Hands-On Conservation
Explore conservation for yourself at our pop-up cart! Touch and see the tools and materials we use to preserve art, manuscripts, and other historic objects. Check out fluorescent glue samples, paper and brushes used for scroll mounting, and more. This is your chance to get a peek at what our conservators and scientists are up to behind the scenes. Image: Department of Conservation and Scientific Research.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible. Assisted listening devices.
Friday, July 11, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.
Unpacking Provenance | A Kakiemon Model of an Elephant
In this webinar, a panel of four experts discuss a Kakiemon model of an elephant from the collections of the NMAA, focusing on provenance research approaches and resources. Manufactured in seventeenth-century Japan, this porcelain elephant likely arrived in Europe as cargo on a Dutch East India Company trading vessel. In examining this object, panelists will articulate research questions, brainstorm approaches, and discuss methods to track down answers about both the object’s journey and the life histories of the individuals who encountered it.
The online series Unpacking Provenance: Retracing the Histories of Asian Art brings together cross-disciplinary specialists to explore provenance research processes and share resources. Discussions focus on a single object, exploring a variety of innovative, strategic, and collaborative approaches to inquiry.
Unpacking Provenance is part of a larger collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz that seeks to cultivate the…
Event Location: Zoom. Cost: Free. Register in advance (required). Get Tickets/Register: https://smithsonian.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2PgN4AExQ6GlTHurLrRDrw. Categories: Gallery Talks & Tours. Webcasts & Online. Related Events: Unpacking Provenance | A Chinese Porcelain Cup. Accessibility: Captioning.
Tuesday, July 15, 2025, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM.
Conservation Cart Talk | Persian Writing Boxes
Discover the hidden layers of Persian lacquered writing boxes and what they reveal about craftsmanship, materials, and care. Gretchen and David Welch Conservator in Training Dhruvika Bisht will guide you through the fascinating world of these intricately decorated objects, which she is currently examining and preparing for conservation treatment. Explore a model showing how the boxes are built, examine pigments and materials up close, and view striking images—from artisans at work to glowing UV photos that uncover hidden details. Learn how close looking and technical study help us better understand and preserve these masterful works of art.
Want to see an example? Watch a video about a lacquer box in our collection with close up views of the decorations and details. Department of Conservation and Scientific Research, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Venue: Freer Gallery of Art. Event Location: West Building (Mall entrance). Cost: Free. No registration or tickets (walk-up only). Categories: Lectures & Discussions. Gallery Talks & Tours. Accessibility: Assisted listening devices. Wheelchair accessible.
Friday, July 18, 2025, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM.