Conservation and Restoration of Murals unearthed in Central Asia workshop held

Surveying the status after storing mural pieces

 Since 2008, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, has been working on the conservation and restoration of mural pieces owned by the National Museum of Antiquities, Tajikistan, together with the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography, Academy of Science, Tajikistan. As part of this project, we invited a total of six specialists in conservation and restoration to Tajikistan from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan, and held a workshop at the National Museum from December 5 to10.
 In the ruins of Central Asia, beautiful murals from the 5th to 12th century were discovered, but the number of specialists who can conserve and restore the murals is insufficient, so conservation and restoration activities have been delayed. Also in this area, mural conservation and restoration methods established in the former Soviet Union were widespread, so common problems have occurred, such as color change color of the mural surface due to the deterioration of reinforcement. At the workshop, we asked participants to report on the current status of conservation and restoration of murals in their home countries. We also introduced the new trials that we had performed in Tajikistan, and requested them to actually experience them in their work. We will hereafter hold similar workshops in which Japanese specialists and those at the local site will work together and exchange opinions, aiming to promote conservation and restoration activities for the murals in Central Asia, and improving the conservation and restoration methods thereof.

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