As an important category of fragile organic cultural heritage, bamboo, wood and lacquer artifacts require effective preventive conservation during exhibition, which represents a core aspect of cultural relic preservation and utilization. This study focuses on the preventive conservation system for exhibited bamboo, wood and lacquer artifacts, as the research objects, reviews relevant domestic and international research progress, and drawing on the practical experience of Hubei Provincial Museum, constructs a standardized and replicable conservation system centered on “environmental regulation, cultural relic conservation and exhibition technologies, and monitoring and evaluation”. The study further clarifies the system’s framework, implementation pathways and future development directions. By analyzing the relationship between the deterioration mechanism of bamboo, wood and lacquer artifacts and environmental factors, the study optimizes key technical parameters across different stages of conservation. This approach achieves comprehensive protection ranging from macro environmental regulation to micro artifact protection, and establishes a closed-loop conservation encompassing “monitoring and early warning→risk judgment→prevention, control and intervention”. Practical application demonstrates that this system can effectively reduce the deterioration rate and associated risks of exhibited bamboo, wood and lacquer artifacts, significantly improving the stability and sustainability of conservation outcomes. The study provides a broadly applicable technical framework and practical reference for the preventive conservation of similar organic cultural relics in various museums throughout China.

This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the preservation state of three coffin wood planks excavated from the Northern Wei tomb at Zhijiabu, Datong, Shanxi, through the application of multidisciplinary analytical methods. After identification of the wood species, the ultrastructure of the samples was examined using focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). In addition, chemical compositional changes were investigated using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and solid-state carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (¹³C-NMR). To further characterize changes in wood porosity, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) was employed to obtain detailed two-dimensional and three-dimensional structural data. The results identified the wood as cypress. Compared with modern intact cypress, all archaeological samples exhibited particulate surface deposits, cracks, holes, and significantly increased porosity. FIB-SEM observations revealed severe damage to the cell walls and intracellular residues, indicating the combined effects of brown rot, soft rot fungi, and erosive bacteria in the degradation process. Chemical analyses showed substantial degradation of hemicellulose, reduced cellulose crystallinity, and a relative increase in lignin content, with varying degrees of chemical alteration among the six samples. Samples F1 and F4 were in relatively good conditions, whereas F3 and F6 exhibited the most severe degradation. By integrating multiple analytical techniques, this study provides key insights into the preservation condition of the archaeological wood and offers critical guidance for future conservation and restoration efforts. In particular, it supports the implementation of targeted measures, including disinfection, antibacterial treatment, and structural reinforcement, according to the specific preservation conditions of different parts of the wood.

This study focuses on the surface wood of the coffin cover board unearthed from Tomb No.1 of Wuwangdun, residual fragments of the coffin cover board recovered from robbery holes, and wooden tools unearthed from the fill soil. Wood species were identified using standard wood science analytical methods. In addition, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (ATR-FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were employed to investigate deterioration of the wooden cultural relics from multiple aspects, including maximum moisture content, basic density, relative cellulose and lignin content and crystallinity. Through comparative analysis, the preservation state of the coffin board was evaluated. The results indicate that the wooden tools were made of oak (Quercus, Fagaceae), while the coffin cover was made of zelkova (Zelkova, Ulmaceae). The degradation of the wooden tools from the backfill soil near the northern side of the cover was less severe than that of those from the eastern side. Similarly, the degrees of degradation of the coffin cover varied across different areas:the eastern side was better preserved, while fragments recovered from the robbery holes showed the most severe degradation. These findings highlight the influence of burial environment on wood deterioration, providing valuable insights into degradation mechanisms of unearthed wooden cultural relics, and offering reliable information for the scientific conservation and reinforcement strategies.

In-depth conservation of the 11 shrines originally installed in the rear hall of the Hall for Ancestry Worship in the Forbidden City is currently being planned. Based on prior condition assessments and research on the materials and techniques used in the lacquer surfaces of the Shunzhi Shrine, the project team developed conservation strategies and conducted in-situ consolidation and cleaning experiments, focusing on structural deterioration and surface contamination. Throughout the experimental process—from design to implementation—the team probed into the properties and application methods of conservation materials and systematically evaluated treatment outcomes. As a result, a technical route and workflow were established:the use of the synthetic polymer Aquazol 500 applied via heat-activated consolidation (ironing method), combined with an aqueous emulsion gel cleaning system for cleaning of the lacquer surfaces. This approach provides a technical foundation for subsequent conservation work.