Conservation of Detached Wall Paintings from the Bamiyan, Foladi and Mes Aynak Sites

Abstract

This paper reports on the conservation and restoration of wall paintings carried out at the Tokyo National University of the Arts. The examples are of fragments of excavated Buddhist wall paintings from the Bamiyan and Foladi caves, and the Mes Aynak archaeological site in Afghanistan. The restoration of 42 fragments from the Bamiyan and Foladi caves was carried out from 2007 to 2009 [1, 2]. Painted in secco techniques on plasters made of earth and straw, the fragments were in such fragile condition that they were on the verge of disintegration. Inappropriate previous treatments were removed where safe to do so, and treatments were carried out to consolidate both the paint layers and the supporting plasters. For reinforcement, the reverse sides of the fragments were lined with triaxial woven rayon fabric. The frames were designed to enable the fragments to be displayed in museum exhibitions. All the fragments have returned to Afghanistan by 2016. The Mes Aynak archaeological site is an ancient Buddhist city that prospered from the third to the seventh centuries [3]. The Tokyo National University of the Arts restored a fragment of wall painting from the site, which was unearthed in a rescue excavation. Its previous treatment included the application of protective facings on the painting surface with Paraloid B-72, and the reinforcement of the reverse side with mortar, aluminum bars and glass fiber adhered with epoxy resin. These problematic treatments were removed where possible. The fragment was then provided with a frame of similar design to those made for the Bamiyan and Foladi fragments.