Use of Bacterial Cellulose in the Restoration of Creased Chinese Xuan Paper

Abstract

Creases and folds in Chinese paintings and calligraphies scrolls are hard to avoid during the handling in storage and exhibitions. The creases are usually reinforced with paper strips in the conservation treatment. However, adhering the paper strips will create unwanted secondary creases along the joining edge on the painting scrolls after repeated openings and rolling. This study proposes a new consolidant, bacteria cellulose (BC), for the conservation of creased Chinese painting scrolls. Different tests have been carried out and the results show that BC is a better approach than the traditional paper strip reinforcement method. The method not only has an excellent effect on conserving the creased artwork on Xuan-paper aesthetically but also improves its physical properties.

Keywords: Bacterial cellulose, crease, Xuan paper, Restoration, consolidant