Late Nineteenth Century Chinese Ceremonial Armor: Context, Conservation, and Mounting for Display
Sara Luduena
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
About this Item
- Title
- Late Nineteenth Century Chinese Ceremonial Armor: Context, Conservation, and Mounting for Display
- Contributor Names
-
Luduena, Sara (Author)
-
Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice (Degree granting institution)
-
Hanson, Robin (Thesis advisor)
- Date
- 2020
- Degree Information
- M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2020.
- Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice.
- Advisors: Hanson, Robin. Committee members: Lourdes Font; Denyse Montegut.
- Abstract
- This paper focuses on the research, conservation, mount-making and long-term storage for a set of late nineteenth or early twentieth century Chinese ceremonial armor held by the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). Different from what one typically thinks of as armor, Chinese Qing dynasty (1644-1911) ceremonial armor was designed to have a strong visual impact and was worn for official events like troop inspections and parades. This type of armor, comprised of multiple component parts, is constructed largely of textiles. And although not intended for use on the battlefield, it combines elements of battle armor with those of official court costume to create a new form of dress. The paper begins by placing Qing dynasty ceremonial armor in context. The historical context for this object type revolves around the establishment of the Qing dynasty when the Manchus breached the Great Wall and invaded China in 1644. This brought about major changes in many areas of life including the implementation of new dress regulations. In addition to the historical context, the paper discusses the functional context for ceremonial armor, from its relation to battle armor to its existence in public and private collections today. The next chapter focuses on the physical condition and treatment of the CMA's ceremonial armor set. The construction of each component and their primary condition issues are discussed, followed by a detailed description of the scientific analysis and treatment undertaken to ready the armor for display. The final chapter of the paper describes the design and creation of a custom display mount as well as the long-term preservation considerations for this complex and heavy object. While this armor was slated for display at the CMA in early 2021, that timeline has been pushed back due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
- Subject
- Armor
- Costume--China
- Clothing and dress--China
- Museum conservation methods
- Conservation and restoration
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Rights
- In Copyright
- The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
- This item must not be sold to any third party vendors.
- Identifier
- FIT Repository ID: etd_000858
- pqdiss: 28263959
- ISBN: 9798557092562
- Language
- eng
- Publisher
- Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Citation
Luduena, S. (2020). Late Nineteenth Century Chinese Ceremonial Armor: Context, Conservation, and Mounting for Display [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/3873
Luduena, Sara. Late Nineteenth Century Chinese Ceremonial Armor: Context, Conservation, and Mounting for Display. 2020. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/3873
Luduena, Sara. "Late Nineteenth Century Chinese Ceremonial Armor: Context, Conservation, and Mounting for Display." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2020. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/3873