Since our “Behind the Scenes in Conservation” posts have been so popular on social media, we’ve decided to give them more room to shine (and analyze and treat and conserve)! Each week, our conservation team highlights a project from one of their four specialty areas (paper, objects, textile or paintings conservation), giving you an exclusive look into the lab.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation:  A team effort!  Our paper and our objects conservators have been treating this Edo period (1615-1868) Japanese screen to prepare it for the Masterpieces of Japanese Art exhibition opening next month.  Now our textile conservator has joined the effort!  The screen has six delicate bamboo shades that are sewn together with thin silk threads. Over the years some of the threads have broken, allowing the bamboo to bend and warp out of plane with the screen. To stabilize the shades and to keep the bamboo from bending out of place, the objects and textile conservators are collaborating on a two-sided task.  They’re weaving new threads through the areas where the original silk thread has broken. You can see this screen on display soon in Gallery 136.

Read more about Conservation at the Art Museum.