Brennan-Textiles-Asi

National Identities and Global Links: Conserving Asian Textiles In Situ Julia M. Brennan Since 2000, I have worked in Thailand and Bhutan Traditional storage methods such as baskets, clay pots preserving textiles and teaching textile conservation to and open shelving expose vulnerable organic cloths local museum teams, monks and private collectors. It to insects, rodents and dramatic climate conditions. has been an enormous honor to partner with colleagues The yearly monsoon season and year-round humidity in an effort to extend the lives of important historic create a climate ripe for mold, mildew, dye bleeding, textiles and keep living textile traditions alive. The real and fading. In Bhutan, high mountain winds, dust, conservation story is the impact of textile work and or the proximity of burning butter lamps and incense related encounters in these countries and contexts as destroy many textiles. While these conditions cannot be awareness grows of the need to preserve indigenous completely mitigated, there are low impact and cost- textile history across Asia. Over the years, I have con- effective methods for minimizing the damage and loss. served numerous Asian textiles in country, which entails The introduction of better practices and safer storage some very different strategies than conservation in my materials (especially those that are locally sourced) can studio. Two threads of the much broader story of pres- initiate a sea change in practices. ervation tell the tale: 1) the comprehensive treatment of The first step in contributing to the long-term a Buddhist canopy in order to maintain its use as part of conservation of textiles is the opportunity to teach and a living practice; and 2) the conservation of a Thai royal share conservation knowledge with other like-minded and honorific robe repatriated and serving as testament colleagues. This begins with a dialogue with the owners of continued diplomatic relations. These threads and to determine their intentions for the use or role of the others have underpinned the development of some textile and their commitment to preservation. Under- basic guidelines for the care of textiles to provide collec- standing religious tenets such as a prohibition of killing tors and caretakers with useful tips. any sentient beings will shape the course of treatment While traditional textiles are used and even greatly and insect mitigation. Compromises due to availability revered in these countries, “western” and scientifically of materials and cultural traditions can be creatively met based conservation methods are not widely known or with sustainable solutions, as I have learned, even if practiced. Due to the organic nature of textiles, many they are not always the ones I expected. simply do not survive the conditions and daily use. The Ladri of the Mountain Monastery Bhutan The conservation of a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century altar canopy, or ladri, in Bhutan is the story of maintaining a functional piece of culture and its use as part of a living practice of Buddhism. This is not just piece of cloth, but the manifestation of a living belief system. It is part of the history of the mountain monastery and its temple, and had hung by its four corners for many years, absorbing the smoke from the ceaselessly burning incense and butter lamps. Like many textiles in Bhutan, it is evidence of the long established Chinese and Indian trade routes transiting these mountains, and as well the continuity of Buddhist The ___________ Monastery. practice in Bhutan since the eighth century. Pilgrims, 12 MAY 2013, VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 Textiles Asia Deinstalling the ladri in the monastery. Textiles Asia MAY 2013, VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 13 rich merchants and Chinese dignitaries bestowed textile family and the culture ministry recognized the need for gifts upon many monasteries, where they were used preservation of this textile. Permission to work in the to create monk and statuary robes, alter cloths and monastery, enter the sacristy, and undertake an invasive canopies, and frame the devotional thankga paintings. and non-reversible treatment of the canopy was secured This ladri is a composite construction of both imported through the resident Head Lama, his superiors, and and local textiles: the front central panel is a large Bhutan’s Textile Museum director and curator. A series two-pieced silk kossu, or tapestry weave, of Chinese of discussions about the textile, its history and future origin depicting two vertical dragons with cranes below, use, and testing of dyes and threads to define possible mounted with borders of Chinese silk brocade, which treatment options, built trust and determined the course have been repaired and added to with newer floral of work. The most radical decision was to wet clean it, patterned cotton. The flounces or outer ruffle is zhari which in turn required transporting the canopy to the marsel, a Bhutanese block printed yellow and orange textile lab in Thimphu, the capital city. Critical to the silk. The kossu and borders are backed with Bhutanese project’s oversight and success was the participation of striped cotton. Measuring about 70”x 95”, it’s condition four monks in the actual treatment. This insured a level was poor. The kossu was black with soot and smoke; of oversight and safety, as well providing training for pre- the weave and images of dragons and cranes obscured. cisely those monk “caretakers” who are on the “front There were large holes and tears in the silk tapestry lines” of preventative care. due to the weight of hanging and accumulation of dirt The ladri was carefully taken down and vacuumed and particulates (crud) in the “hammock” of the canopy. through protective nylon screening to remove a lot of The silk block-printed flounce around the edges, while the dust and dirt. It was photographed in situ while perhaps a later replacement, was blackened and frag- hanging, and then flat, front and back. For transport, it mentary. was rolled onto a 3” wide pvc plastic plumbing pipe, in- The chief Lama and other participants from the royal terleaved with muslin, and wrapped in plastic. Then the Couching down tears and holes to secure edges. Reverse side of ladri with repair support patches on reverse. Hand stitching the protective netting before wet cleaning. Reattaching the silk brocade border. 14 MAY 2013, VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 Textiles Asia Group wet cleaning the ladri. epic conservation journey began: monks carried it down presented something of a logistical challenge in Bhutan. the mountain path to the road head, and from there, a There is no hot water heater in Bhutan large enough to truck ferried it and the monk caretakers into the city. support the cleaning of such a large textile. Therefore, Cleaning necessitated the disassembly of the water was heated on three outdoor fires in gigantic textile; removal of the flounce, cotton borders, and back- round metal rice pots. This was combined with city ing from the kossu. Extensive documentation in both water from a hose to create warm baths. English and Dzongka, as well as photographs, provided Cleaning took nine hours and nine people, and the a strong foundation for teaching the importance of monks loved it! In fact, everyone made merit in the examination and record keeping. process of preserving this religious textile. (Thank God Once upon a time, the ladri must have been a since the risks are always unknown and I was saying my sensationally techno-colored textile in a dark monastery. Novenas.) It is quite miraculous to watch a blackened When the kossu was released from the backing and the textile become colorful again; the wash water pro- original colors were revealed: unexpectedly brilliant yel- gressing from crud-filled dark brown to tea-colored and lows, oranges, and blues with dynamic cranes in flight finally to clear. It was dried flat outdoors, and fully dried and sparkling metallic gold dragons. indoors with fans, layering cheese cloth on the face to Again, the dyes were tested with two detergents to absorb any residual particulates which could cause tide determine their fastness for wet cleaning. Because of lines. It was the right treatment decision: the textile was the combination of airborne pollutants and greasy sooty much cleaner overall and the silk was soft and pliable. dirt, both Orvus non-ionic detergent and Vulpex Liquid Our team of nine included four monks and five staff Soap were used for sequential cleanings. Due to its from the National Museum and the Textile Museum. We fragility, the entire kossu was sandwiched in nylon net- continued to work together to accomplish the conserva- ting, loosely basted with hand stitching. A wet cleaning tion tasks, one thousand man hours, over ten weeks. tank was built outside and lined with plastic – no interior Stabilization work involved re-sewing of open slits in space with drainage was large enough. To better clean the tapestry with fine Skala polyester thread, and patch the textile, the use of warm water was required. While supports placed behind many of the black silk areas warm water is not an issue in most Western cities, it and metallic gold silk areas which had corroded and Textiles Asia MAY 2013, VOLUME 5, ISSUE 1 15 disintegrated over time. The lining and flounce were wet cleaned separately, blocked, pressed, and repaired using similar techniques of patch supports and hand stitching. Finally, the lining, flounce and kossu were reassembled with hand stitching. The Chief Lama was so pleased with the results that he decided that the ladri would be reserved for use on special religious days only. Thus, the conserved textile was placed into anoxic environment to maintain the humidity at 50% and prevent any insect damage. The ladri was rolled again onto a pvc tube, encapsulated in an anoxic film bag, and purged with nitrogen.

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