{"id":14925,"date":"2016-06-12T10:39:51","date_gmt":"2016-06-12T15:39:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/?p=14925"},"modified":"2016-06-12T10:39:51","modified_gmt":"2016-06-12T15:39:51","slug":"joint-44th-aic-annual-meeting-and-42nd-cac-accr-annual-conference-workshops-saturday-may-14-2016-identification-of-east-asian-papers-for-conservation-by-nancy-jacobi-and-megumi-mizumura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/2016\/06\/12\/joint-44th-aic-annual-meeting-and-42nd-cac-accr-annual-conference-workshops-saturday-may-14-2016-identification-of-east-asian-papers-for-conservation-by-nancy-jacobi-and-megumi-mizumura\/","title":{"rendered":"Joint 44th AIC Annual Meeting and 42nd CAC-ACCR Annual Conference&#8211;Workshops, Saturday May 14, 2016, &quot;Identification of East Asian Papers for Conservation&quot; by Nancy Jacobi and Megumi Mizumura"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\"> When I saw the \u201cIdentification of East Asian Paper for Conservation\u201d workshop, I began to review what I knew about the subject and decided I could benefit from further education on the matter. I signed up for the workshop hoping to become more confident in my understanding of East Asian papers and I was not disappointed. Besides, what is more exciting than dedicating three hours to talking about paper?<\/span><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14927\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14927\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_17_37_27_Pro-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14927 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_17_37_27_Pro-1-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"Paper sampler given to workshop participants.\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14927\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paper sampler given to workshop participants.<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The <em>aim of this workshop<\/em> was to help participants recognize the characteristics that denote paper quality to aid them in selecting good quality East Asian papers that meet conservation standards.<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Presentations<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Megumi Mizumura, a paper conservator at The British Museum, presented first. In addition to providing historical context for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean papermaking, she went into great detail about the Japanese papermaking process.\u00a0Mizumura\u2019s presentation illustrated how different steps of the papermaking process may affect paper quality.<\/span><br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14928\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14928\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_14_33_39_Pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14928 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_14_33_39_Pro-300x216.jpg\" alt=\"Slide from Mizumura's presentation: 'Various Alkalies for Cooking Kozo.'\" width=\"300\" height=\"216\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14928\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Slide from Mizumura&#8217;s presentation: &#8216;Various Alkalies for Cooking Kozo.&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u00a0She revealed that some papers thought to be of good quality by conservators may actually be poor quality due to changes in fiber furnish and manufacturing processes. The fiber furnish may be a blend of low grade, cheap kozo from Thailand, wood pulp, or other plant fibers. (Thai kozo is the lowest grade kozo because it grows quickly causing the fibers to be less flexible and contain oils that are difficult to remove during the cooking process.) Aggressive chemical steps to quickly cook fibers and bleach pulp are also detrimental to papers, decreasing stability of the fibers after aging. Mizumura highlighted some important details for conservators to be cognizant of when selecting papers:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">the source of the kozo fiber&#8211;Japan, China, Thailand, or Paraguay<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">preparation of the fibers&#8211;the degree of detail used to separate bark layers when preparing the fibers, hand-beaten or machine-beaten<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">alkaline cooking processes used to prepare the fibers&#8211;wood ash, slaked lime, soda ash, or caustic soda<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">bleaching processes&#8211;no bleaching, natural bleaching with sunlight, or chemical bleaching with chlorine based bleaches or hydrogen peroxide<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">method of manufacture&#8211;handmade or machine made<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">drying methods&#8211;wooden boards, stainless steel plates, or metal rollers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Possible additives&#8211;sizing, fillers, dyes<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Mizumura\u2019s presentation provided conservators with a foundation for making better informed selections of papers for treatment.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14929\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14929\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_14_34_15_Pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14929 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160607_14_34_15_Pro-300x212.jpg\" alt=\"Slide from Mizumura's presentation: 'Factors to Consider When Choosing Japanese Paper.'\" width=\"300\" height=\"212\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14929\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Slide from Mizumura&#8217;s presentation: &#8216;Factors to Consider When Choosing Japanese Paper.&#8217;<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nancy Jacobi, head of The Japanese Paper Place (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.japanesepaperplace.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">http:\/\/www.japanesepaperplace.com\/<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">), followed Mizumura\u2019s presentation expanding upon Japanese papermaking. She emphasized the beauty of a well made sheet of paper and the endangered nature of the papermaking profession in Japan. Jacobi then discussed the introduction of East Asian papers to the West and their uses by artists and, later, conservators. She shared two recurring degradation issues observed during her work at Cape Dorset, Canada in identifying Japanese papers used for relief prints by the Inuit since the 1950s. Jacobi noted oil stains in the supports caused by oils leaching out of the fibers which is characteristic of Thai kozo. She also observed pervasive, small foxing spots in papers caused by the use of uncoated metal dryers to quickly dry finished sheets of paper. Jacobi\u2019s observations reiterated the dangers of not knowing materials, and manufacturing processes of East Asian papers used for conservation. The changes in paper quality may be a reflection of the pressure on the dwindling number of papermakers to meet high demands for East Asian papers. Takao Moriki, third generation president of the Moriki Paper Company (<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/morikipaper.co.jp\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">http:\/\/morikipaper.co.jp\/<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">), was also present and supported the workshop material with knowledge of the subject gained from personal experience and research of these materials.<\/span><br \/>\n<strong>Paper Identification Exercise<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">During the hands-on portion of the workshop, we put our knowledge of East Asian papers and observation skills to the test. Using the sample books received for the workshop, we examined several samples at a time. Jacobi prompted our observations with questions requiring us to differentiate between some of the following characteristics:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">quality <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">fiber furnishes<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\">fiber preparation<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">cooking or bleaching processes used\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">drying methods used<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">handmade or machine made papers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">additives<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Once we had done our best to distinguish the various characteristics of our samples, we checked our answers against the key provided. The answer key contained\u00a0a detailed break down of the papers listing the name, the region it was from, fiber furnish with fiber origin and percentages for fiber blends, machine made or handmade, fiber preparation, cooking process, bleaching, drying methods, additives, weight, and original sheet dimensions. The workshop organizers also brought their study collection with many other samples of East Asian papers for us to examine in addition to those in our sample books. Additionally, discussions related to experiences in using East Asian\u00a0papers were cultivated amongst workshop participants.<\/span><br \/>\nBelow are images of some of the papers in our sample books that I find really interesting.<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14931\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14931\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_33_50_Pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14931 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_33_50_Pro-300x185.jpg\" alt=\"5-A Kurotani #4 from Kyoto: handmade, japanese kozo, soda ash cooking, no bleaching, dried on stainless steel sheet. 5-B Okawara from EhimeL handmade, Thai kozo, caustic soda cooking, chlorine bleaching, dried on stainless steel sheets.\" width=\"300\" height=\"185\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14931\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">5-A Kurotani #4 from Kyoto handmade\u00a0with\u00a0Japanese kozo, not bleached<br \/> 5-B Okawara from Ehime handmade\u00a0with\u00a0Thai kozo, bleached<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14951\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14951\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_39_30_Pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14951 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_39_30_Pro-e1465741903603-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"8-C Kaji Natural from Ehime: Hand made, thai kozo 90% and wood pulp 10%, caustic soda cooking, chlorine bleaching, direct synthetic dye, and stainless steel sheet drying. 8-D Matsuo Kozo from Fukuoka: handmade, japanese kozo, caustic soda cooking, chlorine bleaching, direct synthetic dye, and stainless steel sheet drying.\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14951\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">8-C Kaji Natural from Ehime\u00a0handmade with blended fibers and synthetic dye<br \/> 8-D Matsuo Kozo from Fukuoka handmade with kozo and synthetic dye<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<figure id=\"attachment_14952\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14952\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_43_10_Pro.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-14952 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/www.conservators-converse.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/06\/WP_20160610_16_43_10_Pro-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"3-A Sekishu Mare from Shimane (UNESCO grade): handmade, Japanese kozo, hand beaten, soda ash cooking, no bleaching, dried on wooden boards. 11-C Xuan paper made at Red Star--tan tree and rice straw fiber, grade is special bark made, Mian Lian (thinnest paper thickness) used for caligraphy 11-A Hanji made in Korea with kozo fibers\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" \/><\/a><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-14952\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">3-A Sekishu Mare from Shimane (UNESCO grade) handmade with japanese kozo fibers<br \/> 11-C Xuan paper made at Red Star with tan tree and rice straw fiber<br \/> 11-A Hanji made in Korea with kozo fibers<\/figcaption><\/figure><br \/>\n&nbsp;<br \/>\n<strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p>This workshop raises awareness for the necessity of thoroughly understanding the materials used for conservation treatments. The hands-on exercise was a good challenge and essential for learning the characteristics that mark\u00a0good quality paper. The workshop provided a good foundation and clear direction for conservators to work towards mastering the identification of East Asian papers.<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The information I learned through this workshop will be very useful for guiding my decisions when selecting papers in the future. I truly appreciated the organizers\u2019 passion for East Asian papers. It was a pleasure to peruse the additional samples in the study collection while talking about paper with all workshop participants.<\/span><br \/>\n&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When I saw the \u201cIdentification of East Asian Paper for Conservation\u201d workshop, I began to review what I knew about the subject and decided I could benefit from further education on the matter. I signed up for the workshop hoping to become more confident in my understanding of East Asian papers and I was not &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/2016\/06\/12\/joint-44th-aic-annual-meeting-and-42nd-cac-accr-annual-conference-workshops-saturday-may-14-2016-identification-of-east-asian-papers-for-conservation-by-nancy-jacobi-and-megumi-mizumura\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Joint 44th AIC Annual Meeting and 42nd CAC-ACCR Annual Conference&#8211;Workshops, Saturday May 14, 2016, &quot;Identification of East Asian Papers for Conservation&quot; by Nancy Jacobi and Megumi Mizumura&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":281,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,5,20],"tags":[76],"class_list":["post-14925","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-annual-meeting","category-ccs","category-reception","tag-aics-44th-annual-meeting"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/281"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14925\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/resources.culturalheritage.org\/conservators-converse\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}