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Glass-Bead Room. Panel Paintings from the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum 8 December 2010 an exhibition The Glass-Bead Room. Panel Paintings from the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum featuring a unique restoration project implemented in the Laboratory for Scientific Restoration of Fabrics of the State Hermitage was held at the Winter Palace (Halls 169-173). The exhibition is organized by the State Hermitage in association with the Peterhof State Reserve-Museum. Glass-bead panel paintings were transferred for restoration from the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum to the State Hermitage in September 2009. A Restoration Commission headed by G. Vilinbakhov, deputy director of the State Hermitage for research was set up; the commission comprised: S. Adaksina, chief guardian of the State Hermitage, T. Baranova, head of the Department of Scientific Restoration and Preservation of the State Hermitage; M. Denisova, head of the Laboratory for Scientific Restoration of Fabrics of the State Hermitage; E. Kalnitskaya, director general of the Peterhof State Reserve-Museum; T. Nosovich, chief guardian of the Peterhof State Reserve-Museum; N. Bakhareva, head of the Oranienbaum subsidiary of the Peterhof State Reserve-Museum; S. Simkina, head of the Department of Decorative Applied Art of the State Inspectorate for Protection of Monuments, and others. Upon the commencement of works all embroidered glass-bead panel paintings were severely soiled, deformed, with signs of mould and leaks. Glass-bead threads were loosened, hanging down, and broken in some places. There were numerous drops of glass beads by edges. Chenille embroidery was covered with coarse paint coatings all over the surface. There was a dense layer of paint forming a stiff cracked crust and almost closing the original velvety surface of the embroidery, which distorted the color gamut of panel paintings. In some places threads of the embroidery were badly worn out, the chenille’s velvety fleece lost, the base of threads thinned, threads stretched. In places of severe thinning and thread loss the canvas, as the base of embroidery, also coated in paint, was visible. There were numerous breaks and holes of nails, stains of rust along the entire perimeter at the edges of the canvas. A flax lining of each panel painting was also badly soiled and deformed, broken in some places, infected with mould fungi spores. The lining canvas shows signs of old repairs: threads for fixing glass-beads, additional embroidery with chenille and woolen threads made at different times. Once test cleaning and a full examination of the panel painting were carried out by artists-restorers and employees of the Biological Control Laboratory and the Department of Scientific-Technical Expert Examination of the State Hermitage, a restoration procedure was set out. Restoration works, which took place for one year, included several stages, with biological, chemical and technology research being conducted. Analysis of obtained data revealed that the items were severely infected with mould fungi spores. Research was made in respect of the contents of bonding materials and pigments, as well as stains and glued parts on the reverse side of the embroidery. Results of research confirmed the possibility and necessity of water cleaning of panel paintings. It was necessary to soften and remove the coarse paint coatings from the velvety surface of the embroidery and the dense layer of soiling from the overall surface of panel paintings, as well as soften and partially remove glued parts from the reverse side. Once each panel painting was cleaned, it was duplicated onto a new canvas, following which the longest restoration stage, reinforcing the embroidery, was started. First, all weak places of the embroidery base were reinforced. Special attention was given to the most damaged edges of panel paintings. Then scarce and dropping glass-beads were reinforced consistent with the embroidery pattern. Chenille threads all over the embroidery surface were reinforced by silk threads in accordance with the embroidery color. Original chenille threads used in the embroidery differ not only in colors but also in structure. The fleece consists of silk fibres and chenille base threads vary from silk to flax and even to copper wire. As the chenille fleece was lost in many places and only a thread’s core, usually consisting of several fibres of contrast color, was preserved, to reinforce the preserved embroidery threads, the silk, color-matched and color-twisted as needed, was used. Following the restoration and preservation, all twelve panel paintings were cleaned of the dense layer of soiling and mould. Cleaning and removing old paint coatings helped the embroidery to reappear in the original color gamut and reveal its fine pattern. Chenille’s velvet threads and glass-beads have been reinforced. Loss of glass-beads was recovered in strict compliance with the original technique. Restoration works were conducted with the support of Gazprom Transgaz Saint Petersburg, OJSC and were carried out in the Laboratory for Scientific Restoration of Fabrics of the State Hermitage (M. Denisova, head of the Laboratory; artists-restorers G. Fedorova, L. Loginova, T. Grunina-Shkvarok, M. Tikhonova, A. Shapran). Following the completion of restoration works at the Chinese Palace, the walls of the Glass-Bead Room will be again adorned with unique glass-bead panel paintings. In November 2010 The Glass-Bead Room. Panel Paintings from the Chinese Palace in Oranienbaum was awarded the special Sautov Prize for Restoration in the nomination The Best Restoration Project of the Museum Olympus Award established by the Interagency Museum Council and the Government of St Petersburg. An illustrated catalog has been prepared in connection with the exhibition detailing the progress of restoration works issued by the Editorial-Publishing Department of the State Hermitage. |
 At the ceremony of the opening
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© Государственный Эрмитаж,
2009. |
