Volume 8,Issue 9
Paper-Based Disease Analysis and Restoration Practice Research: A Case Study of the Siku Quanshu
As the largest officially compiled encyclopedia in ancient China, the Siku Quanshu holds a significant position in the preservation of traditional Chinese literature and the system of cultural heritage transmission. This paper takes a fragmentary volume of the Siku Quanshu circulated during the Republic of China period as its research subject. Through disease investigation, material testing, scientific analysis, and conservation-restoration practices, it systematically addresses issues such as insect damage, acidification, folding damage, material loss, and staining. During the restoration process, the principles of cultural relic conservation—“minimal intervention,” “reversibility,” “authenticity,” and “compatibility”—were strictly followed. Technical methods including digital documentation, microscopic examination, targeted wet cleaning, deacidification, paper repair, and lining reinforcement were employed to restore the structural stability of the artifact while preserving historical information to the greatest extent possible. The study shows that the restoration plan effectively improved the preservation condition of the artifact, enhanced the strength and durability of the paper, and provides a reference case for the restoration of similar ancient texts.
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[2] Gandolfo S, 2020, To Collect and to Order: The Siku Quanshu and its Organization. Ming Qing Yanjiu, 24(1): 45–45. https://doi.org/10.1163/24684791-12340041
[3] Liu X, Zhang JY, Ge MT, et al., 2026, Insecticidal Effects of Nitrogen-Based Hypoxia–Anoxia and Pressure Regulation on Lasioderma serricorne in Paper Artefacts. NPJ Heritage Science, 14(1): 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/S40494-025-02276-8
[4] Miao BB, Dong J, Zhu ZY, et al., 2026, Impact of Vacuum Nitrogen Sterilization on the Microbial Community Structure of Paper-Based Cultural Relics. NPJ Heritage Science, 14(1): 277. https://doi.org/10.1038/S40494-026-02531-6
[5] Zhao Y, Song QK, Song T, et al., 2025, Hyperspectral Imaging Combined with Deep Learning for the Detection of Mold Diseases on Paper Cultural Relics. Heritage, 8(12): 495. https://doi.org/10.3390/HERITAGE8120495
[6] Wu MR, Mu L, Zhang ZY, et al., 2024, Anti-Cracking TEOS-Based Hybrid Materials as Reinforcement Agents for Paper Relics. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2024(29): 8. https://doi.org/10.3390/MOLECULES29081834
[7] Mou HY, Wu T, Ji XX, et al., 2024, Multi-Functional Repair and Long-Term Preservation of Paper Relics by Nano-MgO with Aminosilaned Bacterial Cellulose. Molecules, 29(16): 3959. https://doi.org/10.3390/MOLECULES29163959
[8] Zhu ZR, Zhang K, Xue Y, et al., 2026, The Ageing Behavior of Traditional Bamboo Paper: Structure and Properties. Solid State Phenomena, 2026(386): 9–15. https://doi.org/10.4028/P-R27FIC
[9] He YL, Tang B, Long ZR, et al., 2024, Research on Hyperspectral-Based Detection Method of Penicillium citrinum Spots on Paper Cultural Relics. SPIE, 2024(13181): 131812U-5. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3031379
[10] Zhang X, Yao JJ, Yan YE, et al., 2024, Reversible Deacidification and Preventive Conservation of Paper-Based Cultural Relics by Mineralized Bacterial Cellulose. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16(10): 13091–13102. https://doi.org/10.1021/ACSAMI.3C19050
[11] Wang Y, Zhu ZR, Wang JH, et al., 2024, Facile Synthesis of Low-Dimensional and Mild-Alkaline Magnesium Carbonate Hydrate for Safe Multiple Protection of Paper Relics. Molecules, 29(20): 4921. https://doi.org/10.3390/MOLECULES29204921
