Toning Japanese Tissue Papers: An international survey of paper conservation practitioners

This paper presents the findings of an international online survey designed to understand more about accepted practice in paper conservation around the world. Japanese tissue papers have long been used for repairing old documents; however, their colour needs to be visually adjusted to be in keeping with the tonality of the document being repaired. Despite substantial literature on the dyeing of textiles, few studies have been conducted on the effects of toning materials on Japanese mending papers used for paper conservation purposes. The findings of this study suggest that paper conservators generally rely on personal experience, the information passed on from their colleagues and Japanese paper suppliers, and that they tend to feel confident about their choices, despite the fact that there has been little research on the long-term effects of toning materials on Japanese papers. We suggest that further research into the realities of practice and how different conservation and toning techniques have evolved in specific local, cultural and historical circumstances is a fruitful field for further research.