Possible Use of Gold Leaf on OGATA Kōrin’s ‘Red and White Plum Blossoms’

On February 14, Professor NAKAI Izumi, Tokyo University of Science, proposed the possibility of gold leaf being used for the background of the folding screens ‘Red and White Plum Blossoms’ at a symposium held at the MOA Museum which houses the work. This observation was based on Professor NAKAI’s measurement of the crystal structure using techniques such as X-ray diffraction, commissioned by the museum, which detected crystal planes identical to those found in gold leaf. It drew attention as research outcomes differing from the use of gold paste, kindei, which had been announced by the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, in 2004 based on scientific research, which had sparked debate. (Japanese)