The problems of investigation and conservation of polychrome Chinese sculpture in a western museum with little information available for comparison are outlined. Four case histories are described in detail: a wooden 12th-century Guanyin, a cast-iron Tang dynasty head of Buddha, a terracotta Tang dynasty tomb guardian figure and a stone seated Buddha of uncertain date. Particular attention is given to the analysis of pigments, grounds, and media and the interactions between the pigment, ground layers, and substrate. -- AATA