• KOMUNHWA
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• no.93
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• pp.153-184
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• 2019

The Yunggimuntogi(Treasure No. 597) has been known to be recovered at Yeongseondong Shell Mounds, Busan in 1933 during the Japanese colonial period. This artifact is characterized by a short spout attached to one side of the mouth rim as well as a V-shaped clay stripe on the upper body part, which is the only earthenware designated as national cultural heritage from the prehistoric period. In order to prepare for the earthquakes that have recently become more frequent, this study has precisely diagnosed the conservation status and stabilized the artifact through scientific conservation treatment. As a result of the precise diagnosis of the preservation status, cracks and losses were observed in the spout, the mouth rim, and the base. In some portion of the raised pattern decorations, loss of fine pieces raised concerns over the secondary damage. The C·T image analysis has shown that the earthenware had been once glued and restored from dozens of broken pieces. From the sites restored in the past, the peeling of surface colored layer and the fine cracks between the restoration material and the earthenware clay were observed due to the aging of the restoration material. Furthermore, the inherent color and texture of the earthenware was altered by excessive color matching. The damaged and restored sites were concentrated on the left side, the rear side, and the right side. The damages were more severe on the base than the body portion. In the past, gypsum(CaSO4) had been mainly used as restoration material, and synthetic resin had been partially used for joining and reinforcing the pieces. On the surface of the restoration sites, it is presumed that lead chromate(PbCrO4) yellow modern pigment was used for color matching. The precise diagnosis has revealed that the restoration material in the past has been stabilized by interlocking with the earthenware clay for a long time. Therefore, in this conservation treatment, the coloring layer of the excessively painted surface was washed to recover the original color and texture of the earthenware, and the physically vulnerable parts of the sites restored in the past were mainly targeted for joining and restoration. The conservation treatment has proceeded in the order of cleaning, joining and restoration, and color matching, and materials and methods suitable for the artifacts were selected and applied through a preliminary experiment. The survey on conservation status before the treatment as well as the conservation treatment process have been systematically recorded and documented to provide basic data for further continuous conservation and maintenance by collecting institutions.