Wearable Blessings Traditional Chinese Children's Clothing Exhibition

Wearable Blessings: Traditional Chinese Children's Clothing Exhibition
 
The "Wearable Blessings Exhibition" showcased more than 200 sets of children's clothing from the late Qing dynasty to the early Republican period. Amongst the exhibits, some of them had been damaged to various extents and warranted conservation, and also needed special mounts for the display.
 
 
Conservation
Taking one of the exhibits, "Cap with the boy and lotus motifs" as an example, the lotus boy figurine at the top part of the cap was severely deformed.  The original metal frame that was used to hold the figurine in its posture was partly exposed and twisted or, mostly, covered by fabrics and decorations.  To reveal the inner structure of the cap, we had performed an X-ray imaging analysis which enhanced the mapping of the figurine's exact location on the cap. We also used the ultrasonic humidifier to moisten the linings of the cap and the figurine to enhance the resilience of the fabrics, hence enabling us to reshape the cap precisely.
 
 
Installation, Assembly and Display 
For the sake of exhibiting the children's hats, and various clothing in their original styles and forms, custom mounts were designed and made with the use of perspex, foam or Fosshape, etc according to the profile and form of the exhibits. It was a meticulous and lengthy process in making these special mounts; involving tasks from taking dimensions, to drawing the profiles which conform with the shape of the hats, preparing mock up, fitting out and padding.