to strengthen the training and practical connection of conservation and restoration personnel. Forums and international symposiums are being held at both the Northern and Southern branches to expand cross-disciplinary cooperation. Moving forward, the National Palace Museum aims to deepen its work in artifact conservation and restoration through system building, scientific research, professional partnerships, and talent cultivation. The museum hopes that the public, through the “Reviving Cultural Treasures” exhibit, will recognize its expert dedication to safeguarding cultural heritage.
Chief curator and deputy researcher at the conservation department, Shun-Hsing Hung, noted that compared to the 2023 exhibition, which focused on the before-and-after of restoration, this year’s “Reviving Cultural Treasures” exhibit aims to depict the complete journey of artifacts from preservation, observation, diagnosis, research, to restoration. The artifacts at the museum embody various eras’ cultures, craftsmanship, and wisdom. The survival of these precious items to this day is reliant upon the long-term commitment of preservation, research, and restoration staff, as well as a comprehensive and ongoing conservation system.
Hung also explained that the National Palace Museum is the only museum in Taiwan with an independent conservation and restoration department. This department comprises various restoration rooms for paintings, ancient texts, artifacts, and textiles, along with a scientific testing laboratory for artifacts. It works closely with collections, research, and exhibition units to promote artifact preservation. The “Reviving Cultural Treasures: Conservation and Restoration of Artifacts” exhibition showcases practical conservation efforts, scientific research, restoration findings, and decision-making processes, guiding audiences through the intertwined narratives of preservation, research, and revival, and exposing them to the museum’s extensive expertise accumulated over the years.
According to the National Palace Museum, artifact preservation encompasses three major aspects: preventive conservation, scientific analysis, and artifact restoration. The core concept closely parallels health management: emphasizing prevention in everyday practice, understanding the status through inspection, and only proceeding to restoration when necessary.
The museum explained that preventive conservation lowers the risk of artifact degradation through environmental control and appropriate protective measures. Scientific analysis applies diverse techniques to gain deeper insights into the materials, structures, crafting methods, and historical context of artifacts. Artifact restoration follows ethical guidelines and professional judgment when stabilization of the artifact’s condition becomes necessary. Daily preventive measures, scientific inspections, and restoration efforts support one another, linking together the exhibition’s four main components, and showcasing a comprehensive narrative from prevention and inspection to restoration.
“The best restoration may sometimes be not to restore at all,” Hung remarked, noting that while most people associate artifact preservation with restoration, modern practices emphasize the importance of preventive measures to avert potential issues. The museum employs microenvironmental controls, appropriate support structures, and seismic design to ensure preservation work is embedded in daily management. For example, a Tang dynasty artifact, the “Elephant Zun,” was originally stored wrapped in cotton cloth; however, concerns over fibers snagging on the artifact’s surface led to the decision to use a custom-made acid-free protective case instead. Similarly, the display of a Qing dynasty “Yellow Banner” is controlled to approximately 50 lux to minimize the light’s impact on the textile.
Besides preventive measures, scientific analysis remains a crucial element of artifact preservation, acting like an additional set of eyes that reveal material properties, structure, and degradation issues not visible to the naked eye. For artifacts where size or restoration traces are difficult to judge visually, the museum utilizes non-invasive analysis techniques to gain in-depth knowledge of the materials, structures, crafting methods, and preservation status.
Shun-Hsing Hung cited specific examples of artifacts that have benefited from scientific analysis. For instance, an examination of a Qing dynasty “Five-Color Dragon and Phoenix Pattern Wine Pot” revealed a hollow tube was ingeniously integrated into its design, unveiling the unique structure of a “reversal pot.” Additionally, an exported painting from the 19th century, known as “The Emperor’s Aids,” underwent scientific testing, disclosing previous restoration traces on the characters’ faces and allowing for the identification of the pigments used in the work.
Confronted with damages and degradation issues, the restoration team at the National Palace Museum utilizes art historical interpretation, material analysis, and traditional crafts research to clarify material properties, structures, and historical contexts. This understanding ultimately informs the restoration approach and establishes the extent of restoration required. The process often resembles a mini archaeology expedition, leading to a deeper comprehension of the artifacts.
Hung further illustrated this by referencing an example from the current exhibition: a Ming dynasty piece by Qiu Ying, “Quiet Afternoon in the Paulownia Shade,” revealed a rare metal weight fragment within its base, a technique rarely found among Ming and Qing period Chinese framing artifacts. Other intricate pieces, such as the Eastern Pearl Embellished Helmet known as “Qing Dynasty Emperor’s Armor,” displayed visible deconstruction that provided restoration specialists with new insights into previously unnoticed imperial craftsmanship.
Finally, Hung described the challenges associated with a severely damaged piece, the “Amitabha Buddha Triad” from the Qianlong reign. Due to the significant loss of one of the figures, it was decided not to undertake speculative restoration until the original dispersed components of the triad could be retrieved. Such cases demonstrate the museum’s commitment to respecting the original appearance and historical journey of artifacts while aiming to stabilize their condition and slow down degradation, thus prolonging the life of these ancient and fragile treasures.