11 Nov -22 Nov 2019 │The Palace Museum, Beijing
Ceramics and glass have long served the everyday needs of mankind, reflecting themselves as products of human intelligence as well as cultural connotations of time. Despite being durable and chemically inert, these objects are fragile, brittle and can be rather unstable due to various factors not limited to unfavourable environmental conditions, manufacturing defects and mishandling. Stepping shortly into the third decade of the 21st century when technological development is advancing fast, conservators can now gain a deeper insight into the science of ceramic and glass conservation, and explore novel conservation approaches from unconventional perspectives in the long-term care of these conventional materials.
Led by distinguished specialists and academics, the 5th IIC-ITCC workshop co-organised by IIC and the Palace Museum in November 2019 will focus on the theme of ceramic and glass conservation. It will be an intensive, 12-day theory-cum practical workshop for 24 mid-career conservation practitioners, bringing relevant issues from ethics, strategies, preventive measures, scientific analysis, interventive treatments to technological advancement into the limelight, with a view to addressing the operational needs and unprecedented challenges as faced by ceramic and glass conservators today.
Methodology
Beginning with an overview to address prevailing practices on preventive conservation and non-destructive analysis, the workshop will be followed by thematic sessions combining lectures, case studies, demonstrations, group discussions and hands-on work in the Palace Museum’s new purpose-equipped ‘Hospital for Conservation’ to examine various types of ceramic and glass materials and associated conservation problems amidst the latest trend, recent advances and current best practices in ceramic and glass conservation. In addition, participants will be able to draw on the extensive studies of the comprehensive ceramic and glass collections in the Palace Museum. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be able to develop a thorough understanding on the key principles and themes in the conservation of ceramic and glass, which are essential to the formulation and execution of appropriate conservation strategies in the management of their ceramic and glass collections at their home institutions.