National Museum of Asian Art

Dates: Tuesday, December 2nd OR Thursday, Dec 4th 

Location: Online - see your e-mail for details

Website: https://asia-archive.si.edu/

This week we are talking to the National Museum of Asian Art about how artifacts are preserved! It falls under the umbrella of the Smithsonian Institution. You can visit their website here: https://asia.si.edu/

Let’s quickly review the background of the Smithsonian, before we take a look at some of the excellent resources the Museum has provided for us about art conservation. 

The Smithsonian 

So how did THE Smithsonian get its start? We owe it all to a man named James Smithson, who died in 1829. James was the illegitimate son of a wealthy Englishman who actually never even visited America! For reasons that aren’t entirely clear, Smithson left the entirety of his estate, a half million dollars, to the United States government. He dictated that his gift be used to establish an institution dedicated to knowledge gathering and learning. Though it would take until 1846 for the Senate to pass an act to organize the institution, its legacy continues to inspire and impact generations.

To read more about the Smithsonian’s history, you can check out their retrospective on 175 years here: https://www.si.edu/175

The Smithsonian is now the largest museum, education, and research complex in the world, with 21 museums, the National Zoo, and 9 research facilities! Check out the list of museums that make up the complex:

Don’t worry, I am using the above as a sort of checklist to try to virtually visit them all! Let me know which one you want me to try next!

Our docent this week has provided us with a number of resources to explore for the week!

To read about the Museum’s recent blog posts about conservation, check out the museum blog here:

You can check out a second post here: https://asia-archive.si.edu/category/conservation/

And now for some videos! 

Start with this 4 minute video that introduces the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research:

And last, but certainly not least, a short (50 minute) documentary about Chinese painting conservation in the U.S.: 

Happy watching and be sure to tune in this week to hear from a docent about the important work of conservation and preservation!