Light levels for Japanese lacquerware

Mark Aronson <mark.aronson [at] yale__edu> writes

>Can anyone recommend appropriate light levels for Japanese
>Lacquerware?  Is the material especially sensitive to uv filtered
>daylight?

At the Vancouver AIC meeting in 1987 a Ms. Marianne Webb, Decorative
Arts Conservator for the Royal Ontario Museum, gave a paper in the
Objects Group titled "Light Degradation and Care of Oriental
Lacquerware."  The abstract describes observations regarding surface
solubility which lead to experimentation to affirm that prolonged
exposure to UV light alters the solubility of oriental lacquer,
leaving it susceptible to damage by water and by ethanol even before
visible deterioration has occurred.   In her abstract she recommends
a maximum of 50 lux, UV shielded of course. Hope this is helpful,

Kory Berrett
Berrett Conservation Studio

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:35
                 Distributed: Saturday, October 5, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-35-002
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