• Journal of Conservation Science
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.295-310
• /
• 2010

Since wall paintings in Maitreya Hall of Geumsan-sa temple had displayed a serious state of damage and deterioration, a detailed examination such as structural analysis of the wall, cause of damage, and the state of deterioration have been thoroughly conducted before the conservation treatment has commenced. The most seriously deteriorated part of the wall paintings was the south wall of the building in particular in its painted and surface layer. The painted layer had formed its own layer of thick, which has been separation from the surface layer. As such problem developed the whole surface layer has been separated from the wall. The problem has been caused by two reasons: 1. the heavy weight of the roof section and it caused cracks and damage on the wall; 2. the loss of function of consolidating material and it caused discolouring and the separation of surface layer from the wall. The cause of damage on the painted and surface layers can be assumed in two ways: 1. its surrounding environment such as the change of temperature and humidity level and ultraviolet rays ; 2. the loss of mechanical function of consolidating material, synthetic resin which had been applied in the past conservation treatment. The separation of layers from the wall and cracks was caused by the mistake in choosing an applicable consolidating material and dismantling technique which had ignored a different characteristic of the wall painting of Korean buddhist temples.