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Conservation and Restoration Studio of Cultural Properties, Ishikawa Prefecture
Over time, the works of art on display at museums can deteriorate due to damage from a variety of causes. Through careful restoration work to repair this damage, and proper storage, these precious cultural properties have been maintained in their original state.
Ishikawa Prefecture has an incredibly rich traditional culture that has been handed down from generation to generation, stretching back to the Edo era (1603–1868), with numerous fine arts and crafts throughout the prefecture. However, even items that have been passed down to our current generation in good condition may still need restoration. The restoration of fine arts and crafts requires more than just technique; a great deal of related knowledge is also necessary, such as understanding the structure of each item, and the repair techniques used on it, and more. Because of this, it is vital that we research traditional repair work and techniques, and train people to become technical experts, in order to preserve these cultural properties in good condition for future generations.
The Conservation and Restoration Studio of Cultural Properties, Ishikawa Prefecture was established in 1997 at the prefecture’s Dewa-machi Office, as an adjunct facility of the Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Art, to serve as a location for this work. The Studio has taken on repair work requests from both within Ishikawa and from other prefectures, establishing a consistent track record of excellence through the Studio’s work on cultural properties designated by various cities and prefectures, and even the country. In addition, the Studio also works to provide specialized training to the young technical experts who will handle the next generation of this work, teaching them these traditional techniques that must be preserved.
In 2016, the Studio moved to a newly built location next to the Hirosaka Annex, due to the age of the original building. In order to handle restoration work for particularly large cultural properties, the new building features a movable partition wall between the restoration rooms for works of art mounted on paper and silk, as well as lacquer art restoration rooms befitting a prefecture known for lacquer art. This facility will continue to serve as a base within the Hokuriku region for the restoration and preservation of cultural properties nationwide.
Facility Information
- Restoration Studio Observation Area
- Restoration Studio Observation Area
Visitors can watch through a window and see restoration work underway in the restoration rooms for mountings and for lacquer art, or use a touchscreen display to watch videos of fine restoration work.
- 談話室
- Mounting Restoration Rooms
Used for work related to kake-jiku hanging scrolls, byobu folding screens, old documents, and other related items. The two rooms are separated by a movable partition wall that can be opened for restoration work on particularly large items.
- Mounting Restoration Rooms
- Lacquer Art Restoration Rooms
Used for work related to lacquer art. The room in back is used for finishing work that requires particularly careful attention.
Facility Visits
| Hours | 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (Admission only up to 4:30 pm) |
|---|---|
| Closed | New year holidays |
※Facility may be closed on other dates due to special events, etc. If you plan to visit, please check beforehand if the facility will be open.
Please note that there may not be any artisans at work on some days.
Requests for Cultural Property Restoration
The Conservation and Restoration Studio of Cultural Properties handles the restoration of the following types of cultural properties:
- Cultural properties designated by the country, a prefecture, a city, etc.
- Cultural properties belonging to public organizations
- Cultural properties, etc. that are part of museum collections
- Other cultural properties similar to the types shown above, as considered necessary by the steering committee of the Conservation and Restoration Studio of Cultural Properties, Ishikawa Prefecture