Question WWII Era Japanese Silk

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k2500guy

CGF, Certified Grumble Framer
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North Chesterfield, VA
A customer brought in 2 WWII era Japanese silk pieces today. I'm not sure exactly what you call it. The image is what I would call embroidery on a thin silk black cloth. It is about 20" x 42" and has a brown paper backing that extends out beyond the silk.

They have been rolled up in their attic for about the last 50 years or more. The silk image part is not in too bad a shape, but the paper backing is deteriorating badly and flaking all over the place. I told them I would do some research and get back to them. I have not taken the job yet, or quoted a price for framing.

My thoughts were that I should consult a conservator, first of all to determine if these have any significant value. I really have no idea, but judging by the shape they're in, I would really doubt it. Obviously if they are, I'm not gonna mess with it. But if not, I would at least like to get some recommendations as to how to mount it.

Do any of you have any idea what this thing is and how it should be handled? Are there any conservators here on the grumble that could advise me? Or could you recommend someone I should talk to? I haven't as yet been able to find anyone in my area. I've looked in the PPFA directory and couldn't find anyone near me. Maybe because I not sure what you call this. I'm in Richmond, VA area. Maybe call the local Museum of Fine Arts?
 
How is the paper connected to the back of the silk? Is it stitched through the embroidery? Maybe it was supposed to be a stiffening agent - modern stitchers use all sorts of materials to thicken thin fabric nowadays.

Or is it fastened around the edges? Or fastened at all?

I just finished a 28x55 embroidery on heavy silk from WWI - no sign of any paper on the back at all - and in nearly perfect shape after hanging from thumbtacks and staples on a piece of wood for many decades.
 
No, it is not stitched through the paper. It appears to have been stitched and then applied to the paper with some sort of adhesive. For the most part, it is still intact, but there are a few spots where the paper has torn off the back.

Also, around the edges, there is a border (or what used to be a border) applied on top. This looks like some kind of printed decorative paper that was adhered to the top. The customer is not concerned with preserving that. That part really looks bad, but I think it is keeping it from unraveling. We would hide that under the mat.
 
Did you try the American Institute for Conservation "Find a Conservator" list? I don't know if it shows in the PPFA directory or you can definitely try asking at the museum, they might be able to tell you the best place to start contacting.....different for US, than it is over here in Canada.
This will take you to the AIC site: http://www.conservation-us.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=495
 
Yeah, I tried that, but no one within 100 miles.
 
Why don't you post some photos. I'm working on some Chinese embroidery/paintings right now that sound similar to yours but photos would be useful.

Best,

Rebecca
 
Here are some photos of the front and back. As you can see in one of the photos, it looks like the paper backing is moldy in places. I'm thinking in the shape this is in, it couldn't possibly be of significant value. Could I just mayble stitch it in a few places to a backing board, put it in a frame and be done with it? The outer borders that look really terrible would be hidden by the matting.
 

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Ah, thank you. Yes, it is generally similar to what I'm dealing with now.

If they are ok with how it looks, you can just hinge it (it's backed with paper and starch paste anyway) and, as you say, cover the borders with matting. You can give the back a light brush and/or clean with grated art gum eraser to remove any loose mold. You can also use Artcare for the backmat to absorb any volatiles that the art might release.

If they want it flat and stretched, that would require humidification and either rebacking with Japanese paper and wheat starch paste, or stretch drying with continuous perimeter hinges also of Japanese paper and wheat starch paste, either option is something a paper conservator could do.
 
I've told them that I probably can't get it flat and they're OK with that. I wouldn't want to try and do any kind of stretching because I'm afraid it might be too fragile. I did talk to one conservator today and explained the situation to them. They indicated that it would be a big job to restore it (and expensive) so unless the thing would be very valuable that doesn't really seem to make sense. They also told me that introducing any kind of moisture to the backing probably wasn't a good idea. I'm no appraiser, but I can't believe these could possibly be very valuable just because they're old. The customer really just wants to frame it and put it on the wall. Actually, I think it will look pretty good when framed.

Do you think I should hinge it? I was concerned that eventually the backing that I attach the hinge to might tear and come loose. What do you think about stitching it in a few places? I might also lift the mats up 1/8" in order to keep it from touching the glass where it ripples. What do you think about that?
 
That sounds like a reasonable approach to me. I would cover the whole existing border with a silk mat. Make it narrow on the sides and wide at the top and bottom for scroll-like proportions maybe.
:cool: Rick
 
In your photos it looks like the silk has shredded on the border. That, the deteriorated paper, and the mold hint that this item may have been exposed to a destructive environment.

If the silk is very fragile, especially considering its size, it may not be able to support its own weight under hinges. This may be a good candidate for an overlay mount using Crepeline, Tetex, or acrylic (not glass). If you search for other threads abount "overlay mounting" you should be able to get all the details you need.
 
From the pictures of the reverse it looks like it has been backed with a Japanese type paper and paste (likely wheat or rice starch). And even though the silk on front may be fragile (especially from the looks of it the border), the backing paper would in all likelyhood be quite strong enough to support hinges, especially if they weren't applied to areas where the edges are damaged; the weight would be distributed more than if it were stitched.

However since you are going to be covering the edges anyway, you don't need hinges at all, you could hold everything in place with edge strips (Japanese paper or Mylar) and cover with the matting. Having a raised mat is also a good idea.

The humidification and stretching flat isn't that complicated a job for a paper conservator who has had experience with these types of works, (I'm on the West Coast and they are fairly common here) but if the 3D creases don't bother the client it is a moot point : )
 
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