Building Drying Boards (Karibari) For the Tateuchi Conservation Center

In the summer of 2023, a set of eight karibari, or drying boards, were built for use in the Tateuchi Conservation Center at the Seattle Asian Art Museum.
Karibari are essential equipment for any East Asian painting conservation studio. Scrolls and screens are complex laminate structures assembled from paper and textile sections that are stretch dried on karibari. Building the boards is an excellent training exercise in the fundamental tools, techniques, and materials used in all aspects of scroll mounting and conservation.
Watch this video for a behind-the-scenes look at how these eight karibari-built in the Japanese tradition-were created by Tanya Uyeda, SAM Senior Conservator of East Asian Paintings, and Alexa Machnik, SAM Emerging Arts Leader in Conservation.