journal article·2025-07-30Open access

Scientific restoration of engraved palm leaf manuscripts

Yan Li, Jingyu Zhang, Ying Qin, Yi Li, Shixun Wu, Bian Yan, Hanwei Yu, Qiang Xu, Peng Liu, Yanyan Huang, Yuhong Yuan, Guanghui Yang, Yangxin Zhou, Yuliang Yang

npj Heritage Science· Volume 13· Issue 1

Abstract

The preservation and restoration of palm leaf manuscripts face numerous challenges, such as diverse types of damage, material fragility, and the absence of standardized and scientific restoration methods. This work employed a Yunnan-engraved PLM to systematically elaborate and enhance the restoration process. The primary types of damage were identified, and different restoration materials were evaluated. The PLM surfaces were found to be contaminated, and material loss occurred during restoration. Wiping with warm water was conducive to the removal of surface contamination, while the use of inlay techniques and a composite restoration paste effectively repaired the damaged areas and enhanced the structural stability of the manuscript. This study established a systematic restoration procedure for engraved PLMs and improved the restoration quality to provide a feasible practical solution for the long-term preservation of engraved PLMs and similar manuscripts.
Source: openalex_inverted_index · Quality: baseline

Research context

OpenAlex topics: Cultural Heritage Materials Analysis · Wood and Agarwood Research · Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases

SciVX discovery tags are terminology-based. OpenAlex topics are source-provided classifications.

References (48)

Show source-provided references
1. Vijaya Lakshmi, T. R., Sastry, P. N. & Rajinikanth, T. V. Feature selection to recognize text from palm leaf manuscripts. Signal Image Video Process 12, 223–229 (2018).10.1007/s11760-017-1149-9 ↗
2. Yu, D. et al. The effect of traditional processing craft on the hygroscopicity of palm leaf manuscripts. Herit. Sci. 12, 280 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01402-2 ↗
3. Zhang, W., Wang, S. & Guo, H. Study on the effects of temperature and relative humidity on the hygroscopic properties of palm leaf manuscripts. Forests 15, 1816 (2024).10.3390/f15101816 ↗
4. Yu, C., Zhang, M. & Song, X. Analysis of two different inks and application techniques on palm leaf manuscripts through non-invasive analysis. Restaur 45, 237–256 (2024).10.1515/res-2023-0018 ↗
5. Sharma, D., Singh, M. R. & Dighe, B. Chromatographic study on traditional natural preservatives used for palm leaf manuscripts in India. Restaur 39, 249–264 (2018).10.1515/res-2018-0005 ↗
6. Zhang, J., Yu, H., Li, Y., Liu, P. & Hu, Y. Conservation of palm leaf manuscripts from a biological perspective (in Chinese). J. Fudan Univ 63, 658–666 (2024).
7. Agrawal, O. P. Conservation of Manuscripts and Paintings of South-East Asia. (Butterworth-Heinemann, 1984).
8. Van Dyke, Y. Sacred leaves: the conservation and exhibition of early Buddhist manuscripts on palm leaves. Book Pap. Group Annu. 28, 83–97 (2009).
9. Sharma, D., Singh, M., Krist, G. & Velayudhan, N. M. Structural characterisation of 18th century Indian palm leaf manuscripts of India. Int. J. Conserv. Sci. 9, 257–264 (2018).
10. Singh, M. R. & Sharma, D. Investigation of pigments on an Indian palm leaf manuscript (18th–19th century) by SEM-EDX and other techniques. Restaur 41, 49–65 (2020).10.1515/res-2019-0006 ↗
11. Chu, S., Lin, L. & Tian, X. Evaluation of the deterioration state of historical palm leaf manuscripts from Burma. Forests 14, 1775 (2023).10.3390/f14091775 ↗
12. Sah, A. Palm leaf manuscripts of the world: material, technology and conservation. Stud. Conserv. 47, 15–24 (2002).10.1179/sic.2002.47.Supplement-1.15 ↗
13. Kumar, D. U., Sreekumar, G. & Athvankar, U. Traditional writing system in southern India—palm leaf manuscripts. Des. Thoughts 7, 2–7 (2009).
14. Ghosh, S., Mahajan, A. & Banerjee, S. Palm leaf manuscript conservation, the process of seasoning with special reference to Saraswati Mahal library, Tamilnadu in India: some techniques. Int. J. Inf. Mov. 2, 122–128 (2017).
15. Wiland, J. et al. A literature review of palm leaf manuscript conservation—Part 1: A historic overview, leaf preparation, materials and media, palm leaf manuscripts at the British Library and the common types of damage. J. Inst. Conserv. 45, 236–259 (2022).10.1080/19455224.2022.2115093 ↗
16. Wiland, J. et al. A literature review of palm leaf manuscript conservation—Part 2: historic and current conservation treatments, boxing and storage, religious and ethical issues, ecommendations for best practice. J. Inst. Conserv. 46, 64–91 (2023).10.1080/19455224.2023.2167095 ↗
17. Zhang, M., Song, X., Wang, J. & Lyu, X. Preservation characteristics and restoration core technology of palm leaf manuscripts in Potala Palace. Arch. Sci. 22, 501–519 (2022).10.1007/s10502-021-09383-y ↗
18. Yi, X. et al. Study on the material properties and deterioration mechanism of palm leaves. Restaur 45, 219–236 (2024).10.1515/res-2023-0021 ↗
19. Zhu, Z. et al. Investigation on the moisture absorption behaviors of palm leaves (Corypha umbraculifera) and their variation mechanism. Langmuir 40, 25133–25142 (2024).10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c03368 ↗
20. Zhang, W., Wang, S. & Guo, H. Influence of relative humidity on the mechanical properties of palm leaf manuscripts: short-term effects and long-term aging. Molecules 29, 5644 (2024).10.3390/molecules29235644 ↗
21. Zhang, W., Wang, S., Han, L. & Guo, H. Aging effects of relative humidity on palm leaf manuscripts and optimal humidity conditions for preservation. npj Herit. Sci. 13, 1–14 (2025).10.1038/s40494-025-01640-y ↗
22. Nordstrand, O. K. Some notes on procedures used in the Royal Library, Copenhagen for the preservation of palm leaf manuscripts. Stud. Conserv. 3, 135–140 (1958).
23. Joshi, B. R. Preservation of palm leaf manuscripts. Conserv. Cult. Prop. 22, 120–127 (1989).
24. Suryawanshi, D. G., Nair, M. V. & Sinha, P. M. Improving the flexibility of palm leaf. Restaur 13, 37–46 (1992).
25. Joshi, Y. (ed.) Modern techniques of preservation and conservation of palm leaf manuscripts. In Proc. Conf. Palm Leaf and Other Manuscripts Indian Lang. (Inst. Asian Stud., Madras, 1995).
26. Harinarayana, N. Techniques of conservation of palm leaf manuscripts: ancient and modern. In Proceedings of the Conference on Palm Leaf and Other Manuscripts in Indian Languages, 261-274 (1995).
27. Nichols, K. An alternative approach to loss compensation in palm leaf manuscripts. Pap. Conserv. 28, 105–109 (2004).10.1080/03094227.2004.9638646 ↗
28. Takagi, N., et al. Preservation cooperation in Nepal: from training to conservation and digitization of rolled palm leaf manuscripts. In Preservation and Conservation in Asia:Pre-conference of WLIC, 16–17 (2006)
29. Poirier, J. Delaminating and fraying fibres: developing an advanced treatment approach for the conservation of a 12th century palm leaf manuscript [EB/OL]. Chester Beatty Library, Dublin. Available at: https://chesterbeatty.ie/conservation/delaminating-and-fraying-fibres/ (Accessed 2025-06-11) (2020).
30. Dong, D. & Yu, C. Techniques for filling losses in palm leaf manuscripts. Restaur 45, 257–275 (2024).10.1515/res-2024-0008 ↗
31. Yao, N., Lv, J., Guo, H. & Wang, S. A study on the adhesive materials used in the conservation and restoration of palm leaf manuscripts. J. Fudan Univ. 63, 628–639 (2024). (in Chinese)
32. Crowley, A. S. Repair and conservation of palm leaf manuscripts. Restaur 1, 105–114 (1969).
33. Lian, X. et al. Revealing the Mechanism of Ink Flaking from Surfaces of Palm Leaves (Corypha umbraculifera). Langmuir 40, 6375–6383 (2024).10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03946 ↗
34. Panigrahi, A. K. & Litt, D. Odia script in palm-leaf manuscripts. J. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 23, 13–19 (2018).
35. Sahoo, J. A selective review of scholarly communications on palm leaf manuscripts. Libr. Philos. Pract 1, 1397–1427 (2016).
36. Freeman, R. Turning over old leaves: Palm leaves used in South Asian manuscripts. Book Pap. Group Annu. 24, 99–102 (2005).
37. Jiao, Y., Gao, Z., Li, G., Li, P. & Li, P. Effect of different indigenous microorganisms and its composite microbes on degradation of corn straw. Trans. Chin. Soc. Agric. Eng. 31, 201–207 (2015). (in Chinese)
38. Pepe, O. et al. Heterotrophic microorganisms in deteriorated medieval wall paintings in southern Italian churches. Microbiol. Res. 165, 21–32 (2010).10.1016/j.micres.2008.03.005 ↗
39. Li, Q., Zhang, B., Yang, X. & Ge, Q. Deterioration-associated microbiome of stone monuments: structure, variation, and assembly. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 84, e02680–17 (2018).10.1128/AEM.02680-17 ↗
40. Zhang, Y. et al. Diversity and composition of culturable microorganisms and their biodeterioration potentials in the sandstone of Beishiku Temple, China. Microorganisms 11, 429 (2023).10.3390/microorganisms11020429 ↗
41. Wang, J. et al. Transcriptomics analysis reveals the high biodegradation efficiency of white-rot fungus Phanerochaete sordida YK-624 on native lignin. J. Biosci. Bioeng. 132, 253–257 (2021).10.1016/j.jbiosc.2021.05.009 ↗
42. Hajji-Hedfi, L. et al. Microbial inoculants for plant resilience performance: roles, prospects and challenges. J. Plant Dis. Prot. 132, 88 (2025).10.1007/s41348-025-01080-7 ↗
43. Bylund Melin, C., Hagentoft, C.-E., Holl, K., Nik, V. M. & Kilian, R. Simulations of moisture gradients in wood subjected to changes in relative humidity and temperature due to climate change. Geosci 8, 378 (2018).10.3390/geosciences8100378 ↗
44. Jurkiewicz, I. Magic in conservation—using leaf-casting on paper and palm leaves. Collection Care Blog. Available at: https://blogs.bl.uk/collectioncare/2017/10/magic-in-conservation-using-leaf-casting-a-mechanical-pulp-repair-technique-on-paper-and-palm-leaves-as-the-library-i.html (Accessed 2025-06-11) (2017).
45. Chu, S. et al. Analysis of Aspergillus niger isolated from ancient palm leaf manuscripts and its deterioration mechanisms. Herit. Sci. 12, 199 (2024).10.1186/s40494-024-01320-3 ↗
46. Zhang, W. et al. Study on the Aging Effects of Relative Humidity on the Primary Chemical Components of Palm Leaf Manuscripts. Polymers 17, 83 (2025).10.3390/polym17010083 ↗
47. Suryawanshi, D. G., Sinha, P. M. & Agrawal, O. P. Basic studies on the properties of palm leaf. Restaur 15, 65–78 (1994).
48. Jacobs, D. Workshop notes of the conservation and stabilization of palm leaf manuscripts. South Asia Libr. Group Newsl. 40, 27–28 (2010).