Featured Damaged Japanese lacquered box

It’s me with my new acquisition again! This time the third Japanese lacquered box in my collection. This is a fairly large one frequently referred as stationary box. Looking at these beautiful pictures and you may wonder how it is damaged then?… I will tell you later…

 

So here is the damaged part caused by my stupidity… this mark is initially some white feather-like spots caused by alcohol. I was told that alcohol can remove stains deep within the lacquer layer, and I did try at a tiny area first to see if this is true. Well, it seemingly worked so I sprayed alcohol all over , covered with plastic wrap and it turned into a disaster…this is the most affected part.

Desperately searching for methods to remove it, I then tried perfume and hand cream, which eventually left a darker spot covering the previous white marks. Please note that the marks are underneath the surface, probably on the coloured layer because I cannot polish them off and they are only visible at some angles

That’s it. I still feel so hurt today and dunno if there’s anyway to enhance the look… when you try to restore its former glory only to make it look worse…because you cannot accept imperfection

 

Also does anyone have suggestions for taking care of cracks like this one? Should I buy some natural lacquer to seal it?

 

Oh dear shammie. Some people give the wrong advice. You can bring back some, if not most of its luster by rubbing it with oil, and buffing it. You'll have to repeat the process until it looks good again. @kyratango is an expert on these things.
Good luck!

 

they posted a video of their box revived with same alcohol treatment, so dunno what did I do wrong… I tried polishing but the mark is between the dark lacquer layer and the clear lacquer layer on the top. I feel that it kinda fades after two days but not sure if any change will happen later, being better or worse luckily because of it not being at the top, it’s not that obvious if the light is not perpendicular to the stained surface

 

Collecting painted surfaces is fraught with danger. Other than very light cleaning with pure water and a gentle touch, I generally leave original paint alone, because I have never read any guidelines for how to reliably improve it. I would love to know if there are ways to improve painted surfaces used by museums, etc.

 

They may have, but there are too many variations that sometimes you can’t be sure if the surface materials are %100 same. The best way is probably just to convince yourself they are the mark of history, then…

 

I wonder if it got wet underneath and will continue to improve with the passing days. Don't give up hope! It's an amazing piece!

 

Yeah that’s exactly my concern so far I feel like it’s not that obvious as on the first day… or maybe I just get used to that… if that eventually happens I will then think of doing some painting above to cover that

 

Alcohol is used in cleaning because it very rapidly evaporates so doesn't cause damage by staying moist. It's possible it got trapped and will fade. However, it can remove paint, depending on the type of paint. That's why conservators have so many chemical mixtures for different types.

You learn a lesson you don't repeat and then you learn to appreciate it despite the faults.

And it should be appreciated! It's really lovely!! It's got this creepy night time vibe and I love it. Masterfully done image. A fantastic piece to add to your collection.

 

Covering it in plastic wrap after wiping alcohol on it may have done most of the damage. It trapped the alcohol inside and kept it moist longer. Maybe it will look better after it is completely dry.

Maybe it is improving as the lacquer dries. Don't do anything yet, you can always give it an oil treatment later on.
Will you keep us updated on its progress?

 

It takes courage to confess to such mistakes. And it is generous to allow others to learn from it.

 

*sigh… I thought I was giving it a deep clean… I also tried perfume which only leaves a dark spot and gradually faded. I will update tho, be it better or worse

 

This just keeps me away from trying on a piece double in price!

 

I guess the alcohol manages to go down through the first layer… not sure if that’s just trapped moist or the physical structure has changed…but I will keep an eye on it!

and it’s not a box in perfect condition when it arrives either. It already has several similar marks on it, that’s why I tried alcohol. Now it has more marks on it, more story to tell…but fortunately the painted motif remains crispy and clean

 

I am restoration ignorant, but I love the curving gold lines for stylized water and the overall design or both sides. Let us know if drying time solved the problem.

 

I can notice some slight changes in the past ten days but will wait longer to see if it can do better

 

It’s been almost twenty days so I will make an update:
As you can see the darker marks have mostly gone, leaving the paler alcohol marks underneath visible again. Fortunately this is not too disturbing, as it’s near another mark which comes with it at the beginning…if you bear this in mind you can still easily spot it, but luckily it’s not that visible under normal daylight, the ideal lighting to enjoy lacquerware

 

It certainly looks happier now. The current look wouldn't bother me, and if it looks fine in daylight, then keep it for daytime viewing only.

 

It’s not suitable for flashlight viewing only