Etat de stèle, empreinte de Chine. Itinéraire d'un estampage donné par Victor Ségalen au Musée Cernuschi : impact de différentes méthodes de doublage sur la tridimensionnalité du papier

Itinerary of a Chinese rubbing presented by Victor Segalen to the Musée Cernuschi in Paris. Investigation of the impact of lining methods on the surface aspect of the paper. This study first examines a Chinese rubbing presented by poet Victor Segalen to the Musée Cernuschi in 1914. It also brings up the related question of how non-European graphic artefacts were dealt with when they entered French collections at any specific time. Different types of backing and mounting used in France, their respective advantages and disadvantages, were examined and compared with those practised in China : this is a reminder that conservation-restoration is a culturally directed procedure.
MC 5639 rubbing, representing the Six Horses of Emperor Taizong, was mounted on a wooden stretcher and the paper was directly pasted onto cardboard which has turned acid with time. Conservation therefore focused on the removal of the old mount and on the selection of a more adequate device. As we had the opportunity to compare several rubbings taken from the same stone but preserved in different conditions, we were able to investigate the impact of different types of lining on the surface appearance of an artefact.
Surface measures were made using microphotography (Altisurf 500) to help understand the process of rubbing (specially the links between the stone and the paper). Readings were also taken to assess the impact of the layers of supporting material, varying their stratigraphy and nature, and their ability to preserve the relief of the paper.