Conservation

The Conservation Laboratory of the National Museum is as old as National Museum (established in 1950) and since its inception it has made great strides. The Conservation Department of National Museum performs conservation and restoration of museum objects and handles external projects, also with similar aims and objectives.

The Museum’s Laboratory has the principal responsibility for taking care of the objects of different collection departments. Among other things, Conservation Department is also responsible for the Preventive Conservation of objects in the museum and provides assistance during exhibitions, in storage facilities, or during transportation of objects etc. The laboratory prepares the technical and condition reports of different characteristics of the artifacts like their written and graphic records, radiographic documentation, photography under normal, oblique , infra-red and ultra-violet lights and analysis through other non destructive techniques.

Some of the major highlights of the Museum's Conservation work:

•    Conservation of various organic and inorganic objects like coins, metallic sculptures, arms, ethnographic materials, textiles, stone sculptures, stuccos and wall-paintings etc; housed in the National Museum.

•       Undertake scientific examination including; high resolution microscopic studies, Ultra Violet and Infra Red cross- sectional examination,   X-Ray Fluoroscence, etc.

•        Organizing various workshops, conferences and seminars on Conservation of Antiquities and Art objects.

•          Providing assistance for establishing Preventive Conservation standards to various other organizations.

•          Internship Programs for the students of Conservation of Master level.

Major Projects undertaken 

•     Conservation and Restoration of wall paintings in the  Ministry  of  Defence.

  · Conservation of wall paintings in Prime Minister’s Office.

  · Conservation of Paintings in the Ministry of Finance.

  · Conservation of Paintings on the ceilings of Rashtrapati Bhawan.

  · Conservation of oil Paintings of Raja Ravi Verma at Sri Chitra Art Gallery in Thiruvananthpuram.

  · Conservation of Oil Paintings, coins, textiles, canons, at Sheesh Mahal Patiala.

  · Conservation of Oil Paintings at Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti , New Delhi.

  · Conservation and Restoration of paintings of oil paintings of political leaders and wall panels at Parliament House New Delhi.

  · Conservation of Oil Paintings of Govt. Museum, Chandigarh.

  · Conservation of Oil Paintings and Bronzes of Pondicherry Museum, Pondicherry.

Contact:

Conservation Laboratory

Smt. Vintee Sain
I/c Conservation Laboratory

+91 11 2301 9272 Ext – 240