Position at British Museum

Conservator - Japanese Paintings
Conservation and Scientific Research
British Museum

Full time, Permanent

UKP29,689 per annum
Application Deadline:  11 June 2015

The Department of Conservation and Scientific Research is looking to
recruit a senior Conservator who will be an authority on Japanese
scroll-mounting at the British Museum and who will contribute to the
care and conservation of the British Museum's collection of Eastern
Pictorial Art on paper and silk.

Key areas of responsibility:

    To be the leading expert in the conservation and mounting of
    Japanese scrolls in the Hirayama Studio--the only studio of its
    kind in Europe

    To contribute to permanent and temporary exhibitions, loans,
    storage projects and curatorial/conservation and scientific
    research of Japanese paintings

    To be instrumental in the development of the work programme and
    to work effectively with conservators from Japan, as part of the
    collaborative project between the British Museum and the
    Association for Conservation of National Treasures of Japan

    To lead regular liaison with the National Treasures status
    conservation studios in Japan as well as counterpart studios in
    the West

    To build and maintain contacts with specialist makers and
    suppliers of materials in Japan and to arrange purchases to
    maintain studio stocks

    To evaluate the suitability of objects for display and loans (in
    collaboration with curatorial staff) and to develop appropriate
    conservation programmes

Person Specification: The successful candidate will command peer
respect in the scroll-mounting community; have extensive experience
of hands-on conservation of Japanese paintings including hanging
scrolls, hand scrolls and folding screens on paper and silk.  They
will have a recognised professional qualification or equivalent in
the conservation of Japanese scrolls, at the shunin or experienced
gishi level.  They will have a working knowledge of the history and
properties of materials used for East Asian Art and a full
understanding of the principles, concepts and techniques of East
Asian painting conservation.  The post requires good communication
skills including proficiency in both written and spoken English and
Japanese, the ability to work as part of a team and proficiency in
Windows-based programmes, and Photoshop.  Evidence of workflow
planning and contributions to professional workshops, conferences,
and journals is also essential for the role.

About the British Museum: Founded in 1753, the British Museum's
remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history
and culture.  With over 6.5 million visitors in 2014, the Museum is
the top visitor attraction in the UK, and its world-famous
collection includes the Rosetta Stone, the Parthenon sculptures, and
Egyptian mummies, the Admonitions Scroll, and the Amaravati
sculptures.  About the Hirayama Studio: Opened in 1994, the Hirayama
Studio was funded by generous donations from Professor Ikuo Hirayama
and the Five Cities Dealers Association of Japan.  It is the
preeminent studio specifically dedicated to the conservation of East
Asian paintings in Europe.  Work in the studio is based on a
combination of traditional Asian scroll mounting and best practice
in general art on paper and silk conservation.

About the Japanese painting collection at the British Museum: The
collection of Japanese paintings in the Department of Asia is the
most comprehensive in Europe, comprising some 5,000 works in all
traditional formats and dating from all historical periods.  These
are regularly rotated in displays in the Museum's Mitsubishi
Corporation Japanese Galleries and made available for study in the
Museum and for loan in the UK and around the world.

The Museum is an equal opportunity employer, supports a diverse
workplace and offers a competitive benefits package including:

    Membership of the civil service pension scheme

    Free entry to a wide range of museums and exhibitions

    Participation in private and public Museum activities, including
    talks by leading curators from around the world and
    behind-the-scenes opportunities to learn how museums care for
    and manage their extraordinary collections

    Generous annual leave allowance

    Interest-free season ticket loan

    Child care voucher scheme

    Professional and personal development opportunities

    Employee Assistance Programme

    Discounts on food and gift shop purchases

    Opportunity to work with different Japanese collections,
    organisations and foundations

If you are a positive individual, passionate about the Museum and
would like to know more about this exciting opportunity, please
visit

    <URL:https://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/jobs.aspx>

for further information and details on how to apply.

Caroline Allen
HR Advisor
Human Resources
The British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
+44 20 7323 8759

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 28:48
                   Distributed: Friday, May 15, 2015
                       Message Id: cdl-28-48-017
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