Taiwan Today

Restoration efforts return treasured artifacts to their former glory, preserving them for future generations.

Handling priceless artifacts would be a daunting prospect for most people, but it is an everyday occurrence for 53-year-old Hung Sun-hsin (洪順興‬). During his 17 years as a conservator at Taipei City-headquartered National Palace Museum (NPM), he has repaired and restored hundreds of calligraphy and painting works.

“I’m thrilled to get a firsthand look at our national treasures,” Hung said. “Though the profession can be quite challenging, it gives me immense joy and satisfaction to play a role in preserving our cultural heritage.” As a conservator, his goal is to restore a piece of art to its original appearance and expand the work’s lifespan by preventing further degradation, a tricky task demanding great care.

“Training to become a professional conservator takes at least 10 years as the job requires highly technical skills and multidisciplinary knowledge of art, science and technology,” Hung said. “One needs to understand the properties of different materials and techniques used by artists, study the causes of deterioration and figure out the best restoration methods.”

Hung is part of NPM’s remedial conservation task force, the only one of its kind hosted by a museum in Taiwan. With its diverse collection of historically significant works, NPM is responsible for safeguarding many of humanity’s irreplaceable treasures, said Yen Su-fen (岩素芬), director of the museum’s Department of Registration and Conservation. In total, NPM manages a collection of nearly 700,000 antiquities ranging from books, calligraphy, handscrolls and paintings to bronzes, ceramics, embroidery, jade and lacquerware. The items span some 7,000 years of history, dating from the Neolithic period to the Qing dynasty (1644-1911).

The task force improves the condition of these works by addressing deterioration and stabilizing physical structure. For Hung, this means repairing insect damage, paint loss, tears and weakened canvas. Meanwhile, conservators must document treatments with photographs and written notes. These records, Hung added, are essential for helping the next generation of talent continue preservation efforts while remaining faithful to the creator’s original intentions.

According to Yen, the team operates by the principle that restoration treatments should be discernible from the original and not permanently alter the item. “We’re glad to stand at the forefront of modern conservation practices in the museum sector with a team of in-house specialists committed to preserving the integrity and inherent value of original works of art,” Yen added.

Industry Expansion

Over the years, art conservation has become increasingly important to auction houses, cultural authorities, foundations, galleries and private collectors. “We’ve seen an increase in demand for restoration of antique and contemporary works as well as family heirlooms like photos of ancestors and genealogy archives,” said Li I-cheng (李益成‬), director of the Conservation Center at Cheng Shiu University (CSU) in southern Taiwan’s Kaohsiung City.

Items of cultural, historical or personal significance often require regular maintenance due to environmental factors, human use and natural aging. CSU’s center has undergone expansion in facilities, manpower and service scope since commencing operations in 2005 to meet this broader range of conservation needs. Outfitted with advanced imaging equipment capable of infrared reflectography, ultraviolet illumination and X-radiography, it is now the largest such facility in Asia.

“We endeavor to use nondestructive methods to gather information about an artwork’s features invisible to the human eye like its internal composition and any underdrawing or pentimenti,” Li said. “These discoveries help our conservators make better condition assessments prior to developing treatment options.”

Li believes technological innovations are central to the evolution of art restoration. For this reason, his team strives to research and develop new tools and materials in cooperation with the university’s engineering departments. A number of the center’s inventions—including canvas stretcher frames, cleaning agents and oil painting scanners—have been granted patents and won top awards in international competitions.

CSU has received widespread recognition for its high-quality restoration services, with branch offices in Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. Among the numerous collectors and public and private institutions the center serves at home and abroad are prominent patrons like British auction house Christie’s and Taipei-based Chen Cheng-Po Cultural Foundation, the latter of which honors one of Taiwan’s first Western-style painters and an iconic figure in the country’s art history.

According to Li, his center additionally strives to promote public awareness of art conservation and restoration through interactive activities, exhibitions, lectures and seminars. “It’s great to see more attention given to the protection of cultural assets around the world,” he said. “With our long-term experience, rich talent pool and technical know-how, we’re confident in growing our business and making a name for ourselves and our country in this highly specialized field.”

Future Prospects

The demand for art restoration has likewise increased the need for qualified professionals. Cognizant of the growing market, CSU recently established the Institute of Creative Cultural Design and Art Preservation Techniques, which began offering master’s courses in art conservation and restoration in 2019. Other tertiary institutions in Taiwan are also busy cultivating the next generation of specialists to join the dedicated teams of experts at NPM, CSU and similar organizations.

One of the most comprehensive training programs in the country is run by the Graduate Institute of Conservation of Cultural Relics and Museology, set up in 1999 at Tainan National University of the Arts (TNNUA) in the southern Taiwan city. Its three-year master’s program boasts an in-depth study plan comprised of lectures, workshops, field trips and internships. “In a way, conservators are like doctors who work to assess conditions, diagnose problems and determine treatment on a case-by-case basis,” said Tsai Fei-wen (蔡斐文), a professor at the TNNUA institute. “Our instruction therefore emphasizes hands-on training to better prepare students for joining the workforce after graduation.”

The institute’s core curriculum encompasses a broad range of subjects, including chemistry, biodeterioration management, materials science and microscopic analysis. Also on offer are specialty courses in the traditional techniques of book binding, gilding, mounting, painting, printmaking and woodcarving.

Coursework is supplemented by a mandatory semesterlong internship, which students can complete at a number of domestic and foreign institutions. Options include NPM, National Museum of Taiwan History in Tainan and National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts in the central city of Taichung, as well as Germanisches National Museum in Germany, Metropolitan Museum of Art in the U.S. and Rijksmuseum in the Netherlands.

“We require students to take internships to help them get real-world experience and establish valuable contacts,” Tsai said. “It’s also their best chance to test out potential career choices and improve job prospects.” In addition, Tsai and other teachers at the institute are frequently commissioned by government agencies in charge of cultural affairs and local museums to repair damaged artifacts, creating opportunities for students to get involved in the process.

Like Hung at NPM, graduates of conservation programs will be entrusted with the rare opportunity of working directly with human history over the course of their careers. “Not many people get to see original artworks of such aesthetic and historical value up close,” the conservator said. “I feel blessed to be granted this special privilege.” 

Write to Kelly Her at kher@mofa.gov.tw