Blog @ the Nelson-Atkins

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The Museum's new objects conservation lab is up and running. Among the myriad of projects underway is the continuing research on the Museum's Guanyin Bodhisattva.

So far they have discovered some modern-day restorations to the Guanyin including nails, screws and a mending plate that is holding together a crack in the sculpture's body.

Overall, the Guanyin is in excellent condition which is very rare for these types of scultpure. Conservation scientist John Twilley continues to study the pigment to find out what is original to the sculpture and what has been added in the past 1,000 or so years.

As I wrote previously, the Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva is undergoing analysis this week by New York conservation scientist John Twilley in conjuction with the Museum's conservation team.

A program at 6:30 p.m. tonight (Aug. 23) in Gallery 230 will explain about the process and what they hope to find. The program is repeated at 7:30 p.m. Admssion is free and no reservations are needed.

This Thursday evening (Aug. 23), you will have a chance to listen to members of a conservation team as they prepare to launch a major project to analyize and study our 1,000-year-old Guanyin Bodhisattva. The program will be held at 6:30 p.m. in Gallery 230 and will be repeated at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free.

The sculpture is recognized internationally as a masterpiece, yet questions concerning its original appearance remain unsolved. Over a period of 4 days, a conservation scientist is assisting Museum conservation staff with a technical examination of the sculpture, followed by weeks of lab work.

The results of this study will be published as part duex of an interactive feature on the Museum's website. The first half of the feature will cover the art historical background on the sculpture and will appear later this year.

By the way, the Guanyin is one of my favorite works of art in the Museum. You can read more about it here, here and here.

Yesterday I wrote about what could possibly be my favorite work of art from the Museum's collection, the Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva.

I am very excited to announce that work has begun on an interactive feature about the Guanyin including art historical content as well as the findings from a current conservation project.

For an idea of what the online piece might look like, check out our first interactive feature on the Greek Lion.

Sometimes I don't get to visit the Nelson-Atkins very often. I know that sounds strange since I work here but my office is located offsite and sometimes I don't have time to get away from my desk. I was lucky enough today to help with a project in the galleries. As I moved from place to place in the Bloch Building, I was greeted by all the amazing views that have become so familiar to me: the soaring ceilings, the continuous surprises as you move through the galleries and the spectacular views of the Kansas City Sculpture Park and Nelson-Atkins Building.

Then we moved into the Nelson-Atkins Building and climbed the stairs to the second floor where the Chinese collection is on display. Some people may feel restricted because the lighting is artificial and the floor plan is rigid but as soon as I entered the Chinese Temple gallery, I felt the rush of joy and excitement of being in the same room with exquisite works of art dating back thousands of years. The highlight for me is the Seated Gaunyin Bodhisattva . The Guanyin is magnificent on its own but the setting is truly breathtaking.

The large gallery is divided about two-thirds of the way by beautiful wooden gate panels from a temple dating to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Behind the gates you can see the Guanyin sitting serenely against the back wall; just behind it is a wall painting depicting the Paradise of Tejaprabha Buddha. There are additional statues of Gaunyins and bodhisattvas along the left and right-hand walls. There is a peaceful, meditative quality to the space.

I headed back to my office feeling renewed and remembering why I love the Museum so much.

One of the Museum's most treasured works of art is getting a little check up. The Seated Guanyin Bodhisattva is possibly the best-preserved and most magnificent sculpture from the Liao Dynasty (907-1125)of Chinese Buddhist art.

The sculpture sits majestically in the Chinese Temple Room which was researched thoroughly a few years back. You can read more about that here.

As part of a research grant from the Mellon Foundation, the Guanyin will be examined, sampled and tested as necessary to understand the decorative history and determine what is the best way to preserve it for the future. The actual examining will take place over the next few weeks.

The Guanyin has always been one of my favorite art works in our collection. I'm glad to know it will be around for many more years.