Cit:Wong.etal:2017
| Author | Wong, Lori; Bomin, Su; Xiaowe, Wang; Rava, Amarilli; Agnew, Neville |
| Year | 2017 |
| Title | Salt-induced flaking of wall paintings at the Mogao Grottoes, China |
| Bibtex | @inproceedings {Wong.etal:2017,
title = {Salt-induced flaking of wall paintings at the Mogao Grottoes, China}, booktitle = {Proceedings of SWBSS 2017. Fourth International Conference on Salt Weathering of Buildings and Stone Sculptures, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany, 20-22 September 2017}, year = {2017}, editor = {Laue, Steffen}, pages = {285-296}, month = {september}, organization = {Fachhochschule Potsdam}, publisher = {Verlag der Fachhochschule Potsdam}, note = {fulltext, conference paper}, key = {SWBSS2017}, doi = {10.5165/hawk-hhg/348}, author = {Wong, Lori; Bomin, Su; Xiaowe, Wang; Rava, Amarilli; Agnew, Neville} } |
| DOI | 10.5165/hawk-hhg/348 |
| Link | File:SWBSS 2017 Proceedings 285-296 Wong Bomin Xiaowei Rava Agnew.pdf |
| Notes | in: Proceedings of SWBSS 2017 - Fourth International Conference on Salt Weathering of Buildings and Stone Sculptures. University of Applied Sciences, Potsdam, Germany, 20-22 September 2017 |
Bibliography
| [Wong.etal:2017] | Wong, Lori; Bomin, Su; Xiaowe, Wang; Rava, Amarilli; Agnew, Neville (2017): Salt-induced flaking of wall paintings at the Mogao Grottoes, China. In: Laue, Steffen (eds.): Proceedings of SWBSS 2017. Fourth International Conference on Salt Weathering of Buildings and Stone Sculptures, University of Applied Sciences Potsdam, Germany, 20-22 September 2017,Verlag der Fachhochschule Potsdam 285-296, 10.5165/hawk-hhg/348. |   |
Abstract[edit]
The Mogao Grottoes, a World Heritage Site in northwest China, is known for its surviving 492 painted Buddhist cave temples. Commissioned over a thousand year period, from the fourth to the fourteenth centuries, the caves were hewn into a 1.6 km long cliff face and the wall paintings executed on earthen plasters. Situated in a remote and arid desert landscape, these painted caves have endured throughout the centuries but many have also suffered from salt-related deterioration. Repeat cycles of treatment for flaking on salt-damaged wall paintings have caused worsening of conditions resulting in significant loss of painted plaster. A research project to study this intractable problem and to develop and implement improved treatment methods was undertaken as part of a collaboration between the Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) and the Dunhuang Academy (DA) under China’s State Administration for Cultural Heritage (SACH). This case study looks at the activation mechanisms and deterioration processes of salt-induced flaking and highlights the development and implementation of remedial and preventive measures to prevent further loss from occurring. Topics investigated include the material composition of the paintings and plaster, previous treatments, salt identification and distribution, environmental conditions and the impact of increased humidity. Results show that past treatment of flaking wall painting with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) created a film-like barrier that reduced permeability and trapped salts below the painted surface. This led to a build up of salts that when exposed to periods of high humidity caused disruption and powdering of the plaster from cycles of deliquescence and crystallization; the consolidated upper layer, then separated and lifted, in a new form of flaking, referred to as exfoliation. The study also aimed to improve methods of condition monitoring to better assess when change due to salt activity occurs and to implement findings from the Visitor Carrying Capacity Study for the site. This included identifying caves at risk of salt-related deterioration and closing them to visitation during periods of high humidity.