Meet Our Fellows

Fellowship Project

Dr. Zhang will visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art (the “Met”) in the United States for 6 months (January – July 2026) to investigate the preservation condition of the Met’s textiles collection, analyze the dyes used in the textiles, and develop a novel low-invasive identification method for dyes in the collections. Additionally, she will engage in research on the aging mechanisms of dyes and will master rapid identification techniques for micro-trace textile materials. Finally, by integrating dyes analysis achievements in textiles from The Palace Museum with the findings from the Met, she will explore the distinct development process of Eastern and Western dyes/dyeing techniques, exchange conservation methodologies, and thus supplement the scientific basis of traditional restoration practices.

Biography

Dr. ZHANG Yun graduated with a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. In 2017, she joined the Department of Conservation Science at The Palace Museum, focusing on the investigation and conservation of organic artifacts—particularly specializing in dyes and dyeing techniques in ancient textiles and paper-based relics. She has participated in multiple national and provincial/ministerial-level research projects and published more than ten academic papers in reputable domestic and international journals. Until now, she has identified the materials and dyes of nearly 100 cultural relics, and the scientific reports generated from her research have laid a strong scientific foundation for developing restoration strategies.