This monastery is located in the village of Tsarang and even though it is considered a very old monastery the wall paintings in the main assembly hall are relatively recent. The work in this monastery started in 2002 when a portion of the east wall was consolidated and cleaned. In 2003 the conservation work on the east wall was completed and then in 2004 the south and north wall undertook the same treatment. Six trainees from the Wall Painting Conservation Team working in Tubchen were sent to Tsarang to restore the murals together with three local monks who also received training in the major operations of consolidation and cleaning.Gonpa
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the paintings
the
paintings
The
conservation
work
was
limited
to
the
consolidation
work
and
the
cleaning
of
the
wall
painting
on
the
south,
east
and
on
north
wall
of
the
main
assembly
hall:
the
west
wall
couldn’t
be
treated
because
of
a
huge
bookshelf
covering
the
whole
length
of
the
murals,
not
allowing
any
restoration
intervention
to
be
carried
out.
The
project
involved
the
conservation
of
the
wall
paintings
present
on
the
skylight
as
well.
Due
to
serious
structural
problems,
our
work
started
only
after
the
structural
repair
was
completed.The
fixing
of
the
paint
layer
was
followed
by
the
consolidation
of
the
preparatory
layers
and
cracks.
Then
the
wall
paintings
were
cleaned
and
no
pictorial
integration
was
carried
out.
The task consisted mainly in the re-adhesion of the separated preparatory layers from the wall. A hand drill was used to hole the detached areas so as to inject a mortar made of local clays mixed with a PVA binder solution. Flaking of paint layer was present randomly all over the wall paintings and it was fixed back by first carefully spreading a surfactant solution by paintbrush. Then an acrylic solution was injected under the paint layer scales either by syringe of by soft pointed paintbrushes. Japanese tissue paper was subsequently applied on the area to be treated and the paint layer flakes were pressed back in position through the use of slightly wet cotton swabs.consolidation:
Big
cracks
were
recently
plastered
by
the
locals
with
a
rough
plaster
overlapping
and
covering
the
paint
layer
in
an
attempt
to
safeguard
the
murals.
These
plasters
were
carefully
removed
with
surgical
knives
and
fiberglass
pencils
and
then
the
cracks
were
properly
cleaned
with
the
aid
of
an
air
compressor.
A
plaster
under
the
level
of
the
paint
layer
was
applied
to
seal
the
cracks
thus
allowing
the
injection
of
a
mortar
consisting
of
local
clay
mixed
with
a
PVA
binder
solution.
A
dangerous
case
of
detachment
of
wall
paintings
on
the
north
side
of
the
east
wall
was
treated
differently.
The
area
was
propped
using
flexible
polycarbonate
sheets
fixed
into
the
wall
with
long
drill
bits
to
prevent
the
large
fragment
of
wall
paintings
from
falling.
Thereafter,
the
area
was
thoroughly
cleaned
through
a
breach
using
a
vacuum
cleaner
attached
to
very
thin
pipes
so
as
to
remove
any
debris
present
underneath
the
paint
layer.
Then
a
mortar
made
of
clays
mixed
with
a
PVA
binder
solution
was
injected
by
pipe.
Since
the
weight
of
the
injected
mortar
could
have
caused
the
wall
painting
fragment
to
collapse
the
mortar
was
poured
in
small
amounts
and
left
dry
each
time
until
the
gap
was
filled
up
and
the
fragment
secured
again
to
the
wall.
The wall paintings were covered by a thick layer of a brownish varnish that was removed through the use of organic chemicals. Japanese tissue paper soaked in organic chemicals was applied on the surface to be cleaned for a prolonged period of time and let the glue swell and dissolve. The area to be cleaned had to be kept wet with the same chemical until the tissue paper was removed and the aged varnish cleaned off with cotton swabs soaked in the same chemical. After the varnished was removed an old intervention of restoration appeared in some areas of the east and the north wall: portions of the lost paintings had been painted again to complete the original pictorial cycle. Furthermore, damaged parts of the paintings had been overpainted using colors with a water-based binder on the south and north wall: thus these overpaintings were removed simply with cotton swabs soaked in water.cleaning:
the statues
the
statues
During
the
conservative
work
on
the
wall
paintings
there
was
enough
time
to
undertake
the
cleaning
of
a
statue
representing
un
unidentified
lama,
as
a
cleaning
example
for
the
following
years,
in
case
more
funds
would
have
been
allocated
to
work
also
in
the
conservation
of
all
statues
present
in
the
monastery.
The
clay
based
statue
was
wholly
covered
by
a
thick
coat
of
grease
and
soot.
The
face
seemed
to
be
over-painted.
In
the
lower
side
heavy
deposits
of
mouse-dung
coated
the
hands
and
the
feet,
which
were
removed
with
compresses
of
cotton
soaked
in
weak
solutions
of
acetic
acid.
Thereafter
the
soot
and
the
aged
varnish
was
removed
through
cotton
compresses
soaked
in
organic
chemicals
applied
for
prolonged
time
to
allow
a
proper
dissolution
of
the
coating,
which
was
then
removed
with
cotton
swabs
soaked
in
the
same
chemical.
the end
the
end
The conservation work focused only on the consolidation and the cleaning of the wall paintings and did not comprise the pictorial intervention. It ended in 2004 as scheduled and the team moved from Tsarang to Logekhar to work in a similar conservation project in Ghar.Gonpa
