Guided Tour of IAMM’s Conservation Department - Wed. Dec 7, 2022

Jangan masok tanpa kebenaran /Do not enter without permission.  What is behind the door at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia?  A group of MCG ladies found out on a tour of the Conservation Department, guided by Mr. Zink, the Head Conservator.  Leading us through the doorway, he brought us ‘behind the scenes’ to a large open area where all new museum acquisitions are initially delivered before being prepared for display.  Leading off this is a hallway lined with glass windows allowing visitors to view the conservation work being done inside each of the labs.  The Conservation Department was established with the encouragement of Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in 2002.  Mr. Zink explained that all objects are valuable and can tell a story even if they came from the prehistory period, before writing.  For instance, conservators may not be able to identify the maker of a ceramic piece, but they can tell if the potter was left-handed or right-handed.

Pieces are acquired from dealers abroad and auction houses, being checked against a UNESCO list to ensure that they are not looted or stolen.  Sometimes pieces from areas like Pakistan and Afghanistan are not recorded and may be part of living history.  Once a piece arrives from the airport it is brought to the loading bay where it remains for a few hours to allow it to acclimatize to Malaysia’s heat and humidity, then it progresses to the conservation area.  Before restoration and preservation begins an object is assessed to determine if it is organic or inorganic, as each requires different procedures. 

In the first lab we come to, the organic lab (i.e. paper, textiles, leather, wood, bone, ivory articles) experts are working on paintings, a book and a huge picture frame.  Layers of varnish on the painting are being painstakingly removed without harming the original paint, revealing a much brighter scene.  Varnish discolours over time making paintings appear dark, as does smoke from candles inside churches.  Frequently frames are contemporary with the paintings so there are two factors to use in determining age.  As we watch, two workers are poring over a huge frame stretching from one side of the table to the other, diligently picking at the intricately carved floral motif.  An old book is also visible, with a very narrow margins along the binding and much wider ones on the outside of each page.  Mr. Zink explained that this shows that an older book has been cut up.  The original cover has also been removed.  In the past, gold stamped leather covers would be cut away from books and pages cut out, which were then sold individually fetching double the amount of an intact book and so reconstruction is now necessary.  Just as we have standard paper formats today, such as A3, and A4, in the past there were standard formats for paper made from hand pressed plant material created in Baghdad and Samarkand.  Knowing this, helps in restoring ancient books. Throughout history, people have licked their fingers to turn pages and these wet fingers left smears in the corners which became hard and brittle over time.  Conservators use enzymes to dissolve the smears and preserve the pages.  Preserving textiles is especially challenging.  For instance, Persian pieces involve fine needlework and very fine embroidery.  Every cleaning involves the risk of losing parts of the fabric.  The original stitching styles have to be recreated, as in couching stitches, blanket stitches and back herringbone stitches and so on.

As we move along, the next lab is devoted to inorganic materials (i.e. ceramics, glass, metals, alloys, gemstones) and a suit of chain mail is on display.  It is composed of iron rings attached to buffalo horn panels, which means both organic and inorganic are combined in this item.  The chain mail provided protection from arrows and allowed flexibility.  The panels display gold trim.  All of these materials require different techniques of preservation so the conservation is complicated.  The same applies to a rifle which is made of metal, wood and ivory, each requiring a specialist.  There are some pieces of silver decoration which are peeling off.  Weapons are usually composed of metal which rusts, such as a sword.

The final item Mr. Zink showed us was a massive painting from Tehran done in the 17^th century, showing the faces of 24 sons of an important official.  The painting must have been 10 feet tall by 15 feet wide and it was apparently one of five similar ones.  The museum had acquired it from a dealer in Florida, so it certainly is well travelled.  The faces are hierarchically arranged, with the six faces across the top row displaying more elaborate headdresses, jewelry and clothing compared to the ones across the bottom who were more simply attired.  The family resemblance is obvious throughout all 24 faces.  The painting has suffered damage from being rolled up for storage and transport.  Mr. Zink indicated that the museum has not yet decided where to display this huge artefact, as several factors have to be taken into consideration.  If it is to be hung near doors, the humidity entering the museum each time the doors open has to be assessed.  The amount of light hitting the piece is another factor as are draughts moving through the building.  Mr. Zink observed that conservators have to be able to think like architects. 

The material heritage of Islamic art is constantly affected by environmental conditions that vary all over the world.  None of the artefacts is free from the ravages of time.  It was amazing to learn how much painstaking attention is devoted to each artefact before it is installed in a vitrine for our viewing pleasure.  The work of museum conservators may be hidden, but it is indispensable.  Thank you, Mr. Zink and all your colleagues, world-wide.

Leslie Muri