“Look at this. This is an American Colt made in 1847 and is very rare. “You probably haven’t seen it anywhere.”
On the morning of the 24th, on the first basement floor of the Metropolitan (Met) Museum of Art in Manhattan, New York. As I entered through the iron gate without a sign, there was a gun made of gold and silvery material sitting on the table. “This gun was designed by Colt (gun company), but manufactured by the son of Eli Whitney (machine inventor),” said Edward Hunter, director of the Met’s ‘Arms and Armor’ conservation department, with an excited expression. “We are wondering how to show this gun to visitors.” “We are discussing it,” he said. The Met, considered one of the top three art museums in the United States along with the Boston and Chicago Art Museums, is filled with classic and splendid works of art starting from the first floor. However, the ‘Conservation Management Research’ department exists to enable these works of art to overcome the long passage of time and see the light of day in front of many visitors. The Met has 200 professionals working to preserve the collection. It also operates five conservation laboratories for artifact conservation, paper conservation, photo conservation, and textile conservation, as well as specialized laboratories for weapons and armor, East Asian paintings, and costumes and fashion. If the main character of an art museum is its dazzling artwork, I visited the conservation department on this day, which is the supporting role that makes the main character shine.
A space of rebirth hidden behind an iron gate
As we passed through the iron gate through a winding passageway that was too narrow for two people to walk side by side, the hunter pointed to a black armor on one side of the room and said, “It was made in 1689.” There was a screw on the stomach, and when I turned it with my hand, it opened in a small square shape, revealing a space between the armor. He said, “It’s not a place to put your cell phone like it is these days, but it’s made so you can easily take out small items.” There was also a secret compartment on the arm of the armor where small items such as medicine could be stored. He said, “I recently received a wonderful gift donated, consisting of four sets of armor, a sword, and a helmet.” There was also a helmet made in Japan in the 16th and 17th centuries, with hair decorated with horse hair. “This helmet is made to look unique, making it easy for subordinates to recognize at a glance in a chaotic battlefield,” Hunter said. “Given that it is not damaged, it is possible that it was used by a commander.”
There are about 14,000 artifacts related to ‘weapons and armor’ at the Met. It is said that there are quite a few relics from China, Tibet, Mongolia, etc., made in various eras from prehistoric times to 2018. In addition to conservation, the work done by experts here includes planning, gallery redesign, and installation work. There are various environmental monitoring, pest management, etc., such as climate control to prevent corrosion.
Sean Blair, who worked in the same department as Hunter, was polishing armor he had made for a German baron. He said, “It was on display exposed to direct sunlight for 30 years, and the leather holding the armor was all worn out and the straps began to break, so some had to be replaced.” One thing to be careful about when handling armor is that if you tighten it too tightly when reassembling the joints or neck, it will only move up and down, making side movement difficult. That’s why it’s important to understand how the armor works and the materials to make sure it looks right when reassembled.
Education is also part of conservation work.
When I went up to the third floor, there was a department that inspected and preserved 19th century European artifacts. An important part of this department’s job is to examine paintings with X-rays and find out what paintings are hidden beneath the visible ones. Expert Charlotte Hale said, “We recently closed the European Gallery during renovations, and while cleaning the paintings hanging there, we noticed that there was a color in one part of the painting that did not match the color of the surface.” “Through fluorescence scanning, etc., we found out that another picture exists underneath the picture that is currently visible,” he said. Why is it important to find the artist’s first painting? Hale, she said, is “interesting because it makes you feel like you’re looking into someone’s sketchbook or notebook,” but it “also helps you understand the painter more as a whole.” “Education is also part of the conservation work we do,” Hale continued. “Many of the people trained here go on to work in museums across the United States and in Europe.” This place serves as a midwife for the preservation work of the art world.
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