Besides Tibet, Mongolia is the largest distribution area of the Tibetan Buddhism and looks back over a period of 800 years of history. In the 1930s, the Buddhism in the former Mongolian People’s Republic suffered under violent persecution and destruction. Religious buildings and works of art were destroyed, Buddhists persecuted and suppressed. The few surviving written records are therefore even more important for current studies.
The Bachelor Thesis deals with the preservation of a Mongolian Mandala on paper from theearly 20th century, which was conducted in cooperation with the Institute for Book- and Paper Conservation (IBR) of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek München. The Mandala illustrates the Buddhist cosmology and was executed with modern dyes on a semi–transparent, flexible paper. It was damaged in its folded state by a spilled substance which led to several brown discolored, embrittled and inflexible areas in the paper. Accumulations of dislocated fragments sticking to other parts of the damaged paper and adjacent losses are present. Because of its fragile condition and the folding, access to the image was impeded. Based on technical analysis of the colourant, the fibers and the damaging substance, aconcept for conservation and storage was developed. The analysis of the cause of damage could provide guidance for the conservation measures. Finally, it was possible to start the practical implementation of the conservation measures, including the unfolding of the Mandala, the reduction of distortions and the stabilization of the brittle areas.
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Besides Tibet, Mongolia is the largest distribution area of the Tibetan Buddhism and looks back over a period of 800 years of history. In the 1930s, the Buddhism in the former Mongolian People’s Republic suffered under violent persecution and destruction. Religious buildings and works of art were destroyed, Buddhists persecuted and suppressed. The few surviving written records are therefore even more important for current studies.
The Bachelor Thesis deals with the preservation of a Mongolian...
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