Bronze Conservation Laboratory

In 2005 the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution undertook to establish a workshop in the National Museum to train three Cambodian museum staff members and one other intern in methods of bronze conservation. Under the guidance of Paul Jett, the head of the Galleries’ Conservation Department, metals conservator Sean Charette began training the team of Cambodians in techniques for the protection and restoration of the National Museum of Cambodia’s approximately 6,800 metal objects. Initial funding came from the Getty Foundation, Global Heritage Fund and Fulbright Senior Specialist Program. In order to continue the training for a second year, further funding was required, and FOKCI is supporting this project. At the conclusion of this project, not only will many of these important bronze objects in the National Museum be conserved, but, as importantly, several Cambodians will have become skilled in bronze conservation techniques. These bronzes were on display in the 'Gods of Angkor: Bronzes of the National Museum of Cambodia' exhibition in 2010/2011 at the Smithsonian's Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and at the Getty Museum in February 2011.