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Jain painting
Discover how this stunning, detailed wall hanging was brought
back to life by our Textile Conservation team.
This beautiful chitapatra (or picture cloth in
Sanskrit) is a 19th century Indian hanging depicting the
universe according to Jain belief.
Jainism is an ancient Indian religion with deeply held pacifist
beliefs and customs that uphold the equal treatment of humans,
animals and plant-life, all of which are believed to contain a
living soul.
The Jain universe contains different prearranged dwelling
spaces: demi-gods reside at the top of the structure, closely
followed by heavenly beings who have attained liberation of the
immortal soul and live in a perpetual state of total harmony; then
humans, animals, demons and fantastical creatures descend towards
the bottom of the picture.
Detail of the lower half of the Jain
painting. Click on the image to see it in more detail.
Bringing the painting back to life
Destined for the new Inspired by Nature gallery, the painting
was in poor condition when it first appeared in the National Museum
Collections Centre for conservation.
It was extremely dirty, with some permanent staining, and there
were several sharp creases to the cloth where it had been roughly
folded. Of most concern to our conservation team was the very poor
condition of the painted surface, which was extremely fragile. The
matte paint layer showed signs of being only loosely held onto the
cotton, and much of the paint was either actively powdering or
crumbling away.
Before any treatment was attempted, tests were carried out on
each pigment to ascertain their reactions to water (such as
bleeding, swelling or staining). A tiny sample of the brilliant
green pigment was also sent to the Analytical Science section for
positive identification, as it was thought likely to be a toxic
compound containing arsenic commonly known as Scheele’s green.
Copper acetoarsenite, as it did indeed turn out to be, was
commonly used in the 19th century in numerous domestic forms,
including household paints and dyes. However, it fell out of use
when it was realised that the dust the compound emitted could
easily be inhaled, causing arsenic poisoning and even death.
Therefore, the conservation treatment was carried out wearing a
mask, gloves and lab coat, with an extraction fan running at all
times.
Click on the thumbnails above to see images
of the painting before and after consevation.
Testing times
The tests helped establish that it would be possible to
consolidate the paint. This entails applying new binder or
regenerating existing binding material within a painted surface to
improve the attachment of powdery paint particles to the cloth.
First, a very lightly dampened brush was used to clean the
painted surface of dust and dirt. This, in combination with
localised humidification carried out through a Gore-tex® membrane,
also helped re-activate any remaining binder. Next, a consolidant
solution was misted just above the surface using an ultrasonic
humidifier, a piece of equipment which converts solutions rapidly
into vapour. It was important to the success of the treatment to
mist the solution precisely and uniformly, so the solution was
pumped at timed intervals through a hose placed in the opening to a
small box.
The consolidant solution is pumped onto
the cloth through a small box to ensure it is applied evenly.
Conserved by nature
The consolidating medium used was Funori, a Japanese
seaweed which historically has been in use in Japan since the 17th
century as a size for textiles and paper. A size is a substance
applied in solution to cloth or paper as a preparation for painting
or printing; it acts as a kind of filler to smooth and stiffen the
surface, making it easier to paint on.
Although not commonly used in textile conservation to date,
Funori has two distinct advantages over other conservation
grade consolidants in that it dries matte and is known to work
extremely well with fine, powdery paints. Scientific studies have
also identified other good ageing properties, for example, it does
not yellow or shrink over time.
Funori before being converted into an aqueous
solution.
After consolidating the powdery paint with the Funori
solution, work was still needed in some areas of the hanging to
secure individual paint flakes that were crumbling away. This work
was carried out using a solution of ethyl hydroxy ethyl cellulose,
a consolidant with good flow properties that can be carefully
applied with a brush.
The consolidation is now complete, and the hanging is now stable
enough for long-term display, the colours shining through as
brightly as the original artist intended. However, the final piece
of conservation will entail monitoring the hanging at regular
intervals to ensure the paint remains as stable in the future as it
is now.