Patan is one of the three royal cities in Nepal, perhaps the oldest, and the Durbar Square in its center is one of the country’s seven World Heritage Sites. Since its inscription into the UNESCO list, extensive preservation projects have been carried out, in particular on the Royal Palace, which was erected by the Malla kings in the mid 17th century. Of special importance for the narrative of this blog is the recent conservation of the extraordinary metal doors and ornaments inside one of the palace courtyards (Mul Chowk), the private residence of the Mallas.
The entrance wall to the private royal tantric Taleju shrine was embellished with a gilded repoussé doorframe and torana (tympanon). On each side of it, mounted onto the brick wall, were life-size gilded images of the rivers Ganga (to the left) and Yamuna (to the right). Comparable walls can be found in Taleju temple, Bhakatpur, and Hanuman Dhoka, Kathmandu, but they are not accessible to visitors at the moment. The Patan assemblage dates back to the 17th century in its earlier parts, although many additions may have been added later.
Over time, extensive damage occurred, in part due to theft, and likely even caused by vandalism. The torana had suffered losses of 12 three-dimensional figures in the 1970s. Much of the metalwork needed to be cleaned, some parts required reforming of dents and other damage, filling of losses, and the large figures were in need of new backgrounds and support. The conservation concept was developed and executed by conservators from the University of Applied Arts, Vienna, together with Patan metal craftsmen. Based on photographs taken by Mary Slusser prior to losses at the torana, for example, these images were recreated by the lost wax method by a local artisan. The combination of current conservation methods in conjunction with traditional crafts, very similar to those used in the original creation of the various elements over time, led to impressive results!
The small Yantaju shrine in the center of the courtyard, dedicated to a personal deity of Malla kings, is another spectacular example of recent repair. Based on drawings, lost decorative plaques were replicated. Original versus new elements are easily detectable by different hues of gilding.
Recent work on the finial for the tantric Taleju shrine:
During my month in Nepal, I returned to the Royal Palace frequently and was able to witness how the work on one of the finials progressed quickly (see entry of April 1, 2016). Misshaped metal was straightened, supported and assembled, and a new tip was worked in repoussé from copper sheet by a Patan master craftsman. Viewing this work in progress allowed a glimpse into the much more complicated treatment of the Golden Doorway!
Credits:
Sincere thanks to Thomas Schrom for sharing recollections and documentation on the project. Also to Rohit Ranjitkar, Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) for discussions, allowing me to view the work on the pinnacle, and to glance into storage where earthquake damaged sculptures await their treatment. Apart from the sadness of this situation – what a treat to see such artwork close up!
The treatments of the door and two river sculptures in Mul Chowk were been carried out in collaboration with the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) and the Conservation Department of the University of Applied Arts, Vienna.
For further information please visit the KVPT website:
Preservation of metalwork in Nepal 
Thank you for sharing such a wonderful example of collaboration for completion of such a meaningful restoration. KVPT website was wonderful too!
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