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

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.48 no.1
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• pp.4-23
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• 2015

In the Buddhist paintings of the four devas, there is a change in the paper material of V aisravana(多聞天) in the early Joseon Dynasty. Until Goryeo Dynasty, Damuncheonwang, who holds a tower(塔) on the right side of Buddha was changed to the form which holds a mandolin(琵琶) in the early Joseon Dynasty. This change was first checked in Byeonsangdo in the Yuan period "The Avatamska Sutra(大方廣佛華嚴經, 1330~1336)", however the actual paper material change in the Buddhist painting is found first as a mural at the Tibetan temples, Cheolbangsa(哲蚌寺), Odunsa(吳屯寺), Baekgeosa(白居寺), which showed the change of tower which Vaisravaṇa held into mongoose. In Joseon Dynasty, also, new distribution of the four devas appeared first, which showed the change of paper material in the first floor roof-stones of Wongaksaji sipcheung seoktap, . However, the position of the four devas which held a tower and a mandolin consistently appear in the Buddhist paintings in the early Joseon Dynasty by mixing on the left and the right. This means the possibility that the paper material and the position of the four devas might be flexible in the early Joseon Dynasty. Just like reflecting this, painting image of the four devas in illustration of "saddharma-pundari-ka-$s{\bar{u}}tra$(Ming 1432, National Museum of Korea)" and illustration of "Jebulsejonyeorae-bosaljonjamyeongching-gagok(제불세존여래 보살존자명칭가곡, 1417)" has opposite position from each other. Therefore, the phenomenon in the Buddhist paintings of the early Joseon had a transitional characteristic which did not secure the fixed form of painting image by illustration of two copies where paper materials of the four devas were different, which characteristic can be said to be the characteristic of art in the transitional period.

• 보존과학연구
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• s.29
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• pp.65-90
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• 2008

This study examines the status and the physical features of Paraloid B-72 layers with examination of microstructure and analysis of organic matters. Paraloid B-72 layers were coated on samples from the colour layer of outer wall painting in Mireuk hall in Geumsan temple. On the basis of the previous examination result, it has made the samples which are similar to outer wall in Mireuk hall in Geumsan temple. The samples can be divided into two, one; 5% Paraloid B-72 coating and another is without coating. Then samples have been experimented under the compulsive environments of infrared radiation and immersion, thereafter compared the results of the damages and physical features between two samples. As a result of the comparison, the sample with Paraloid B-72 had more serious cracks, exfoliations and peeling layers than that of without Paraloid B-72. Otherwise, in the examination of ultraviolet radiation, the sample with Paraloid B-72 coating showed weaker physical properties, less density in structure of colour layer and less hardness in surface of colour layer than the sample without coating. The percentage of moisture content after the ultraviolet radiation was higher in the sample without Paraloid B-72 than the sample with Paraloid B-72 coating. Observing the conditions before the ultraviolet radiation, the sample with Paraloid B-72 coating demonstrated lower rate in moisture evaporation rate than the sample without Paraloid B-72. As a consequence, in examination of this samples, the change of physical features are increased in the sample with Paraloid B-72 coating than that without Paraloid B-72 when compulsive environment of heat, moisture and ultraviolet rays for a short term are imposed.

• Korean Institute of Interior Design Journal
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.228-235
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• 2011

The 卍 shape which is used as an aesthetical feature for traditional architecture can be seen in the stair railings of the house shaped ceramic potteries in the Eastern Han dynasty(A.D. 25-220) but with the introduction of Buddhism, it has been widely used for the decoration of the sarira(small crystals of the cremated monks) case. After the shape was seen in the Yungang and Dunhwang grottoes mural paintings, the use of it has been expanded. In Korea during the excavation of the Gyeongju Anapji which was the Eastern palace of the Shilla dynasty, a 卍 shaped wood which had been used as a handrail was found and this shape was also used in the railings of the Shilsangsa Baekjangarn temple stone pagoda and lantern and in the sarira case excavated in the Songrimsa temple stone pagoda. In Japan, the Nara period(A.D. 710-794) when there were many cultural exchanges with the Korean peninsula, the handrails of the 2ndfloor of the main hall of Hoyu-ji temple has a 卍 shape. This can be confirmed that this shape has been widely used as a design in Asian Buddhist architecture. Gilsangoonhae(吉祥雲海) which is the symbolic meaning of this shape means for long life and luck which had been used generally for the window designs of temples, palaces, and houses. In this study, it is giving the definition the beginning and the symbolic meaning of the 卍 shape which is being used from the ancient times until nowadays and the change of this shape used for window designs.

• Journal of Conservation Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.445-458
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• 2010

The deterioration and structural damage such as exfoliation, cracks, and separation of painted layer on the wall paintings of Maitreya Hall in Geumsan-sa temple have been accelerated since it was re-positioned to the original place after the dismantling from the building in 1993. The examination of which result and analysis described in this study, is a preliminary survey for establishing conservation plan of the wall paintings. It aimed at the understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of the materials applied in the 1993 conservation. The research focused on the south walls which displayed the worst condition compared to other walls. Samples for the examination for the understanding of micro-structure, chemical composition, cristalisation, and particle distribution, were collected for finishing, middle, and consolidated layers of the walls between pillars and the ones between brackets. Those samples were collected from separated fragments of the walls. The sample analysis displayed that: 1. the 1993 conservation used the similar type of weathered soil as the original for the finishing layer, and such soil and sand for the middle layer; 2. those walls are composed of a group of mineral particles which are relatively equal in size and shape and in their distribution; 3. the mineral particles were cohered forming solid aggregate due to the application of acrylic resin for the reinforcement on the wall. The main composition of crystalisation on the first and the second reinforcement layers of the back walls were lime plaster ($CaSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$). The overall examination confirmed that the priority of the future conservation treatment should be given to the removal of the first and the second layers of reinforcement and the treatment on the back walls which were partially consolidated.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.64-87
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• 2020

Copper trihydroxychloride (atacamite, botallackite, paratacamite, etc.), the first green pigment used in Mogao Grotto's mural paintings of China, has been known as "copper green", "green salt", and "salt green", etc. and has been used as an important green pigment with malachite. At first, the natural mineral atacamite was employed, but after the Five Dynasties (907~960 CE), synthetic copper trihydroxychloride was primarily used. In Chinese literature, copper green, green salt, and salt green are recorded as being made via reaction with copper powder, Gwangmyeongyeom (natural sodium chloride), and Yosa (natural ammonium chloride), and the prepared material was analyzed to be copper trihydroxychloride. Copper trihydroxychloride pigment was not found in paintings prior to the Joseon Dynasty (1392~1910 CE) in Korea. In analysis of the green pigments used in paintings and the architectural paintworks in the Joseon Dynasty, copper trihydroxychloride was also shown to have been used as an important green pigment with malachite (Seokrok). In particular, the proportion of copper trihydroxychloride use was high in Buddhist paintings, shamanic paintings, and dancheongs (decorative coloring on wooden buildings). Some of these turned out to be synthetic copper trihydroxychloride, but it is unclear whether the rest of them are synthetic or natural pigments due to a lack of analyzed data. From literature and painting analyses, the pigment name of copper trihydroxychloride in the Joseon Dynasty turns out to be Hayeob, a dark green pigment. It is believed to have first been prepared by learning from China in the early Joseon period (early 15^th century) and its use continued until the late 19^th century with imported Chinese pigment. Round or oval particles with a dark core of copper trihydroxychloride which were used in Chinese literature were similar to the synthetic copper trihydroxychloride pigments used in the Joseon Dynasty and Chinese paintings. Therefore, the synthetic copper trihydroxychloride pigments of Korea and China are believed to have been prepared in a similar way.

• MISULJARYO - National Museum of Korea Art Journal
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• v.98
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• pp.226-241
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• 2020

Located on the right side of the third floor of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the "Art of Central Asia" exhibition boasts the world's finest collection of artworks and artifacts from the Silk Road. Every item in the collection has been classified by region, and many of them were collected in the early twentieth century through archaeological surveys led by Russia's Pyotr Kozlov, Mikhail Berezovsky, and Sergey Oldenburg. Some of these artifacts have been presented around the world through special exhibitions held in Germany, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan, and elsewhere. The fruits of Russia's Silk Road expeditions were also on full display in the 2008 exhibition The Caves of One Thousand Buddhas - Russian Expeditions on the Silk Route on the Occasion of 190 Years of the Asiatic Museum, held at the Hermitage Museum. Published in 2018 by the Shanghai Chinese Classics Publishing House in collaboration with the Hermitage Museum, Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia introduces the Hermitage's collection of artifacts from the Kuche (or Kucha) region. While the book focuses exclusively on artifacts excavated from the Kuche area, it also includes valuable on-site photos and sketches from the Russian expeditions, thus helping to enhance readers' overall understanding of the characteristics of Kuche art within the Buddhist art of Central Asia. The book was compiled by Dr. Kira Samosyuk, senior curator of the Oriental Department of the Hermitage Museum, who also wrote the main article and the artifact descriptions. Dr. Samosyuk is an internationally renowned scholar of Central Asian Buddhist art, with a particular expertise in the art of Khara-Khoto and Xi-yu. In her article "The Art of the Kuche Buddhist Temples," Dr. Samosyuk provides an overview of Russia's Silk Road expeditions, before introducing the historical development of Kuche in the Buddhist era and the aspects of Buddhism transmitted to Kuche. She describes the murals and clay sculptures in the Buddhist grottoes, giving important details on their themes and issues with estimating their dates, and also explains how the temples operated as places of worship. In conclusion, Dr. Samosyuk argues that the Kuche region, while continuously engaging with various peoples in China and the nomadic world, developed its own independent Buddhist culture incorporating elements of Gandara, Hellenistic, Persian, and Chinese art and culture. Finally, she states that the culture of the Kuche region had a profound influence not only on the Tarim Basin, but also on the Buddhist grottoes of Dunhuang and the central region of China. A considerable portion of Dr. Samosyuk's article addresses efforts to estimate the date of the grottoes in the Kuche region. After citing various scholars' views on the dates of the murals, she argues that the Kizil grottoes likely began prior to the fifth century, which is at least 100 years earlier than most current estimates. This conclusion is reached by comparing the iconography of the armor depicted in the murals with related materials excavated from the surrounding area (such as items of Sogdian art). However, efforts to date the Buddhist grottoes of Kuche must take many factors into consideration, such as the geological characteristics of the caves, the themes and styles of the Buddhist paintings, the types of pigments used, and the clothing, hairstyles, and ornamentation of the depicted figures. Moreover, such interdisciplinary data must be studied within the context of Kuche's relations with nearby cultures. Scientific methods such as radiocarbon dating could also be applied for supplementary materials. The preface of Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia reveals that the catalog is the first volume covering the Hermitage Museum's collection of Kuche art, and that the next volume in the series will cover a large collection of mural fragments that were taken from Berlin during World War II. For many years, the whereabouts of these mural fragments were unknown to both the public and academia, but after restoration, the fragments were recently re-introduced to the public as part of the museum's permanent exhibition. We look forward to the next publication that focuses on these mural fragments, and also to future catalogs introducing the artifacts of Turpan and Khotan. Currently, fragments of the murals from the Kuche grottoes are scattered among various countries, including Russia, Germany, and Korea. With the publication of this catalog, it seems like an opportune time to publish a comprehensive catalog on the murals of the Kuche region, which represent a compelling mixture of East-West culture that reflects the overall characteristics of the region. A catalog that includes both the remaining murals of the Kizil grottoes and the fragments from different parts of the world could greatly enhance our understanding of the murals' original state. Such a book would hopefully include a more detailed and interdisciplinary discussion of the artifacts and murals, including scientific analyses of the pigments and other materials from the perspective of conservation science. With the ongoing rapid development in western China, the grotto murals are facing a serious crisis related to climate change and overcrowding in the oasis city of Xinjiang. To overcome this challenge, the cultural communities of China and other countries that possess advanced technology for conservation and restoration must begin working together to protect and restore the murals of the Silk Road grottoes. Moreover, centers for conservation science should be established to foster human resources and collect information. Compiling the data of Russian expeditions related to the grottoes of Kuche (among the results of Western archaeological surveys of the Silk Road in the early twentieth century), Kuche Art Relics Collected in Russia represents an important contribution to research on Kuche's Buddhist art and the Silk Road, which will only be enhanced by a future volume introducing the mural fragments from Germany. As the new authoritative source for academic research on the artworks and artifacts of the Kuche region, the book also lays the groundwork for new directions for future studies on the Silk Road. Finally, the book is also quite significant for employing a new editing system that improves its academic clarity and convenience. In conclusion, Dr. Kira Samosyuk, who planned the publication, deserves tremendous praise for taking the research of Silk Road art to new heights.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.40
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• pp.243-270
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• 2007

Linked pearls pattern expressed on textiles have no limited scale or shape when manufacturing, so they are free in expression. And from the design, material, and color we can analogize the social culture of that age. Oriental linked pearls pattern was started from the Sasanian Persia and introduced through the Silk Road, so it is closely connected with the East and the West culture. This study will consider from the 5th century to the 10th century; the mural costume of the West Central Asia, the ancient textiles excavated from the Sinjiang and Qinghai area of China, and the linked pearls pattern which are collected at Shosoin, Japan. And from this study, will concentrate on clarifying the linked pearls pattern's condition of the cultural exchange between the East and the West and it's structural variation process. The design of linked pearls pattern delivered to the East through the Silk Road is differed by area. For example, in the Western Pamir Plateau, where the ancient Sogdians mainly lived, the excavated linked pearls pattern's subject were deer or cassowary variated from the West Asian motif. But the ones excavated from Kucha Xingang had Chinese motifs added so they showed Chinese characters or Buddhist Bodhisattva image instead of Helios. Like this, the appearance of new patterns, which were accompanied by structural variations, gradually deviated from the standardized pattern of the Sasanian Persia. And this structural variation process has relations with the construction and arrangement method of various patterns of the after ages. The foliated floral Spray, which is placed at the lozenge space of linked pearls' space, had developed into ogival - shaped pattern (Neunghwamun). And the prevalence of geometrical structure pattern after the 10th century and the unfolding method of Tapjamun which is arranging unit pattern in order, are similar to the linked pearl pattern. In brief, linked pearls pattern accompanied by technical improvement let us understand the polished artistic code from its expression, and has importance in showing universal pattern beyond region and culture.