6 TRADITIONS OF THE JAPANESE MOUNTER

A topic of longstanding interest is the appreciation and adaptation of the materials and techniques used in the workshops of Japanese mounters. The bases of this continued appeal are the integration of materials, tools, and procedures with elegance, versatility, and great applicability to the concerns of Western paper conservators. Cleaning with facings, using fewer adhesives with more understanding of their versatility, multiple linings, stretch drying, and lattice core paper–covered panels for mounts have all found currency. More familiarity has been promoted both by a willingness to share sophisticated observations in publications, conferences, and courses and by increasing Western astuteness.

As important is the recognition, as in the care of Western works, that there is not a monolithic sensibility about the treatment of Asian works. Great variations among practitioners are found in the use of fixatives and moisture, inpainting, and the conservation of accessory elements such as brocades. Developments being generated in the West are also finding favor in Japan, such as the use of suction tables, deacidification agents, and cellulose ether and synthetic resin adhesives.