Where Art Meets Science

As a leading center for the care and scientific study of Asian art in the United States, the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art employs both conservation and scientific techniques to examine and restore works of art. Its conservators and scientists aim to enhance preservation methods, conduct research into materials and teach others about conservation techniques. 

Photos present a snapshot of conservators Jiro Ueda’s and Akiko Niwa’s meticulous processes for conserving Japanese artworks in the museum’s collection. Ueda is remounting a 13th-century Japanese handscroll (makimono) known as the Miraculous Interventions of the Bodhisattva Jizō, which is part of a multiyear conservation and scientific research project.

Published March 2022 in IMPACT Vol. 8 No. 1

Everything you read about in IMPACT is made possible in part thanks to support from lifelong learners like you. Donate today and power Smithsonian's mission to create and share knowledge with everyone, everywhere.

Want more stories about how the Smithsonian impacts your world? Join our community of curious, passionate knowledge-seekers from across the globe.

Abigail Pocasangre | READ MORE

Abigail Pocasangre is a digital design manager and web editor for the Smithsonian’s Office of Advancement.

Miranda Ellison | READ MORE

Miranda Ellison is a writer with the Smithsonian’s Office of Advancement.