Restoration of tanka icons from the collection of Tibetan painting of the Oriental Department

In 2003 the staff in the Laboratory for Scientific Restoration of Oriental Painting (Ye.G. Shishkova, director) carried out multifaceted restoration work to preserve tanka icons belonging to the collection of Tibetan painting in the Oriental Department, which has more than 1000 icons.

The Laboratory restored four icons which came from the collections of Prince Esper Ukhtomsky and of the orientalist Yury Roerich. The icons dated from the early 18th to the 19th century. The restoration work was led by Ye.G. Shishkova, who was joined by the restorer K.A. Kashina. Each icon has its artistic and iconographic value. Two of the icons were painted in the "new menri" style which is noted for the elegance of execution: Buddha Bhaishajyaguru (Buddha of Medicine) with Retinue (Tibet, second half of the 18th century; canvas, glue painting; frame of silk and wood; 114 х 72 сm) and Buddha and Arhats (Tibet, early 19th century; canvas, glue painting; frame of silk and wood; 90 х 54 cm).

Sacrificial Offering to Angry Gods (Tibet, second half of the 19th century; canvas, glue painting; frame of cotton; 95 х 59 cm) is among the rarest icons in terms of iconography and fineness of execution. The icon Hayagriva - Defender of Buddhism (Tibet, second half of the 18th century; canvas, glue painting; frame of silk and wood; 90.5 x 53 сm) is made in the style called "karma gardri", which came from Western Tibet. In the Hermitage collection there are just a few such icons. All these works of art suffered from the main types of damage that are characteristic of tanka icons considering the way they were periodically taken down and unrolled for presentation in the temple during services and then rolled back. As a rule they were stored rolled up or were displayed alongside burning candles, which over time caused the surface of the icons and the frames to be soiled, caused cracks to form and the paint layer to flake off, losses of ground, warping of the canvas and delapidation of the frame.

When the plan of restoration measures was being determined, the first consideration was the degree of need for action. Thus it was decided that the icon Buddha Bhaishajyaguru (Buddha of Medicine) with Retinue required strengthening of the paint layer in many places. This painstaking procedure was done with the help of an ultrasound spray from the Backer company.

The icons Buddha and Arhats, Hayagriva - Defender of Buddhism and Sacrificial Offering to Angry Gods underwent a whole series of restoration measures. They were taken off their supports and then the paint layer of the icons was strengthened locally or in places on a vacuum table, after which the foundation was straightened out using a preliminary moisturizing technique in a special chamber. After this work was completed the frames (kept separately) were united with the painted canvases. Only materials of organic origin were used for these works of art. The complexity of working with articles of this sort lies in the fact that the glue painting on canvas becomes brittle over time and you must be very careful and know the techniques and the nature of the materials very well. Restoration of these works was carried out on modern equipment, which made it easier to perform traditional methods of restoration.

Display items after restoration. Transfer to the storerooms of the Oriental Department
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Tangka: Five Arhats
Tibet. Early 19th сentury
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Tangka: Five Arhats. Detail
Before and after restoration
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