Art piece question

[CWTurner]

Two sets of tiny paintings on some sort of translucent paper (you can see some newspaper, that I have them resting on, through the bottom set). Rice paper would be my guess, but I really have no idea. They are very colorful and appear to be painted, not prints, if that's the right term.

You can see that several of the paintings have holes pushed through them from the back side. A lot of the pieces are still there. I wanted to tape them together before putting them back in their frames, but the acid-free archival tape that I got from Michael's is visible through the translucent paper. Luckily, it was "repositionable" so it was easily removed.

Any B-nutters know about this type of paper or art, and how it would be repaired? I don't know if they have any value, but the quality is such that I don't want to take a chance and foul them up.

Here's an enlargement of one:


Thanks!
CW

 

[StoneCloud]

Nice peices!!!

I wouldn't try to repair them at all, that will end up actually devaluing them. I have some experience with art and antiques.

These are Chinese in origin although not sure of the age. That is hard to tell without seeing them in person or some provenance.

Here is a little info on these:

Brief History Of Chinese Drawings On Pith Paper

Pith seems not to have been adopted for painting until about 1820. Some European museums claim that their paintings on pith (often erroneously called “rice paper” or “mulberry pith”) come from the end of the eighteenth century but there do not seem to be any dateable examples that are so early. There is a record of the Kaiser Franz of Austria buying some albums from an English Consul-General Watts in 1826. We know of an Italian Count who visited Canton in 1828 and had over 350 paintings on pith in his baggage when he died in Ambon two years later. In the British Library there is a scrap-book containing six pith paintings and a journal entry by a serving British officer who sent them home from India in 1829. These examples and contemporary accounts by visitors to Canton suggest that there was a flourishing trade in pith paintings by the early 1830s.

Pith presumably came into use for painting to satisfy the increasing demand for small, inexpensive and easily transported souvenirs, following the massive growth in the China Trade in the first quarter of the nineteenth century. Paintings in oils, on board and canvas were costly and difficult to carry home. Earlier and more prestigious export water-colours had often been on a larger scale and painted on fine Chinese paper or on paper imported from Europe. They may have suited the sea-captains and informed the aristocracy but for the hoi polloy they were too expensive. The albums of pith paintings (and later the little glass-fronted boxes) were inexpensive, light, easy to pack and gave the pictures some protection on the long voyage home. Because many were sold in albums and hence protected from the light, they retain their bright colours to this day. Hanging them in strong light soon gives them that washed-out look.





Here is a link to some that sold ( although I think these are bigger than yours ) :

http://www.archivedauctions.com/s/910841/two-framed-asian-rice-paper/


Hope this helps!!!

 

[GrimLore]

Seems to me that a dry mounting done by professionals would be the answer. This place does fantastic work including restoration. http://simonsboutique.com/?page_id=524 We have spent a bit of cash there on one oil that needed a LOT of work, a print from a museum in Florida, and normal mounts such as College Degrees. Not inexpensive but worth every penny.

Grimmy

 

[CWTurner]

Here is a little info on these:

Thank you @StoneCloud I appreciate you taking the time to enlighten me. Never heard of pith in this context. Very helpful.

Seems to me that a dry mounting done by professionals would be the answer.

And thank you Grimmy. We're not too far apart so I will keep your framer in mind. Dry-mounting seems the way to go if I decide to have this done professionally.

Maybe I will just replace the matting and reframe them as they are. Wabi-Sabi encourages the acceptance of imperfection, which fits in my budget.
CW

 

[StoneCloud]

Anytime, I learned a few things myself!

 

[kakejiku]

Seems to me that a dry mounting done by professionals would be the answer. This place does fantastic work including restoration. http://simonsboutique.com/?page_id=524 We have spent a bit of cash there on one oil that needed a LOT of work, a print from a museum in Florida, and normal mounts such as College Degrees. Not inexpensive but worth every penny.

Grimmy

If it is on mulberry pith, there are many different types. In Japanese one is called Ganpi. Because of delicate nature very difficult to mount properly wet, but not impossible. Chemical washes can remove foxing and other problems.
But as a warning, most dry mounting processes are not approved, as they are permanent, and can not be undone without destroying the work....If items are not valuable, it would not be a bad idea to mount them dry.

 

[CWTurner]

Thank you for your input kakejiku.
CW

 

[Random User]

I like them... call me crazy, but I think it would be interesting to have them duplicated (in some form) and used as designs for the back of playing cards... of course, they'd never replace your coveted vintage Playboy deck from the 1970's, but might be a little more appropriate when the in-laws come over for a game of whist on Saturday night.

 

[CWTurner]

They are almost exactly the size of playing cards!
CW

 

[kakejiku]

That size easy to wet mount. Question is whether the ink will bleed in the process. Test by taking a very small section of "rice paper" (not part of the artwork), wet it and rub it gently on one of the colors...Especially red. If there is transfer then you either have to apply nijimi tome spray or dousa eki on those sections so the paint does not run in the hada urauchi process. If you want a quote for mounting separate with just Hada Urauchi, or applying them to a byoubu etc....send me a pm.

 

[Random User]

That size easy to wet mount. Question is whether the ink will bleed in the process. Test by taking a very small section of "rice paper" (not part of the artwork), wet it and rub it gently on one of the colors...Especially red. If there is transfer then you either have to apply nijimi tome spray or dousa eki on those sections so the paint does not run in the hada urauchi process. If you want a quote for mounting separate with just Hada Urauchi, or applying them to a byoubu etc....send me a pm.

Ummmm, ya what he said!... ... obviously you have a great deal of expertise with these types of artifacts. What a benefit to have an expert in the crowd.

Of course, my suggestion to use them as designs for playing cards does not in any way include damaging them in any manner. Even a scan for copying purposes may damage what might be a valuable collection... if they were mine, I'd be too worried of destroying them, so I'd leave them be... I just think that have a great deal of visual appeal.