A look at methods used for restoration of murals in Iran before 60s

The methods that Iranian experts used to restore murals before the 60s were not based on the methods introduced by Italy’s Council of Experts (IsMEO). Examples of such methods included removing the overpaint as well as putting plaster on the murals. Hossein Aqajani-Esfahani, an Iranian expert who worked with IsMEO over the restoration of historical sites in Isfahan, says using plaster and removing the overpaint were common methods to restore murals in Iran in the early years that experts started to restore the murals in the country. However, he says, such methods ignore the value of the originality of murals as well as their intended functions. Aqajani-Esfahani has emphasized that the murals could have been better restored because they needed a special treatment specifically considering that many of them like the ones by masters such as Mosavvar-ol-Maleki, Javad Rostam Shirazi and others which were used in historical sites in Isfahan and Shiraz contained several layers of paint. The present research is meant to shed light on the researches that have been carried out into the restoration of murals in Iran. A main target has also been to find out whether there were any researchers over this subject before the 60s. The ultimate objective is to emphasize the need for such researches in order to promote the expertise of restoration of murals in Iran. All these made the researchers of the present article to have a close look at the traditional methods of restoration of murals in Iran before the 60s. By considering the above, the most important question now is whether the methods used for restoration of murals very really effective or not.