Balancing Access and Preservation: Investigating Light-Induced Fading of Colourants Used in Japanese Woodblock Prints

Natural dyes used in Japanese woodblock prints are known to fade due to light exposure, but the extent of this degradation in the Rijksmuseum's collection was unclear until the launch of the 2024 research project Japanese Prints: A Closer Look. In this study, the Rijksmuseum collaborates with the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), which has prior experience from earlier research on Japanese prints at Museum Volkenkunde in 2008. This article shares new findings from light-ageing tests on traditional Edo-period (1603–1868) colourants and pigments, using a reference set provided by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The tests combine xenon arc testing and microfading testing to evaluate pigment durability.