| ■Tokyo National Research
Institute for Cultural Properties |
■Center for Conservation
Science |
| ■Department of Art Research,
Archives and Information Systems |
■Japan Center for
International Cooperation in Conservation |
| ■Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage |
|
In the Chemistry Laboratory
Mr. Yokokawa, Director of the Historical Museum of Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.:
On November 11, Mr. Yokokawa, Director of the Historical Museum of Nagasaki Shipyard and Machinery Works, visited the Institute in order to view the studio and the laboratories where the lacquered shelf of the Argentina Maru, a piece in the museum’s collection, is going to be restored. Director Yokokawa toured the Conservation Laboratory and Chemistry Laboratory of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques and the Restoration Studio of the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation. The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
In the Restoration Studio
Prof. A. Ochir, International Institute for the Study of Nomadic Civilizations, Mongolia and Prof. Matsukawa, Otani University:
On November 25, Profs. A. Ochir and Matsukawa visited the Institute in order to exchange opinions with our specialists on the Birch-Bark Manuscripts that were recently excavated in Mongolia. The visitors also inspected the current state of conservation of paper in Japan. The visitors toured the Conservation Laboratory and the Chemistry Laboratory of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques and the Restoration Studio of the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation. The staff members in charge of each section explained the work they do.
Presentation by TAKAGISHI Akira (Nov. 11th)
Presentation by SASAKI Moritoshi (Nov. 12th)
In order to further publicize the results of its day-to-day research, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems hosts a public lecture series each fall for personnel from the Institute and other facilities. This year marked the 45th of these lecture series. The theme of this year’s lecture series was a new one, Dialogues on Objects and Images, and dealt with various aspects of cultural properties as immobile objects that engender vivid imagery in people’s minds. Four art history researchers from the Institute and other facilities gave presentations Nov. 11th and 12th in the Institute’s seminar hall.
The theme for Nov. 11th was “Multiple streams of styles in Japanese art history: Selection and modification of styles.” SARAI Mai, a researcher in the Department, gave a presentation entitled “From the Early to Late Heian Period: Sculpting of the Juichimen Kannon [eleven-headed Kannon] at Rokuharamitsuji Temple while TAKAGISHI Akira, an associate professor in the graduate school of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, gave a presentation entitled “From the Kamakura Period to the Muromachi Period: The origins and revival of the medieval Yamato-e painting style.” Ms. SARAI focused on “style,” a concept particular to art history, as she discussed sculptures during a transition in styles in the mid-10th century with specific attention to the context in which those sculptures were produced. Mr. TAKAGISHI expanded on his own multilayered view of changes in Yamato-e style paintings evident in picture scrolls from the end of the Heian Period–Muromachi Period.
The theme for Nov. 12th was “Concepts of antique art.” WATADA Minoru, Head of the Department’s Trans-Disciplinary Research Section, gave a presentation entitled “Foundations for Chinese-style paintings of the Muromachi Period: Shubun and Sesshu” while SASAKI Moritoshi of the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts gave a presentation entitled “Buddhist print design from the Heian Period–Kamakura Period: Buddhist images on stamps.” Antique art tends to be described merely in terms of shape, but Mr. WATADA shed light on conditions during the creation of “Autumn and Winter Landscapes,” one of Sesshu’s works (in the Tokyo National Museum’s collection) and the works of Shubun, his teacher, as well as the roles of those works. Similarly, Mr. SASAKI shed light on conditions during the creation of Buddhist prints stored inside Buddhist statues as well as the roles of those prints. Although completely forgotten today, the “concepts” of those works were brought to light.
Lectures were unusually well attended, with an audience of 128 on Nov. 11th and 108 on Nov. 12th. The seminar hall was packed. In each presentation, presenters described the results of their latest research. Despite the academic content of the lectures, audiences remained enthralled and appeared to enjoy these novel topics.
The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art
Survey underway at the Museum
As part of a program for cultural cooperation by the Japan Foundation and scheduled from Nov. 27 to Dec. 6, 2011, a survey of Japan-related artworks in the collection of the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art was conducted. Azerbaijan became an independent state following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its capital, Baku, is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, and medieval buildings that have been inscribed as world heritage sites still remain in the older part of the city. The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art was founded in Baku in 1920 and curates and domestically exhibits primarily Russian and European paintings and sculptures. The Museum’s collection includes about 300 pieces of Oriental art from Japan and China, but the Museum has no expert in Oriental art, so the Museum has had difficulty distinguishing Japanese artworks from those made in China or elsewhere. Thus, OCHI Ayako, a member of a culture team in the Cultural Programs Division of the Japan Foundation, KOMATSU Taishu, Director of the Akita Senshu Museum of Art, and EMURA Tomoko of the Institute visited the Museum. We surveyed works in the collection and advised Museum personnel on exhibiting and managing those works. As a result, the survey determined that about 100 of 270 works that were surveyed were Japanese artworks (pottery, sculptures, lacquerware, gilded objects, textiles, paintings, and books printed from woodblocks). Most of the surveyed works are pottery exported overseas from Japan and China from the late 19th century to the early 20th century; although the pieces are not considered particularly rare, the identification of this collection of exported pottery is significant. Plans are to finish compiling the survey data and then translate the survey report and provide copies to the Museum. This effort should help to further understanding of Japanese culture in Azerbaijan and help locate unknown works held abroad as part of research on pottery exported from Japan.
While in Azerbaijan, we visited the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Azerbaijan and met with WATANABE Shusuke, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. The Ambassador explained that he wanted to build on the survey and encourage further cultural exchanges between Japan and Azerbaijan. The efforts of Embassy staff like KOBAYASHI Ginga, second secretary to the Japanese Embassy and supervisor of this program, helped to ensure our survey went smoothly overall. The year 2012 will mark a 20-year milestone since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Azerbaijan. Plans are underway for the Museum to host commemorative exhibitions with the cooperation of the Japanese Embassy. The survey was extremely significant since it laid the groundwork for future activities like plans for friendly relations between the two countries.
Decoy cormorants placed in front of a hut (where catchers wait for cormorants) on a 15-meter-high cliff
A cormorant that has just been hooked and caught
This study examined techniques of catching Japanese cormorants (an intangible folk cultural property of Hitachi City) in Jyu-o Town, Ibaraki Prefecture in the beginning of November. This was the second time this area was visited since last spring, when the aftermath of the earthquake in March was investigated. Since the study took place midway through the autumn cormorant season, the actual techniques used to catch cormorants were observed and recorded. Cormorants in flight are lured in by using several cormorants as decoys. They are then hooked with a long bamboo pole, placed in bamboo cages with their bills fixed with a little wooden implement called a Hashikake, and sent to cormorant fishing sites all over Japan.
Researchers were fortunate enough to see a cormorant been caught during the study since cormorant catchers mentioned that they often saw no cormorants flying even after waiting for several days. In terms of the type of technique, techniques to catch cormorants could be categorized as ambush hunting techniques, which include techniques to catch falcons and Mabushi hunting, a primitive style of hunting. Cormorant catching retains this primitiveness because catchers have to select and catch only quality cormorants and because large numbers of cormorants need not be caught. However, this also means that cormorant catching alone cannot constitute one’s livelihood, resulting in a lack of catchers to carry on the technique. Since almost all of the cormorant fishermen at 12 locations in Japan use cormorants caught in Jyu-o town, this technique of catching cormorants is an important folk technique that sustains traditional cormorant fishing in Japan. Additional safeguards are needed to pass on this technique in the future
6th session of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage
The 6th session of Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage was held in the Nusa Dua area of Bali, Indonesia from November 22 to 29, 2011 at the Bali International Convention Centre. Representing the Institute, MIYATA Shigeyuki and IMAISHI Migiwa from the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage and FUTAGAMI Yoko from the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems participated in the conference.
In the Session, 11 nominated files were inscribed in the “List of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Need of Urgent Safeguarding,” 19 were inscribed in the “Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,” and 5 safeguarding practices were registered as “Best Safeguarding Practices.”
Six files nominated by Japan for the Representative List were evaluated. As a result, 2 nominated elements, “Mibu no Hana Taue, ritual of transplanting rice in Mibu, Hiroshima” and “Sada Shin Noh, sacred dancing at Sada shrine, Shimane,” were inscribed, and 4 nominated files, including “Hon-minoshi, papermaking in the Mino region of Gifu Prefecture,” were “referred” back to the submitting state.
“Referring” a nomination is a system adopted by this session of the Committee in order to ask Submitting States for additional information, if necessary, to better recommend whether to inscribe the element or not. Since the system is brand new, lengthy debate was held over the appropriateness of each “referral.” Topics that had been discussed starting last year, such as limits on the number of nominations considered, limits on the number of nominations made by each State, and the appropriateness of involving experts from the Consultative Body, led to a greater rift in opinions among Committee Members than was apparent last year. Several topics were even decided by a majority vote, which had never occurred before in a session. Although in full force for less than 3 years, the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage appears to have reached a turning point. This issue is of considerable interest domestically and, given the desire to encourage international exchanges in the area of Intangible Cultural Heritage, these trends must be carefully followed in the future.
Workshop in progress
The 16th Local Workshop on Materials Conservation was held on Nov. 16th and 17th at the Contemporary Art Museum, Kumamoto The workshop had 68 attendees.
The workshop seeks to send Institute personnel into local communities to teach basic knowledge about materials conservation to curators and administrators of cultural heritage. Seminars are conducted on topics such as general theory, temperature and humidity, lighting, climate control, and pest control. In addition, this session of the workshop was the first to feature a lecture on materials conservation in a “contemporary art museum.” Contemporary art museums are often designed based on concepts unlike those used in facilities dealing with works prior to the modern era. That said, contemporary art museums sometimes handle classical works, including national treasures , so persons in charge of cultural properties need to be aware of the characteristics of their individual facilities in order to safely conserve and exhibit those pieces. Such persons also need to handle those pieces appropriately. In addition, such persons are aware that the time has come for them to seriously consider the conservation of contemporary artworks with potential historical and artistic value. The fact is that we as curators are lacking in experience with and study of both works of contemporary art and the facilities curating them. Thus, the Institute hopes to actively ascertain the needs of current curators and highlight those issues.
High-resolution image photography of the Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva
As part of the “Study on Digital Imaging of Cultural Properties” research project of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems, high-resolution images of a color Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva on silk (a National Treasure) in the Tokyo National Museum were taken on October 5th. This photography was in accordance with a “joint study” between the Institute and the Tokyo National Museum. The images were taken by SHIRONO Seiji of the Institute’s Image Laboratory with the assistance of TAZAWA Hiroyoshi of the Tokyo National Museum; KOBAYASHI Tatsuro and EMURA Tomoko were also involved in the project. The Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva is a typical Buddhist painting from the Heian Period. Buddhist paintings from the Heian Period display delicate beauty in subtle features that distinguish these works in the history of Japanese paintings. Thus, observing the subtle features displayed is crucial. The project photographed the work as a whole in 28 sections at the highest resolution currently available, and more detailed portions were macro-photographed in 8 sections. The results surpass what is visible with the naked eye. In the future, the Institute will jointly examine the information obtained with specialists from the Tokyo National Museum.
OMURA Seigai upon his trip to China in 1921 to study art history
OMURA Seigai (1868–1927) was active as an art critic during the middle of the Meiji Period and later in his life contributed substantially to the development of Oriental art history as a professor at the Tokyo Fine Art School. When OMURA’s relatives donated his papers to the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2008, SHIOYA Jun (National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo) served as a principal researcher in A Study of OMURA Seigai that began in 2009 through a grant-in-aid for scientific research. On October 18th, SHIOYA presented the results of that research at the 7th Seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems.
With “OMURA Seigai and moro-tai (vague style)” as his theme, SHIOYA explored the relationship between OMURA’s art criticism and Japanese-style painting during the middle of the Meiji Period. OMURA is known as a figure who criticized the innovative Japanese-style painting by the likes of YOKOYAMA Taikan and HISHIDA Shunso as “moro-tai,” but what is interesting is that a re-reading of this criticism reveals an aversion to the lines and brush strokes of Japanese-style painting and a tone that seems tied to that vague style. Through a re-appraisal of OMURA’s criticism, SHIOYA’s presentation sought to survey the path that modern Japanese-style painting took as it transformed from paintings that were “drawn” to paintings that were “painted.”
ONISHI Junko of the Tokyo University of the Arts then made a presentation entitled “‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ compiled by OMURA Seigai (A description of featured works).” Published in 1915, “‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ compiled by OMURA Seigai” was the earliest compilation covering Chinese sculpture as a whole and retains its value even today as a guide for many researchers in the history of Chinese sculpture. ONISHI described OMURA’s private papers and the texts he himself revised among the materials donated to the Tokyo University of the Arts. ONISHI also traced the events in the compilation of ‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ while identifying research by OMURA and relevant sources.
Researchers of the Institute and other facilities such as YOSHIDA Chizuko of the Tokyo University of the Arts, the leading figure in the study of OMURA, participated in an active discussion following the presentations. Researchers as well, many of the attendees responded especially to OMURA’s empirical approach as was touched upon in the presentation by ONISHI.
Lecture program
A talk underway
Exhibition at the Heiseikan
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage held an annual public lecture at the Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum on October 22nd. The lecture dealt with recordings of the Shuni-e Ritual (Omizu-tori), held annually at Todaiji Temple, among materials in the Department’s collection. On-site recordings have continued to be made since 1967, resulting in an extensive collection including more than 400 10-inch open-reel tapes. Some of the recordings were played for the audience in between talks by the invited speakers, Mr. HASHIMOTO Shoen, Cyo-ro (the head monk) of Todaiji Temple, who confined himself to the temple for prayer from the 1960s to the 1990s, and Ms. SATO Michiko, an emeritus researcher at the Institute who played a leading role in the recording work. An exhibition displaying rare materials related to Shuni-e was also featured at the Heiseikan.
The lecture and the exhibition were well-received by 200 or more participants. An overview of the lecture, including interesting stories told by Mr. Hashimoto and Ms. Sato in their talks, will be presented in the next Research and Reports on Intangible Cultural Heritage, Vol. 6, to be published in March 2012.
Setting up wooden scaffold by a Kayabuki hut
Craftsmen thatching a roof using the Sashi-gaya technique
Techniques of maintaining thatched roofs in Akita Prefecture were studied in mid-October 2011. Kayabuki, or a thatched roof, is a general term to explain roofs that are covered with plant fibers, such as Japanese pampas grass, reeds, and Kariyasu (Miscanthus tinctorius) and is a traditional style used on Japanese houses, temples, and shrines. Since Japan’s period of high economic growth, techniques, landscapes, and culture related to Kayabuki have rapidly disappeared. Furthermore, the decline has been spurred by a decline in the number of craftsmen due to their advancing age and the lack of materials due to environmental changes.
Research was conducted by interviewing Kayabuki craftsmen and studying techniques firsthand with the cooperation of the “Committee for the Transmission of Kayabuki Culture, Akita.” There are basically two types of techniques to maintain a Kayabuki roof: Fuki-kae, a technique to entirely re-thatch a roof, and Sashi-gaya, a technique to partially re-thatch a roof by only changing damaged materials. The Tohoku region that faces the Sea of Japan and that includes Akita Prefecture is unique in the sense that the craftsmen there mostly maintain Kayabuki only by using the Sashi-gaya technique.
The current study plans to investigate and record the Sashi-gaya technique in order to understand it as a folk technique and to clarify its cultural importance.
Study of the work through X-ray fluorescence analysis in the Suntory Museum of Art
The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems and the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques performed optical studies of the Western Kings on Horseback screens (an Important Cultural Property) in the Suntory Museum of Art in 2010–2011. The Western Kings on Horseback screens are known to be masterpieces of early Western-style painting during the Momoyama Period. Together with the Western Kings on Horseback screens in the Kobe City Museum (an Important Cultural Property, currently with 4 panels in each), the screens constitute a pair of four-panel screens depicting 4 rulers on horseback and are said to have originally been wall paintings in Aizuwakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle). However, numerous uncertainties remain regarding events leading to the production of these screens. The optical studies performed took high-resolution color images, infrared images, fluorescent images, and X-ray images of the screens. Depictions and colors were studied in detail and colorants were identified through X-ray fluorescence analysis. Results indicated that the colorants used in both works were primarily pigments used in Japanese-style paintings, but results did reveal that the gold leaf used in the background differed. Some of the study results were noted on a plaque in the exhibit hall of the Suntory Museum of Art during its special exhibition (October 26–December 4, 2011) entitled “Light and Shadows in Namban Art: The Mystery of the Western Kings on Horseback.”
On-site training in GPR use at the Boraldai burial mound site.
Lecture on analysis of collected data from geophysical surveys.
On-site training in measurement at the Ken Bulun site.
Five Central Asian countries and China are now proceeding with various activities to facilitate the serial nomination of cultural heritage sites along the Silk Roads in Central Asia as the “Silk Road.” The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (JCICC) participated in a project to support the World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination of the Silk Roads (UNESCO/Japanese Funds-In-Trust project) starting this year and JCICC started various activities in Central Asia. Within the framework of this project, JCICC organized workshops in Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic in order to teach and train personnel.
In Kazakhstan, a workshop on methods of geophysical surveying was conducted from September 27th to October 19th in cooperation with JCICC, Nara NRICP, and the Kazakhstan Archeological Expertise Scientific Research Organization. Archaeologists from Kazakhstan as well as from other countries participated in the workshop.
In on-site training during the workshop, ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and electrical resistivity imaging were used at the Boraldai burial mound site near Almaty (Photo 1) and the ancient city of Sauran northwest of Turkestan. Trainees were quite enthusiastic (Photo 2) and learned much in a limited time.
Although this was essentially the first attempt at a geophysical survey of archaeological sites in Kazakhstan, results were sufficient to depict buried structures. In the future, the effectiveness of these geophysical survey techniques must be examined and their results must be verified through attempts at various types of archaeological sites and excavations. However, geophysical surveys are sure to be utilized given conditions in Central Asia, where numerous archaeological sites must be surveyed by a limited number of personnel.
In the Kyrgyz Republic, a workshop on measuring archaeological sites was held from October 18th to 24th. Eight experts from the Kyrgyz Republic participated in the workshop, organized by JCICC, Doushishya University, and the Institute of History and Cultural Heritage of the Kyrgyz Republic’s National Academy of Sciences.
After the lectures on the principles and methods of measurement, on-site training was conducted in the medieval city of Ken Bulun (Photo 3). Although the workshop lasted only 1 week, trainees clearly grasped the principles of measurement and learned measuring techniques.
JCICC will continue to conduct workshops in Central Asia to teach and train personnel in the protection of cultural heritage.
On-site Training of Archaeological Survey
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation started a four-year training program this year. In this program, a series of workshops covering documentation, excavations, conservation, and site management will be undertaken in the medieval fortified town of Ak Besim in the Chuy Valley of the Kyrgyz Republic. This program has been commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan and aims to train young experts in Central Asian countries in the protection of cultural heritage in Central Asia.
This year, the first workshop was held from October 6th to 17th in cooperation with the Institute of History and Cultural Heritage of the National Academy of Sciences, Kyrgyz Republic and the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. The main topic of this workshop was documentation of archaeological sites. Trainees received lectures at the Institute of History and Cultural Heritage in Bishkek and received on-site training in archaeological surveys using total stations at the Ak Besim site. A total of 12 young experts joined the workshop as trainees. Eight trainees were from Kyrgyz while the remaining 4 were from the 4 other countries of Central Asia. Every trainee enthusiastically participated in the workshop to become skilled in archaeological surveys. Another important result of the workshop was the friendships that were fostered among trainees through the workshop.
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation plans to conduct various workshops for the protection of cultural heritage in Central Asia in the future as well.
Fragment prior to work
Fragment after work (cleaning & placement of small pieces in their original positions)
Backing attachment
From October 9th to November 8th, a 12th mission was conducted on the Conservation of Wall Painting Fragments in the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan. This mission conserved wall paintings from the 11th-12th centuries unearthed at a site in Khulbuk in Southern Tajikistan. Wall paintings at the Khulbuk site are relics of the earliest Islamic art in Central Asia and are items of unmatched value. This conservation project was undertaken with a grant from the Sumitomo Foundation.
Most of the wall painting fragments unearthed from the Khulbuk site are no thicker than 1 cm. Overall, the fragments are severely degraded and are so brittle that they cannot be handed. In light of the results of trial conservation work in 2009, the 12th mission enhanced the layers of color in 3 fragments, cleaned them, and attached a backing to them. The surface of the wall painting portion was sprayed several times with a solution of Funori – (glue made of seeweed), the layers of color were brought out to a certain intensity, and then the portion was cleaned. Afterwards, small, loose pieces that had broken off were placed back in their correct position. To protect the replaced pieces and stabilize the fragment as a whole, a backing was provided with triaxial woven fabric to readily conform to the contours of the back of the fragment.
Subsequent missions will look into ways to clean other fragments, attach a backing to them, and mount them.
Symposium
Panel Discussion
Keynote lecture by Seiichi Kondo, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs
A symposium for the public was held on October 16, 2011 in Heiseikan of the Tokyo National Museum.
Seiichi Kondo, Commissioner for Cultural Affairs, gave the keynote lecture in which he talked about cultural properties damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake and a program to rescue those properties called the “Cultural Property Rescue Programme.” Satoshi Yamamoto, Councilor for Cultural Properties, Shingo Hidaka, Associate Professor at the National Museum of Ethnology, Koji Miyazaki, Executive Director of the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, and Henri Simon, President of Patrimoine sans frontières (PSF), gave lectures and joined in a panel discussion on “Emergency Responses to Safeguard Cultural Heritage.”
The lectures covered diverse topics such as efforts to preserve buildings, folk cultural properties, and written cultural heritage damaged by the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and the Great East Japan Earthquake. Topics also included assistance to safeguard cultural heritage abroad. Discussion of emergency efforts to rescue cultural heritage reaffirmed the need for Japan to capitalize on its experience in safeguarding cultural properties damaged by disaster and to cooperate in future international efforts to safeguard cultural properties damaged by disaster.
At the Performing Arts Studio
Six students from Okachimachi Taito Junior High School, Taito Ward:
On September 16, six students from Okachimachi Taito Junior high school visited our facility as part of learning activities at their school. The students toured the Performing Arts Studio of the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage. The staff members in charge of the section explained the work they do and answered their questions.
Cover of Issue 1 of Mizue (July 1905 edition)
Through a project on General Research regarding the Publication and Utilization of Research on Cultural Properties, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems is seeking to coordinate with other bodies to effectively display the journal on the Web and utilize accumulated research on cultural properties. Among art journals in the Institute’s collection, some Meiji Period art journals are defunct and their copyrights have expired. Numerous readers here in Japan and overseas wish to view Mizue, one such journal, so as part of the project the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems is seeking to coordinate the National Institute of Informatics to make the journal available on the Web. On September 13th, a conference to achieve that end was held at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. The goal would be to display the journal on the Web with a full index and links; article searches would allow readers to view images of the main text on the Web. Representatives of both institutes determined steps to achieve that goal and effective ways to display the journal on the Web. Representatives of both institutes reaffirmed their intent to display Issues 1-10 within a year and later display issues from the Meiji Period up to Issue 89 as part of the project.
Carrying damaged works out of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum
Cleaning the backside of canvas
The Great East Japan Earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th of this year resulted in a tsunami that caused extensive water damage to the entire collection of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum in Iwate Prefecture. The Museum exhibited and stored cultural artifacts and natural science specimens. It also stored oil paintings, calligraphy works, and block prints done by local artists. After the disaster, these artworks were transported from the site to facilities under prefectural control in the City of Morioka by curators dispatched by museums belonging to the Japanese Council of Art Museums. Emergency measures were then taken to rescue these works.
At the site of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum, most of the surrounding buildings had been washed away, and only part of the damaged frame of the museum remained. On July 12th and 13th, curators surveyed and packed the works in the collection under a hot sun and then transported them to facilities under prefectural control in the City of Morioka. Many of the works were quite large (sizes 200-500) and some works were severely damaged by mold since the air temperature had risen after the works were exposed to seawater, so the works had to be fumigated prior to emergency efforts. Works were fumigated from August 9th to 16th and emergency efforts began on August 21st. Close to 700 curators and conservation specialists from Hokkaido to Kyushu came from the Japanese Council of Art Museums to participate in the efforts. They worked non-stop to clean paintings and plaques and mold-proof works so that they would be able to survive interim storage in museum repositories. In total, 156 works were fully treated and delivered to the Iwate Museum of Art repository on September 29th. Plans are for the City of Rikuzentakata to deposit these works with the Iwate Museum of Art in the future. Rescue efforts were undertaken by the Japanese Council of Art Museums, the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education, the City of Rikuzentakata’s Board of Education, the Iwate Museum of Art, and the National Museum of Art. Efforts were supported and coordinated by the Cultural Property Rescue Program Committee (of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo).
Works survived this massive disaster and were cared for by numerous individuals so that they can be protected and handed down to future generations. Fervent hopes are that these works will not lie dormant in museum repositories but that they will have the opportunity to entertain the public.
Lecture underway
The 35th International Symposium on the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Properties was held at the Heiseikan Large Auditorium, Tokyo National Museum from Sept. 3 to 5, 2011 with “Tradition and Transmission of Textile Techniques: Present Condition of Research and Conservation” as its theme.
At the symposium, domestic and foreign experts from various disciplines related to textiles, such as craftsmen, restorers, curators, and researchers were invited to discuss the “making,” “protecting,” and “handing down” of textiles. This symposium sought to suggest directions for future research on textile techniques. Particular focus was placed on problems with raw materials and tools encountered during the making and restoring of textiles, the nature of the system to educate successors to pass on these techniques to future generations, and multifaceted approaches to the study of textile techniques.
Two keynote speeches given at the beginning of the symposium dealt with the fundamental themes of textile techniques, such as the fact that these techniques had inevitably undergone change over the years and that some of techniques had been lost in that process.
Following the keynote speeches were 4 sessions on Protecting of Textile Techniques, Textile Conservation Today, Approaches to Textile Techniques, and Transmission of Textile Techniques; these sessions were followed by a general discussion. Each session included interesting presentations dealing with problems such as advice on handing down textile techniques from the craftsmen’s points of view, the history and current state of restoration techniques at home and abroad, methods of studying domestic and foreign textiles and other related materials in order to advance research on textile techniques, and the education of successors to carry on these techniques.
In the general discussion, problems commonly encountered by participants were discussed, such as how to conserve textile techniques that inevitably change over time, technical problems that craftsmen and restorers face, and differences in concepts of keeping modern textile collections in Japan and abroad.
There was not enough time to delve deeply into each problem, but the participants praised the symposium as a significant opportunity to discuss present problems and to build new networks among colleagues. Plans are to publish details of the symposium in proceedings next year.
