2016 is the 40th anniversary of the Conservation Science Division in the National Museum of Korea. To mark the occasion, the National Museum of Korea holds a special exhibition, entitled “Conservation Science, Saving the Cultural Properties” to introduce the role and function as one of the Museum’s major tasks.

The discipline of conservation science is dedicated to the investigation of when, where, what, and how various cultural properties were created, applying the methodologies of natural science to explore ways to conserve and restore them. In other words, conservation scientists study and analyze the information hidden in cultural relics to keep them in a more stable condition before they are passed down to future generations.

Initiated in 1976, the Conservation Science Division of the National Museum of Korea has contributed to scientific researches and conservation treatments for Korea’s key cultural properties such as the Tomb of King Muryeong in Gongju, the Cheonmachong Tomb and the Hwangnamdaechong Tomb in Gyeongju. The representative cases also include the Baekje Incense Burner excavated from the Neungsanri in Buyeo, the Sinchangdong Historic Site in Gwangju, the ancient tombs at Dahori in Changwon, as well as the historical artifacts discovered inside the Seokgatap Pagoda of the Bulguksa Temple in Gyeongju just to name a few.

This exhibition is to offer an overview of the methodologies of conservation science, the past restoration projects, and the conservation environment management, while helping visitors understand the efforts that the Museum has made for the last four decades to better conserve cultural assets.

The exhibition comprises five sections: The Prologue section introduces visitors to the early days in the 1970s and 80s, showcasing some of major restoration outcomes done by the Museum conservators. Part One explains the underlying theory and actual uses of “light” in investigating cultural artifacts, as well as the materials and techniques used. Part Two offers visitors a unique opportunity to get insight into the Division’s conservation activities, running real-time Open Studio of a conservation booth while presenting actual results of conservation activities. Part Three invites visitors to the world of optimum environmental conditions and routinely practiced preventive measures in the Museum. The Epilogue section opens the archive data collected in the 40 years of the Division’s activities to further share the unveiled information with visitors to this exhibition.

We hope the exhibition to shed light on the future of the conservation science, while recollecting the memories and efforts that the museum has made in the past 40 years.