Art Restoration

Japan Arts Connection Lab fulfills its mission of preserving Japanese heritage arts for future generations through its Art Restoration service program. Our unique contributions to this process are:

- Connecting museums to inaccessible sources of authentic Japanese art restoration and conservation

- Providing conservation training workshops for museum staff

- Documenting and archiving of the details of the restoration and conservation process 

The repair and restoration techniques of Japan's skilled but aging master craftsmen have not been documented in English or Japanese, given that their traditions are passed on orally and actively (as opposed to academically) through unbroken generations of master-apprentice training. We aim to capture this priceless knowledge in mediums and formats that can be preserved and shared with future generations. 

JACLab's Art Restoration service program facilitates the restoration, repair, and conservation of valuable Japanese objets d'art such as screens, scrolls, samurai armor, lacquerware, and kimono fabric for museums and their community of patrons / collectors.  We decided to provide this hard-to-find service because we realized, through our communications with curators of Japanese art collections in the US, that there is a crucial need to assist them in locating the experienced craftsmen in Japan who can maintain their priceless collections. Because master craftsmen in Japan are singularly unconcerned with promoting their "services" to a "market" and are not inclined to negotiate or transact with "clients" abroad, it is next to impossible for museums outside of Japan to access their necessary skills and knowledge. Japan Arts Connection Lab understands that the painstaking work of these masters is a labor of duty and loyalty to heritage. We aim to unite their dedication with the interests of museum curators and their community of patrons through their shared sense of purpose and reverence for the enduring beauty of these objects.

Our goal is to find the right skilled craftsman for each museum's specific restoration or conservation need.  The knowledge acquired by these craftsmen from their lifelong mastery preserves the authenticity of the original work of art and maintains the value and integrity of the museum's collection. The intricate workmanship and multiplicity of materials that can go into a single Japanese objet d'art make it difficult for restorers not steeped in these origin techniques to achieve the same quality of work. 

JACLab facilitates and manages the conservation and restoration process for Japanese objets d'art. Our roster of master craftsmen includes: