Abstract:
Eleven Shrines were originally set up at the rear hall of the Ancestral Worship Hall in the Forbidden City, now dismantled into pieces stacked in the hall. With the progress of the Research and Conservation Program of the Ancestral Worship Hall, the conservation project for the shrines is moving forward to reconstruct the shrines and display as original. The project team conducted comprehensive investigation on the condition of the lacquer surfaces of Shunzhi Shrine, which will be reconstructed firstly, and in-depth research on the lacquer materials and techniques. The results clarify the primary goal of the conservation is to secure the lacquer structure and remove the surface contaminant, revealing the layer stratification and its materials and techniques of the original lacquer in Shunzhi period and the restoration in Daoguang period. It verifies the gilt lacquer technique through the experiment on the restoration of lacquer techniques, building further understanding of the lacquer craftsmanship in early and middle Qing dynasty, and scientific cognition of its value. Taking influencing factors from related aspects into consideration, the conservation strategies and principles were discussed and formulated.