I recently had the pleasure of conserving a Japanese handscroll which belongs to Bateman’s, a National Trust property in East Sussex which was once home to Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1936). Kipling was an English author and journalist, whose work was heavily inspired by the colonialist British India that he was born in. The collection at Bateman’s holds many of Kipling’s objects and artworks collected during his travels, such as Buddhist and Hindu bronze figurines, Chinese rice paper paintings, and archaeological arrowheads. Kipling only travelled to Japan once, and curators and researchers at the National Trust have found recorded in his diaries that he brought a number of Japanese items back to the UK. It is assumed that the scroll was amongst these.
The Japanese handscroll in question has been selected by National Trust curators to be displayed as part of an exhibition which highlights the colonialist nature of Kipling’s life and collection.
Image 1: A section of scroll narrative, framed by gold panels of paper
When the scroll arrived in the studio, it became clear that it is in surprisingly good condition for its age. It consists of two gouache paintings adjoined into a handscroll format, with an ivory roller and a gilded paper border framing it. The paintings depict a scene of everyday life and the holding of an audience, and they are painted in a characteristic Japanese perspective. It is thought that the scroll’s narrative depicts scenes in the life of Hikaru Genji, the main nobleman character of Murasaki Shikibu’s manuscript ‘The Tale of Genji’ (written before 1021).
Image 2: A close-up shot of the intricate details of the painting. Note the areas of abraded malachite pigment
Like many scrolls of an age, the fragile silk brocade and cords have abraded and faded. It was stored in an archival tube and cushioned with acid-free tissue paper, and due to being rolled tightly, creases and areas of detachment of the papers had occurred over time. Sellotape which had degraded over time had been used to initially repair and hold parts of the scroll together. The aim of my treatment was to stabilise the scroll with minimal in-situ techniques – rather than dismantle and remount the scroll as is common practice in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, I worked with the current materials and characteristics of the scroll to extend its life and facilitate easier handling.
Image 3: The scroll in its rolled state, showing the abraded nature of the silk brocade and the frayed cord.
Image 4: A detail shot of an area of splitting, with a failing Sellotape repair on the back.
I first surface cleaned the scroll with a soft brush to remove any surface dirt. After this, I tackled the Sellotape. It was still tacky, which meant that I had to use some solvent (acetone and water) to successfully remove the sticky adhesive. Doing this was paramount – I could only apply repairs to the scroll on a clean paper surface, so that they would adhere properly.
Image 5: After the Sellotape was removed, the adhesive staining was reduced using acetone and water.
If the scroll is not being dismantled and remounted with ‘orefuse’ strips directly against the back of the painting, it is important to still tackle creased areas so they don’t form into full-fledged cracks in the future. I applied strips of Japanese paper to the back of the scroll, where the creases were the worst. Supporting the creases can greatly reduce them – when left to dry under weight, the repair paper aids the creases in sitting flat again.
Image 6: The scroll was repaired in sections with Japanese paper and wheat starch adhesive and left to dry under weight.
After applying tear repairs and reinforcement strips, as well as reinforcing areas of weak silk with wheat starch adhesive and Japanese paper, I set to work creating a ‘futomaki’ (scroll roller) using archival tube, EVA adhesive, and Japanese paper. Traditionally ‘futomaki’ are made out of wood, and their function is to increase the rolling diameter of the scroll so that creases are less likely to form. It also helps in more easily rolling, unrolling, and picking up the scroll. I adapted this into a simpler form, which consists of the tube and a paper cradle for the ivory roller. With a little sawing and good luck, I cut sections out of the tube and was able to create a nice cradle for the roller.
Image 7: The archival tube was secured and measured so that a section could be cut.
Image 8: The completed ‘futomaki’ scroll roller, with a Japanese paper cradle to support the scroll baton.
Image 9: The scroll roller in action, with the repairs on the scroll visible.
Image 10: The scroll fully rolled up.
This scroll was a delight to work on; I have spent my fair share of time admiring the fine details and vibrant colours in everything from the kimonos to the architecture. It has now been digitised and will be available for online viewing soon! If you have any queries pertaining to the conservation of East Asian scrolls, screens, paintings or woodblock prints, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Image 11: The scroll was digitised using high-resolution photography at North Yorkshire Record Office.
