Evolving methodologies: the conservation of ancient bronzes in China and Italy

Abstract

The purpose of this project is to trace the changes in conservation of ancient bronze objects that have historically been rare in archaeological record because of the metal’s inherent value. There is record of art conservation in Italy starting as early as the Italian Renaissance when aristocratic families like the Medici began collecting ancient Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art and artifacts. In China, the earliest discoveries and conservation of their ancient bronzes occur during antiquity. The treatment processes and practices of conservation have been influenced by social, political, and economic changes in the respective regions as well as scientific developments in the conservation field. The study of these evolutions by means of case studies will help define and illustrate the state of conservation in China and Italy. I will examine the similarities and differences of conservation techniques within these regions since antiquity. Keywords: Art History, Chemistry, Italian Studies, Ancient Italy, Ancient China, Bronze, Conservation, Greek, Etruscan, Roman, Imperial China, Italian Renaissance