A twelfth century Chinese wall painting was found to be superimposed over an earlier painting. The two paintings, both in aqueous media on supports composed of mud mixed with rice husks and straw, were separated by slicing through the mud support of the top painting with a thin wire probe. After the removal of residues of mud from the face of the earlier painting, the paint was impregnated with a dilute solution of poly(vinyl acetate). -- AATA