• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.7
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• pp.3-10
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• 2006

The bronze bowl with lid excavated from Eunnyeongchong Tumulus in Gyeongju had been united in the past and then damaged. We removed deteriorated adhesive and other impurities from it and reunited it. Some fragments of the artifact has been lost; in particular, only half of the whole main body remains. Therefore, it needed restoration treatment for exhibition and conservation. The lid, relatively much part of which remains, was treated with the method that could easily detach the restored part; the main body with much restored part was united using epoxy resin so that the restored part could well bear the weight of the artifact.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.319-331
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• 2018

The collection of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea, features a sansu folding screen that was created in 1940 to commemorate the sixtieth birthday of Soseok Kang Jin-Koo. It was created by six oriental painters, who were among the ten best painters in that era. The folding screen has been previously repaired and restored; however, owing to damage such as twisting of its wooden frame, abrasion, and moisture stains, rigorous conservation treatment is required. Hence, scientific research was conducted to analyze the textile, paper and pigments employed while creating the folding screen, to identify the associated material properties. Results showed that the textile used in the screen's picture and janghwang comprise synthetic fibers and natural fibers such as cotton and silk. Various types of papers were used in the folding screen, such as those from mulberry, herbaceous, and coniferous fibers. Furthermore, calcite deposits were found on the base of every picture, and certain colors employed by the artists appear to be produced from different pigments.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.19
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• pp.69-82
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• 2018

The gilt-bronze standing Buddha and bronze standing Buddha statues excavated from Yeongguksa Temple in Yeongdong, currently held in the collection of the Cheongju National Museum, underwent conservation treatment after scientific study. Materials analysis showed that the gilt-bronze statue was made with a ternary alloy of copper, tin, and lead, while the bronze statue is of a binary alloy of copper and tin. The analysis also revealed that the bronze statue contains gold, and it is therefore recommended to change its description to gilt-bronze standing Buddha. The gilt-bronze statue appears to have been made with lead produced in Korea. The material observed on the surface that is presumed to have been used as an adhesive for the gold coloring is thought to be lacquer. For conservation treatment, the statues were minimally cleaned using physical and chemical methods and were treated through consolidation and protective coating.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.518-527
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• 2019

This investion studies the manufacturing techniques of chimi(ridge-end roof tiles based on the) fragments excavated from the Wonju Beopcheonsa temple site(Historic site No. 466) and aids in the conservation of the fragments. The results of the investigation are categorized into the production of the body parts, the wing and the feather attachment, the production of the decorative parts, the scratches in the upper and lower part, the perforations connecting the upper and lower parts, and the formative features(bending phenomenon). The procedures in the conservation treatment of the chimi was performed in a sequential order beginning with a preliminary examination, followed by the removal of foreign substances, coating, joining and restoration, and color retouching. A three-dimensional scanning data was employed to restore the missing parts after adhesion to determine the location, size, and angle of the original shape. The restored chimi measures 118 cm in height and weighs 121 kg, which makes it the fifth largest in size among any chimi(including restored) in Korea. We expect that the pointed feathers will make the chimi from the Beopcheonsa temple site a rare reference as no specimens with these features have been found in Korea until now.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.494-507
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• 2019

A diagnostic investigation of the conservation state of damaged murals of the Payathonzu temple mainly indicated delamination, exfoliation, and contamination of the coloring layer; cracks and damage to the wall; and separation from gaps. In particular, vulnerabilities resulting from cracks in the wall and damage from gaps demand swift reinforcement measures. Ultrasonic testing uncovered damage caused by gaps between the base layer and plastered wall in several areas of the mural, vulnerable parts in the wall around the cracks, and considerable degradation of the physical properties where cracks and gaps were severe. Moisture measurements identified vast disparities in moisture depending on location even within a single area of the mural, and it was clear that these disparities were the result of environmental conditions such as humidity. Damage to the murals in monument 477 was the most severe, and a diagnostic of the physical properties uncovered severe physical damage to the upper part of the mural as well as to the corridor ceiling, thus presenting the need for conservation treatment utilizing scientific diagnosis as well as objective data.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.22
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• pp.53-68
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• 2019

Two lime-soil mixture barrier tombs were excavated from the tomb complex of the Woo Family of the Danyang Wu clan dating to the Joseon dynasty in Godeung-dong, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do. Relevant records offer information for more precisely dating these tombs and identifying their occupants. Tomb No. 4, in which a married couple was interred, has a corbeled square ceiling and inscriptions and paintings on its outer walls. The conservation treatment and an infrared inspection revealed that they were intended to express mourning. Tomb No. 6 has a corbeled rectangular ceiling and a single individual interred within. As the basic structure of the tomb was partially damaged in the process of disassembling it while moving the burial site, it was planned to exhibit the tomb outdoors after the remains and relics are collected. However, as the conservation treatment revealed the presence of funeral fans and pitch, and since the remaining structure clearly demonstrates the features of lime-soil mixture barrier tombs from the Joseon dynasty, the plan was changed following a meeting of an advisory council that decided in favor of presenting the tomb indoors. According to the analysis, the pitch is assumed to be resin of a rather low purity due to the immixture of foreign substances. The two tombs are expected to serve as important materials for related research, such as changes by period in the forms of Joseon-era tombs.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.34
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• pp.50-61
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• 2013

The Grave encapsulated by lime soil mixture were excavated with clothing and hemp shoes from the Choseon Dynasty in Gooam, Sacheon. Hemp shoes have wood in the center and their surroundings were made of complex materials including herbaceous ones but the front part was lost or became very fragile. We analyzed the hemp shoes and pre-test of consolidant for conservation treatment of hemp shoes. As a result of analyzing, three kinds of plants were identified. For hemp shoes, Oryza spp, hemp, and one kind of dicotyledones were used and it was analyzed that fabrics attached to the back of Dogaengi was cotton. Conservation methods for pre-test of consolidant, Polyethylene Glycol, Paraloid-B72, Dammar gum, Methyl Cellulose and Silicone resin was selected. The solution was sprayed twice in a 24-hour duration. Properties of consolidant was measured; color difference, glossiness difference, folding streangth and tensile streangth. By comparing the results, PEG was confirmed to the most suitable as consolidant. For the conservation treatment, cleaning and strengthening was conducted. For strengthening treatment, PEG 4000 was selected given that the shoes were made of complex materials. The PEG impregnation method was applied with the PEG 4000 concentration gradually changing from 5% to 80% for reinforcement. Then humidity- controlled drying in order to avoid any rapid environment change.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.30
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• pp.1-22
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• 2023

This study aims to document the conservation treatment of the fine-hemp official headgear housed by the National Museum of Korea, and to reconsider its existing name following the restoration of the original form of the damaged cultural heritage asset. The headgear consists of a single inner frame with a vertical line at the front, a single outer frame surrounding the inner frame, and a double-layered headband that spans the circumference of the wearer's head and joins the inner and the outer frames. This study applied a conservation treatment to the men's undyed hemp headgear of the Joseon Dynasty in order to remove contaminants and foreign substances on the surface and repair the partially deteriorated and damaged fabric, thereby restoring and stabilizing the original shape and preparing it for exhibitions. The hemp headgear was sewed both by hand and with a sewing machine. Although its overall composition and style are similar to the same type of official headgear from the Joseon Dynasty, the use of a sewing machine supports the assumption that it was produced in the early 1900s. This study identified similarities between the overall composition and shape of the fully-preserved hemp official headgear and those of the jangbogwan, a type of men's official headgear worn by Confucian scholars as part of their everyday attire, and compared it with the shape of jangbogwan seen in documentary records, illustrations, prior research, and portraits from the Joseon Dynasty, as well as with the characteristics of extant jangbowan artifacts, eventually concluding that it is appropriate to classify and name the headgear as a jangbogwan.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.323-333
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• 2009

The Jincheonsagongnimaaeyeoraeipsang is a great stone relief Buddha in Goryeo Dynasty, transmitting sculptural styles of the Silla Kingdom. The Buddha was carved on the biotite granite basement, and was undergone cleaning treatment in 2007. The basement rock was opened in plenty cracks bringing out structural instability. And the top of the basement rock was colonized by trees obstructing sunshine and raising humidity. As a result of failure analysis, the basement rock of the Buddha had a major possibility of wedge failure in the parts of the face, hands and cloths. Therefore, the cracks were filled up with epoxy resin L-50, and titanium bars and wire ropes were applied to bind cracked rock blocks. The surface of the crack filler was colored by granite and talc powder with inorganic pigment and L-30. The crack meters were installed on the stone relief Buddha to monitor further behavior, lastly.

• Conservation Science in Museum
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• v.29
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• pp.33-46
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• 2023

Modern and contemporary cultural assets are defined as a collective term for tangible historical and cultural assets produced in the modern and contemporary period (around the opening of Joseon to the present) in Korea. Among them, rickshaws have been used as a major means of transportation for about 40 years since the opening of the ports in Joseon. The repair process for rickshaws divides the rickshaw into three parts, namely the body, the cover, and the wheels, applying a plaster treatment process by referring to the outcomes of the condition assessment and material analysis for the metal, wood, fiber, and paint used. Overall, the repair process is carried out through dry/wet cleaning, joining, stabilization, reinforcement of damaged parts, and other restoration treatments, which reveal metal decorations and patterns on the scaffolding (flowers, arabesque patterns, etc.) that were previously not observable with the naked eye, while also adding to the stability of the artifact. In addition, props were produced to ensure the artifact's safe exhibition.