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Conservation: copper paint deterioration

Green, copper-based paint has destroyed its fabric backing in this Southeast Asian painting from the Doris Duke Collection. See how conservators are patching all the green areas of the painting. Learn more about art conservation at the Asian Art Museum's Conservation Center. Created by Asian Art Museum.

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Video transcript

this painting has a very deteriorated green paint that green paint is made with a copper pigment and the copper pigment has actually eaten through the fabric so if you look here you're seeing the back of the painting and this is what every area of green all has shattered completely into a million tiny little pieces but it's amazing it was like quite many fragments remain between the paint paintings and among public so as i dismantled an open strory story i discovered Oh piece oh just goes back this chicken fact that we have actually collected the pieces Shiho has connected each one with a little tiny band aid of Japanese tissue like this put on with a very small amount of adhesive that's very loose so it will in fact give way it's not meant to last it's a gyrating but we are using and it's just to Washington and try to cheer week and we cook this to prepare as adhesive my purpose was to make the temporary walking time as short as possible it's pretty time sensitive treatment from the moment those band-aids go on she's got about three days he has actually taken Japanese tissue and painted it to match and each area is being traced out so when we look at it the green will at least be green it won't be a different color