Balancing Access and Preservation: Investigating Light-Induced Fading in Japanese Woodblock Prints

This repository contains light-ageing experiments data obtained on reconstructions of Japanese woodblock prints and that were published in the following article:

• Baines, J., Brokerhof, A., Christoforou, D., Jansen, M., van Leeuwen, I., Patin, G., & Sauvage, L. (2026). Balancing Access and Preservation: Investigating Light-Induced Fading of Colourants Used in Japanese Woodblock Prints. Journal of Paper Conservation, 27(1–2), 18–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/18680860.2026.2624843

The repository also contains photographs of the samples (made at the Boston Museum of Fine Art around 1999) on which the microfading analyses and xenotest ageing were performed. 

Article abstract

Natural dyes used in Japanese woodblock prints are known to fade due to light exposure, but the extent of this degradation in the Rijksmuseum's collection was unclear until the launch of the 2024 research project Japanese Prints: A Closer Look. In this study, the Rijksmuseum collaborates with the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), which has prior experience from earlier research on Japanese prints at Museum Volkenkunde in 2008. This article shares new findings from light-ageing tests on traditional Edo-period (1603–1868) colourants and pigments, using a reference set provided by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The tests combine xenon arc testing and microfading testing to evaluate pigment durability.