Physical Condition of Five Historical Land Deeds and Implications for Land Deed Paper Conservation

keywords:land deeds  papermaking  paper conservation

Abstract:This work presents five land deeds (S1-S5) collected by the Deng family, the land deed papers were produced by the Deng family, and the content was about the transaction of the Deng family paper production site. Density, whiteness, pH value, and fiber morphology of the deed papers were measured and analyzed, and the physical condition of the deeds was determined. The results showed S1 and S3 were severely damaged, S2 and S4 were moderately damaged, and S5 was mildly damaged. The abovementioned deeds are physical witnesses to the history of Deng papermaking, and have high value as cultural relics and historical documents. It is hopefully this study could be used to inform scientific restoration plans, and provide a reference for the collection and protection of land deeds.