Katalog

33 In 1821 August Wilhelm Schlegel wrote to Hofrat Wilhelm Dorow from Bonn, who advised him in the acquisition of his collection of Indian miniatures: “In my opinion, we should purchase the collection provided that the pictures have not been entirely destroyed by moisture. Indian art may be less expensive in England, but in mainland Europe you have to be satisfied with what chance throws in your way.” 2 Surprisingly, Schlegel never personally examined the collection before purchasing it, even though he must have been aware of its compromised condition. The seventy-eight Indian miniatures, stored as loose sheets in eight boxes, were donated by Schlegel’s niece Augusta von Buttlar in 1848 and have remained at the Kupferstich-Kabinett Dresden. The sheets were damaged by mould, which, among other things, might account for the scant attention given to them after they entered the collection some 160 years ago. They came to mind only in 2012, when a delegation of Indian restorers visited Dresden. Along with some 350 Indian paintings preserved in four albums from the collection of Augustus the Strong, they became the starting point for a two-year interdisciplinary research project that began in 2015. In addition to art-historical issues, the main focus was the technical examination and conservation of the miniatures. Cooperation with institutional partners such as the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung Berlin (BAM; Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing Berlin), Papier­ technische Stiftung Heidenau (Paper Technology Foundation Heidenau), Hochschule für Bil- dende Künste Dresden (Dresden Academy of Fine Arts), Technische Universität Dresden (Tech- nical University of Dresden), Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden (Dresden Institute of Wood Technology), and Carsten Wintermann (papierrestaurierungdresden) served to answer a variety of technological questions. Methods used included radiation diagnostics, digital infrared reflec- tography (IRR), ultraviolet radiation (UV), digital radiography, and scientific methods such as X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF), Raman spectroscopy, and spectrophotometry (VIS). The actual restoration, however, could not have been conducted without the expertise of our colleagues from India. A concept for the conservation and restoration of the objects was developed and implemented in cooperation with restorers from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (CSMVS) in Mumbai. The results of the Kupferstich-Kabinett’s first coop- eration with an Indian institution are presented in this article. cat. 78 | Ca 121/6 Portrait of a Deccani nobleman showing the digital infrared reflectograph which reveals the underdrawing: Kakubhā rāgin. ī Deccan, 18 th century Watercolour and gold, painted frame 26.3×18.9 cm, image 20.2×13.2 cm (see figs. 3a and b) OLAF S IMON Research and Restoration The Technical Investigation and Conservation of the Indian Paintings at the Dresden Kupferstich-Kabinett 1