MISSIONARY ETHNOLOGICAL MUSEUM

Two African Lirae

Restored thanks to the generosity of Sir David Krakowski, Ohio Chapter

These two African lutes are from Etiopia, Africa . They are constructed of symmetrical frames of pumpkin and wood. The bodies, or sounding boards, are covered in a snakeskin that is stretched taut over the surface. Both instruments feature strings made of tendons, each with a leather covered yoke of wood or bamboo and adorned with decorative tufts of hair. The first step completed by the restoration team consisted in carrying on an overall Photographic documentation. The musical instruments were decontaminated by anoxic-treatment and dusted with soft bristled brushes and micro-aspirated. Special attention was given to several fissures The surface deposits were removed.

Japanese Sword Wakizashi signed “Yasutsugu”

Restored thanks to the generosity of Patron students at Loyola Academy, Illinois

The wakizashi , meaning "side insertion," is a traditional Japanese sword with a shoto blade between 30 and 60 centimetres (12 and 24 in ), with an average of 50 cm ( 20 in ). It is similar to but shorter than a katana , and usually shorter than the kodachi ("small sword"). The wakizashi was usually worn together with the katana by the samurai or swordsmen of feudal Japan . When worn together the pair of swords were called daisho , which translates literally as "large and small". References to wakizashi use date at least back to the sixteenth century. Originally, the term wakizashi was used to mean any sword worn on the side of the main sword. Later, the term was used to denote the group of swords which were shorter than the main sword of the samurai, and as a result, wakizashi acquired the meaning of the side sword, because a side sword was shorter than the main sword by its nature. The wakizashi would be worn at all times, and therefore, it constituted a side arm for the samurai (similar to a modern soldier's use of a pistol). A samurai would have worn it from the time he awoke to the time he went to sleep, and slept with it under his pillow. The sword is made of NAGASA stainless steel, the workmanship of the blade is damascus JI-HADA-Ko Itamar, while the line is HAMON GUNOME-Choji-MIDARE. The handle (Tsuka) of HO Wood, a plant similar to the pine-covered skin selachii and decorated with strips of black silk with miniscule representations and insets of miniature landscapes, human figures and animals in gold. The steel blade is decorated with inlays of gold. The HO wooden scabbard is black lacquer with golden decorations and a hook with black silk ribbon. The workmanship of the NAKAGO Yasur shank is Kesho school YASTSUGU (Echizen province). The s cabbard had abrasions on the surface that deployed with considerable difficulty. The insertion of the blade to the handle is not complete. The blade was in good condition with minor localized oxidation and damage from accidental drops. The shank had clear and ample localized traces of corrosion products of iron. The sword was restored by a Japanese teacher at the pottery and metals laboratory of the Vatican Museums. The restoration was overseen by restorer Flavia Callori to clean the blade and the master performed a traditional Japanese ritual. The Japanese maestro had not used any kind of protection or tang on the blade. For precise cleanup of the shank, the iron corrosion was mechanically removed. Corrosion was plugged with silicone oil (petroleum ether + silicone oil) and removal of corrosion products was performed with a scalpel along the engraved lines by the master forger on the left shank. The silicone oil was left on the surface of the shank. Corrosion products of copper on the brass parts were removed. Various parts of the handle were replaced. To facilitate the insertion of the blade in the sheath, the sheath was placed in the in a cotton ball soaked in pure alcohol tightly wrapped for about an hour. After the blade was inserted into the sheath with less difficulty. The restoration was documented with photos and video.

Ten Xylographies on Japanese paper

Restored thanks to the generosity of Calumet College of St. Joseph, Indiana, in conjunction with the Illinois Chapter

The ten xylographies on Japanese paper were created with the use of the Nishiki technique, a unique form of brocading in which Japanese paper is used as the warp and is lacquered in polychrome. The artist of the first nine is Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) a Ukiyoe painter of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings. Made around 1857 in the Ansei era, it is a product of the Edo period (1615-1867), as evidenced by the signature. The xylographies belong to three different series: "The 50 Stations of the Tokiado," "The 36 Views of Fuji," and "The 100 Famous Views of Edo." Of the last series, the work indicates the number one is considered it's creator's masterpiece, as well as being one of the most famous Ukiyoe prints. The tenth xylography is the work of the master Sadahide Utagawa (1807-1873) recognized and awarded in Paris in the exhibition of 1866 as the artist most representative of Japan . The xylographies identified with numbers 1, 2 and 3 were donated by Mr. and Mrs. Sainen, J. Tetsuya Karasawa, P. Motoji Karasawa in 1981 to Pope John Paul II during his visit to Japan. The restoration process began with an anoxic treatment to remove pests, followed by photographic documentation and scientific analysis. Adhesive tape was removed from the works. The xylographies numbered 1, 2, 3, and 9 are being removed from their frames and will be re-matted. The xylographies numbered 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are being re-matted. All the works were brushed with fine, soft bristles to remove the superficial layer of dust and micro-aspiration will be executed.

Bodhisattva Guanyin

Restored thanks to the generosity of the Illinois Chapter

The Bodhisattva Guanyin of the Ethnological Museum can be traced back to the XVIII Century, during the Qianlong (1736-1796) period and was finally acquired by the Vatican Museums Collection in 1935. It is made from colour treated wood and sculpted to be in a standing position. The figure is dressed in the traditional clothes of the Bodhisattva, and her hair is combed and decorated with a lotus flower, which symbolizes purity. The Guanyin holds a small Buddha (Amithaba) in her right hand. The Guanyin consists of eleven different elements which were assembled together through the use of pins and nails. The entire surface of this wooden sculpture is covered in a double layer of colour: the first is an overall base of white calcite, and the second is the final colourful painting with tempera. The overall condition of this sculpture before the restoration exhibited several fissures on the wooden surface which were threatening the cohesion of the different elements. Due to this some of the small pieces were unfortunately lost, these included: the small pieces of the flower on the ground, portions of the right foot and a few of the fingers of the right hand. In varying sections the colours peeled off the surface and several touches up were executed over the fissures. The restoration process consisted first in an anoxic treatment, which lasted for 25 days, followed by photographic documentation and scientific analysis. The superficial layer of dust was completely removed through the use of soft brushwork, and the chemical cleaning was completed by using Japanese Paper with a combination of 50/50, alcohol and water. The base was reinforced and the layer of coloured tempera was fixed to the surface with acrylic resin acetone. The filling of the fissure was completed with rabbit glue and Bologna chalk. The final step consisted in the touch up of the colours, which was done with Windsor & Newton Watercolours in order to guarantee a reversible restoration.

Japanese armor Kon Kebiki Odoshi Do-Maruo Yoroi Mukashi-Gusoku

Restored thanks to the generosity of of Mr. Robert Wingley, Texas Chapter

This wonderful Japanese armor Kon Kebiki Odoshi Do-Maruo Yoroi Mukashi-Gusoku is an excellent reproduction of a set of armor from the XII – XIII century. Reproductions like this one are very rare and few examples of this type of armor exist in the world. Two of them (inv. no. 206-207) are located in the Vatican Museums and were donated to Pope Pius XI (1922-1939) in 1925 for the Universal Exhibition. These sets of armor were manufactured using ancient Japanese techniques (3000-4000 years old). This is clearly seen by the high quality of the materials and the meticulous attention to the smallest detail. The equipment is composed by eight different parts: helmet, neck sabre, war mask, corset, armlet, cuisses, shin-guards, shoes, and shoulder-plates. All these pieces were highly affected by iron oxidation, erosion and spots. The fabrics were ruined and stained. The leather was dehydrated and the wooden elements, split. The first step of the restoration focused on pesticide treatment. All the elements were placed in transparent pillow-shaped bags that were inflated with ozone, and deprived of oxygen. This treatment allowed the restorers to get rid of all the insects. Afterwards, the restorers removed the oxidation and corrosion from the armor using chemical treatments or by sanding the surface lightly. The fabric was separated and dry cleaned. Eventually, the wooden parts were also removed and consolidated. Stitching was redone where necessary and the various points of attaching different materials together was fortified individually. The restoration was completed with photographic documentation and summary.

Primary Intervention on the Preservation of 13 Seventeenth Century KAKEMONOS donated by the Japan Diocese of Osaka to the Missionary Ethnological Museum in the Vaticaan (13 magnificent processional banners) 13 Seventeenth Century KAKEMONOS : Conservative restoration completed in July 2005.

Restored thanks to the generosity of Illinois Chapter

TWO BRONZE MIRRORS FROM THE TANG EPOCH

Restored thanks to the generosity of the Portugal Chapter

These two mirrors are made of bronze before the epoch when mirrors were made of glass. They have reliefs on the back worked in rosewood.  These mirrors are believed to be a wedding gift.  They were donated by the Russian prince, Dolgorukoff, to Pope Pius XII in 1934, who then placed them in the Missionary Ethnological Museum.