Our team of conservators frequently collaborate, and when a Japanese Butsudan arrived at The Center, broken and placed into three boxes, our Fine Furniture and Objects teams knew they would need to work together to bring this masterpiece back to life.
The Butsudan arriving to The Center.
A Butsudan (sometimes spelled Butudan) is a small shrine, typically found in temples and homes in Japan. A traditional Japanese belief is that the Butsudan is the house of Buddha, Bodhisattva, and deceased relatives and ancestors. The items kept inside are very personal and frequently commemorative, though each sect of Buddhism has its own practices. They are seen as an essential part of life in a traditional Japanese household, though more frequently found in rural villages. They range from simple wooden cabinets holding an icon to the ornate, gilded piece our team carefully unwrapped.
Before receiving treatment.
The verso of the piece before receiving treatment.
Comprised of gilt wood with black and red lacquer, copper ornamented columns, and mother of pearl inlays, it was easy for our team to look past the missing pieces and envision this piece after treatment. It arrived with multiple loose and missing components, with a heavy dust layer covering the roof and recessed carvings. There were abrasions and losses to the gilded surface, and loose roof tiles atop a doorway with a wood split. Fourteen gilt carved pieces had broken free and were sent separately, creating a gold-leafed puzzle for our conservators.
Disassembled during treatment.
First, the piece was cleaned to remove grime and accretions. Loose components were secured using adhesives. To secure the base, our conservators fabricated two plinths as support elements, along with two gilded back panels to replace the missing sections on either side of the central arch.
Next, the miters on the left doorways were stabilized as needed and filled with conservation grade material before being gilded to emulate the surrounding surface as closely as possible. The loose carved and gilded fragments were adhered to their original locations using adhesive, and losses at their connection points were filled and gilded as needed. The loose roof tiles were stabilized, and a new frieze for the upper roof was fabricated from wood and gilded to match, blending seamlessly into the Butsudan as it returned to its original glory.
Disassembled during treatment.
To make sure the finished shrine could be safely transported, stored, and displayed, our conservators handcrafted a custom wooden cabinet at the request of the client. The cabinet was built with no visible latching hardware on its doors to distract from the object, and our conservators built-in elements to secure the object in place. LED lighting was integrated into the design to softly spotlight the Butsudan.
Assembling the cabinet.
The cabinet in progress.
The shrine, still in treatment, placed safely in it’s cabinet.
We were honored to work on this Japanese Butsudan, with a satisfying treatment breathing life into a masterpiece that will be secure for years to come.
The completed cabinet and Butsudan after treatment.
Watch this video of our conservators in action!
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butsudan
https://www.tofugu.com/japan/butsudan/
