| ■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 |
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Dr. ITO with his colleagues of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Properties and their families (Third from left. Right end is HINAKO Moto’o who served as Director of the Buildings Division (1966-1971) before Dr. ITO, and IHARA Keishi who served as Director of Restoration Engineering Department (1988-1990) of the Institute on his left.)
On September 13th, a set of materials related to the administrative work for the protection of cultural properties, where Dr. ITO Nobuo served as Director of the Institute for nine years from April 1978 to March 1987, was donated to the Institute by his son, Mr. ITO Akio. Dr. ITO was a technocrat and architectural historian who led the development of cultural property protection in the postwar period. In particular, he played a central role as director of the Buildings Division of the Agency for Cultural Affairs (1971-1977) in the planning of the traditional town/village conservation system, which was newly established as a result of the revision of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties in 1975. He has also left a significant mark in the international field of heritage conservation by actively communicating Japan’s conservation philosophy and repair methods, and by leading “the Nara Conference on Authenticity” held in November 1994, which led to the international development of authenticity, a concept of conservation originating in Western Europe.
The donated documents are mainly primary materials related to the administration of cultural property protection and international cooperation that Dr. ITO was involved in as part of his work, as well as various materials related to research activities, private activities, and manuscripts related to architectural history and cultural properties. These materials were accumulated during the active life he led, and since they have not been systematically collected and organized, it is certain that among them are many items for which detailed information is not clear at this stage. However, from the viewpoint that it is important to make the materials available to researchers who need them as soon as possible, we plan to make them accessible to the public after classifying all the materials according to activity and sorting each item mechanically.
Among the donated materials, I would like to bring to your attention a photograph of a young Dr. ITO with his colleagues from the Buildings Division of the Committee for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Considering the appearance of Dr. ITO and the other photographs enclosed, my guess is that it was taken around 1965 when he was working hard as an architectural conservation officer at the site. The carefree demeanor and lively smiles of all in this photograph seem to indicate that the cultural properties administration was carried out during an era when Japan’s economy was booming. This fact is not easily perceivable in the formal photos from official reports.
・“To the Memory of Dr. Nobuo Ito” by SAITO Hidetoshi
2016 Volume 66 Pages 148-159
JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIANS OF JAPAN
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsahj/66/0/66_148/_article/-char/en
・ITO Nobuo2016 Year Book of Japanese Art, page 557-558, Online in 2018
https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/bukko/809181.html (Japanese only)
Practical session
The satellite venue
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and the International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property (ICCROM) have been jointly organizing “the International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper” (JPC) since 1992. The course aims to contribute to the protection of cultural property outside Japan by disseminating the knowledge and techniques of conservation and restoration of paper cultural property in Japan to participants from around the world. Every year, we have invited 10 specialists in conservation from all over the world; however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we could not hold the course in 2020 and 2021. Under these circumstances, we conducted a trial experiment for the introduction of digital technology in international courses from September 8th to 15th. The trial aimed to examine the possibility of holding online courses, which are mainly composed of practical sessions such as the JPC, and to clarify problems toward the realization of the online course itself.
Before the trial, lectures were held on basic knowledge of adhesives and paper, which are major conservation materials for cultural properties on paper. The lectures were livestreamed and archived. As for the practical sessions, five simulated participants from the staff members of TOBUNKEN were divided into two groups; the one received in-person teaching and the other was given online instructions at a satellite venue. The practical sessions were led by conservators from a certified group holding the Selected Conservation Techniques on “Restoration techniques for mounts.” The participants experienced the process of restoration of a handscroll from cleaning to mounting. On the last day, the lecturers and participants discussed the effectiveness of online courses. Although the merits of the use of ICT devices were recognized, issues of doing practical sessions online, such as the necessity of having basic knowledge and experience of paper conservation in advance, the limitations of technical training through a computer, and the difficulties of troubleshooting the network environment and communication devices were highlighted.
“Dio Fluviale”, a clay statue by Michelangelo Buonarroti, the restoration of which was completed in 2017
Stucco Decorations in the 17th century (Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta)
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation has been conducting research and surveys investigating stucco decorations in fiscal year 2021 as part of the “International Research on Technology for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage” program, which offers grants for research expenses. On September 11th, 2021, we held a second discussion with experts from Europe involved in the conservation of stucco decorations.
In this discussion, the use of glue made of seaweed and “Kami Susa” (binder made of “Washi” – Japanese paper – and used as part of plaster) attracted participants’ interest. These materials began to be made in order to control the plaster thickness and prevent plaster from cracking in the Edo era, when the demand for plaster walls increased. While many creative techniques and materials have been developed in Europe, where there is a long history of stucco decorations, their materials are different from those in Japan. Thus, we agreed to add the data of additives, which have been used in each country and region, as well as in different periods, as the comparative target items in our ongoing research and create a database of them.
In relation to these findings, we plan to pursue our research on how the constituents included in various additives chemically affect stucco decorations. Different materials, their natures, and the techniques used to create stucco decorations, have different impacts on the deterioration due to aging as well as how the decoration is damaged over a long period. These studies are extremely important for determining the most suitable methods for their conservation and restoration.
This research and survey began with the focus on stucco decorations. However, our deep analysis of their history enabled us to recognize the close relationship with clay statues. We plan to expand our research on the clay statues that share many common materials and creation techniques and pursue research on how to conserve them and preserve their heritage in the most suitable ways.
Lacquer Door Panels of Wat Rajpradit - mother-of-pearl with underpainting is seen in both the upper and lower parts, and cedar material decorated with colored lacquer maki-e is found in the middle portions.
Front Cover of the Report
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been conducting a joint study to preserve the cultural heritage of Thailand in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Culture of Thailand (FAD), since 1992. As a part of this joint study, we have been providing technical support through related parties in Thailand, including the Temple and FAD, for the restoration project related to the lacquer door panels at Wat Rajpradit, the first-grade royal Buddhism temple built in 1864.
Restoration of cultural heritage requires devising a plan based on detailed research on materials, techniques, surrounding environment, and deterioration status of each cultural heritage, and the restoration work needs to proceed according to the plan. Hence, relevant scientific investigation on the cultural heritage in question is crucial. Lacquer door panels at Wat Rajpradit were believed to be made in Japan because they have designs of flowers and birds, landscapes, and figures wearing Japanese kimonos, and they feature work in mother-of-pearl with underpaint techniques, which were often used in lacquerware exported from Japan in the mid-19th century. However, there was neither concrete evidence nor clues regarding their producers and their positioning in the history of such techniques. Therefore, numerous experts in various fields from TOBUNKEN and other organizations conducted scientific investigations and research studies on the designs expressed in mother-of-pearl with underpainting and colored lacquer maki-e. According to these studies, the material ingredients, techniques, and design elements found in the lacquer door panels strongly suggest that they were made in Japan.
The report “Study of the Japan-made Lacquerwork found in Thailand – Lacquer Door Panels of Wat Rajpradit,” published in Japanese in March 2021 assists in understanding these research outcomes and provides an overview of the interdisciplinary research on cultural heritage. This report is accessible in the TOBUNKEN Library, public libraries in Japan, and some libraries in overseas museums that have collections of Japanese artworks. We hope that you will read it.
Damaged “Hanshan and Shide”
Investigation
Photographing
Myōhōji Temple, located in Marugame city, Kagawa prefecture, is known for the fact that Yosa Buson (1716-1783), a painter and haiku poet of the Edo era, visited it in 1768 and left many of his paintings there. His painting “Hanshan and Shide,” an Important Cultural Property, is damaged and Hanshan’s face is partially lost. Fortunately, the previous image including Hanshan’s face undamaged was retrieved from the monochrome films that were shot in the Myōhōji Temple by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) in 1959. It was recently found that the films showed the painting in its undamaged form.
TOBUNKEN conducted an investigation, photography project, and research study to reproduce this damaged painting placed on sliding doors (fusuma-e) as digital images based on the existing monochrome films and new images produced through this project.
Four researchers from the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems—SHIRONO Seiji, EMURA Tomoko, YASUNAGA Takuyo, and MAIZAWA Rei—visited the Myōhōji Temple from August 24th to 28th, 2021 for this research investigation and photography with sufficient infection control measures against COVID-19. The investigation targets were “Hanshan and Shide,” “Cycad,” “Landscapes,” “Bamboo,” and “Jurō (God of longevity),” all works of Yosa Buson. All paintings were shot in color, while “Hanshan and Shide,” “Cycad,” and “Landscapes” were also shot using infrared (IR) imaging. Furthermore, experts of sliding door making and cultural property conservation measured “Hanshan and Shide” sliding doors because the reproduced image of “Hanshan and Shide” will be mounted on sliding doors and placed in the main hall of Myōhōji Temple.
There are still challenges such as finding a way to convert the monochrome image into a color image. We would like to explore new ways to utilize the image materials accumulated by TOBUNKEN through this reproduction experience.
Investigation using X-ray fluorescent analyses
The Protection of Tumuli and Wall Paintings Project Team consisting mainly of researchers from Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties（TOBUNKEN）and the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has been working on research studies to preserve and restore the wall paintings of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus and Kitora Tumulus. Compared with the wall paintings of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, the wall paintings of Kitora Tumulus are characterized by the twelve signs of the zodiac, depicted as animal heads on human bodies, three of which are featured on each wall along with the Four Divine Creatures and Star Atlas and others.
While six figures out of twelve—the Rat, Ox, Tiger, Horse, Dog, and Boar—have been identified, the Rabbit, Sheep, and Rooster are completely lost since the plaster where the paintings should be is missing. The rest, that is, the Dragon, Snake, and Monkey, are not yet identified because the surface of the walls is covered with mud. These three pieces of walls that could contain those paintings are currently not reassembled, but are preserved in the facility for conservation and restoration of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus wall paintings.
The material investigation group and restoration group of this project team worked together on an investigation using X-ray radiography in 2018 and found some radiographic images that seemed to show something drawn in the space where the Dragon was expected to be, but many questions remained. Then, in December 2020, X-ray fluorescent analyses were performed on the parts of the walls where the wall paintings of the Dragon and Monkey could possibly exist. Some mercury was detected, indicating that the figures might be present.
Following this outcome, on August 11th, 2021, further X-ray fluorescent analyses were conducted on the part of the wall where the Snake artwork was suspected to be. Three members of the Center for Conservation Science, TOBUNKEN—INUZUKA Masahide, HAYAKAWA Noriko, and CHI Chih lien—participated in this investigation. X-ray fluorescent analyses were conducted at spots distanced 2 cm apart where the Snake painting was expected to be. The detection of mercury indicated that the painting was indeed present.
These results were reported in the “29th Committee on Preservation and Utilization of Tumulus Wall Paintings” held on August 31st, 2021 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
X-ray image of the piece of the wall where the Snake painting could be present (left) and distribution of mercury signal strength (right)
The Urgent Statement on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan
Due to the dramatic change in the political situation of Afghanistan, JCIC-Heritage (Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage), which our research institute has been commissioned to manage by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, released the Urgent Statement on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan on 18th of August, 2021. The whole sentences are as below. JCIC-Heritage will continuously collaborate with the related organizations and make every effort for the protection of cultural heritage in Afghanistan.
“Urgent Statement on the Protection of Cultural Heritage in Afghanistan”
Due to the rapid change in the political situation of Afghanistan, there is strong concern about the likelihood of looting and destruction targeting the country’s historical cultural heritage, especially archaeological sites, and museums.
The Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage (JCIC-Heritage) is extremely concerned that the irreplaceable cultural heritage of Afghanistan is in great danger.
The consortium was established to promote collaboration among related organizations and experts in Japan and facilitate a greater Japanese role in international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection. Since 2001, activities in Afghanistan have been a critical pillar in the history of Japan’s international cooperation in cultural heritage, which have achieved significant results by cooperating with Afghanistan, other countries, and international organizations.
It is widely recognized that cultural heritage is a common treasure that tells the history of humanity. Cultural heritage also plays an important role as a source of national unity and identity, as well as facilitating regional and national development. Wishing to prevent any attacks on cultural heritage and mitigate its illicit transfer, we urge all parties and individuals concerned to act in a calm and considered manner. We also would like to share our concerns with the international community.
JCIC-Heritage hereby express our strong resolution to continue offering support for the protection of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. We hope that the people of Afghanistan will be able to live in safety and security, and that the current situation will be stabilized as soon as possible.
18th August, 2021
AOYAGI Masanori
Chair Person of JCIC-Heritage
The 29th Seminar: "Preservation and Transmission of Information on Cultural Heritage”
The 29th Seminar in session
Today, the progress of recording technology, including digital archives, has enabled storing the information on cultural heritage in databases and interactive efforts have been initiated to consistently collect (specific) information unique to different regions around the world.
In order to discuss appropriate ways of retaining and passing down information related to cultural heritage and possibilities of future international cooperation in this field, JCIC-Heritage (Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage, which our research institute has been commissioned to manage by the Agency for Cultural Affairs), held a webinar on August 9, 2021, titled “Retention and Succession of the Information associated with Cultural Heritage～For Whom and What Purpose～”.
SAITO Reiko (National Museum of Ethnology) gave a lecture titled, “Info-Forum museum and Utilization of Ainu Ethnic Materials.” KUBOTA Hiromichi, Head of the Intangible Folk Cultural Properties Section, presented a lecture titled “Recording and Utilization of Information Related to Intangible Cultural Heritage.” HAYASHI Kengo (University of Tokyo) delivered a lecture titled “40 Years of the Asian Modern Architectural Heritage Database: Its Development, Transformation, and Challenges.” In the following panel discussion, the possibility of international cooperation through the creation of databases on cultural heritage and the type of information to be recorded in them was discussed between the panelists with KONDO Yasuhisa (Research Institute for Humanity and Nature) as the moderator.
Nowadays, more people with various backgrounds have concern regarding how to retain information related to cultural heritage and to whom it should be inherited. In addition, the methods and objectives for those matters have been diversified. JCIC-Heritage will continue to collect and disseminate relevant information.
See the following JCIC-Heritage web page for details about this seminar.
https://www.jcic-heritage.jp/jcicheritageinformation20210625/(Link)
On July 7th and 21st, 2021, we surveyed and photographed cultural properties at Baijōsan Kōmyōji Temple in Minato Ward, Tokyo.
On July 7th, SHIRNO Seiji, EMURA Tomoko, YASUNAGA Takuyo, and MAIZAWA Rei (who belong to the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems) conducted an optical survey of Rakan-zu (a painting of Arhat, an enlightened Buddhist high priest). In the previous fiscal year, we also surveyed and photographed the same painting and presented an overview, such as its history, at the eighth workshop of the Department of Art Research for fiscal 2020 (https://www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/ekatudo/883416.html). In this latest survey, we used fluorescent photo shooting to check the storage conditions and expressions in more detail, such as the difference between the original portion and the portion touched upon later, which are difficult to detect with naked eye.
On July 21st, EMURA Tomoko, YASUNAGA Takuyo, and MAIZAWA Rei examined a painting of TAKEDA Unshitsu (1753-1827), a priest from Iiyama, Shinano Province. Unshitsu, the 26th head priest of Kōmyōji Temple, was a man of letters who excelled in poetry, writing, and drawing. He organized a poetry and writing association and interacted with many writers in the Edo period, including HIROSE Taizan and TANI Bunchō. Kōmyōji Temple has various works of Unshitsu, such as landscape paintings, paintings based on historical anecdotes, various written documents, as well and Sansuichō , a collection of his paintings. These are very valuable for learning about the activities and achievements of Unshitsu.
Founded in Kasumigaseki in the Kamakura period, Kōmyōji Temple relocated the building to its current location in the early Edo period. This ancient temple has a bell with an inscription, “Enpo 6” (1678), and a stone monument with an inscription, “Meiwa 9” (1772). Based on this survey, we will continue to conduct research on Rakan-zu and Unshitsu. We at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties will continue to actively conduct research on cultural properties that still remain in the community.
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Gunsen kitsuun zu,
(Immortals eating clouds)
by TAKEDA Unshitsu, Bunsei 8 (1825)
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Survey scene
A portion of the painting
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Pic 1 “Saddle with European Figures”, Tokyo National Museum Collection (H-1470), donated by SAWA Nobuyoshi in 1873. (from ColBase)
Pic 2 “Yamato-e Painting Study” 1-3 Cover 1.
KOBAYASHI Koji, Head, Trans-Disciplinary Research Section, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems, gave a presentation titled “Emergence and Transformation of ‘Namban Lacquer’ in Modern and Present Japan – Through its Discourse” in the fourth seminar held by the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems on July 16th, 2021.
The presenter has been working on a comprehensive cultural property study, from the viewpoint of material and cultural history, about Namban Lacquer, which was produced in Kyoto in the early half of the 17th century and exported to Europe and Americas. He made this presentation as he believes that it is necessary to carry out recognition process tracing and explore reference studies to identify when the scholarly interest in “Namban lacquer” started and what path it has followed to the present.
Interest in “Namban lacquer” emerged as a result of the influence of the “Namban” trends in literature, drama, painting, and other fields around the Taisho era, inspired by the study of Japanese Christian history, which started in the early Meiji era. This interest led to the active collection of “Maki-e lacquer depicted Namban patterns” (pic 1) from the early Showa era until the beginning of World War Ⅱ (WWII), which depicted Namban (western) people on Japanese traditional objects. The interest in these “Namban lacquer for domestic use” continued even after WWII. However, when many of the “Namban lacquer for export” that had been exported to Europe started to be imported back into Japan after the 1960s, the interests of lacquer art historians and the exhibit trends were transformed from lacquer for domestic use to lacquer for export, and these trends persist in the present era. While these trends have been mentioned more broadly so far, this presentation delved into further details. For example, the study’s focus on Namban lacquer export was first pointed out by OKADA Jo in the paper titled “On Makie Lacquer Depicted Namban Patterns” in “Yamato-e Painting Study”(pic 2), a fine art history journal published exclusively during WWII. The fact that the interest in lacquerware emerged and expanded to popularity, shifting from domestic use to export, was corroborated by concrete evidence in lacquer exhibits in exhibitions held before and after WWII. Furthermore, he explained that the term “Namban-style export lacquer” used in parallel with the term “Namban lacquer” was proposed by researchers in countries such as UK or the Netherland, where Japanese lacquer was exported throughout the Edo era, while the term “Namban lacquer” was generally used in countries such as Portugal or Spain, to where they were exported mainly in the early Edo era. This means that these two terms are not used in a contradictory sense, but can be understood in comparative ways.
Mr. KOIKE Tomio of the Seikado Bunko Art Museum, Dr. HIDAKA Kaori of the National Museum of Japanese History, and Mr. YAMASAKI Tsuyoshi, President of the Kanazawa College of Art, graciously participated in this seminar as commentators and facilitated a thorough discussion on this presentation, including insufficient points of explanation or contents of recognition. In fact, there are wide varieties of research materials on modern and present periods and we expect there to be more documents and items that are still undiscovered. He will continue to explore further and achieve a more persuasive understanding of the history of research on Namban Lacquer.
Recording scene
From the video
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage records and edits intangible cultural properties and makes them available to the public to the extent possible to contribute to the transmission of preservation techniques related to intangible cultural properties.
We have uploaded videos (short and long versions) that depict how ISHIDA Katsuyoshi produces biwa (a traditional lute) on the website of the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cVq4jMWZVY). We researched and recorded the entire process of how Ishida makes satsuma biwa from July to November 2017, and later edited it. Ishida is the fifth-generation owner of Ishida Biwa Store which is probably the only biwa shop that still exists in Japan. He has acquired the techniques of his father, ISHIDA Katsuo (ISHIDA Fushiki the fourth), the holder of selected conservation techniques for the crafting and restoration of biwa lutes.
In the long version, information on the materials and tools is provided as much as possible via subtitles to facilitate the transmission of the techniques. The short version, based on the overall production process, has been edited so that it is easier to watch as we seek to disseminate it widely.
These videos may not be reproduced, distributed, altered, or used for commercial purposes without permission. However, you may use them for exhibitions, lectures, and so on by contacting us and going through a certain procedure. A portion of the video is being used in the exhibition Biwa kokoro to katachi no monogatari (Biwa: a story of the heart and form) (July 31st – December 7th, 2021), which is currently held at the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments.
Cooperation: ISHIDA Katsuyoshi. Photography: SANO Masaki (the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage) and ODAWARA Naoya. Editing: ICHIKAWA Koichiro. Supervisory assistance: SOMURA Mizuki. Supervision: MAEHARA Megumi and SANO Masaki (Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage). Production: The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
Lecture on the Types and Characteristics of Restoration Materials
A Visit in Pest Control Practical Training
During a five-day period of July 5–9, 2021, we held the 2021 Training for Museum Curators in Charge of Conservation (advanced course). Last year, we held this training jointly with the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties. In order to clarify the content of the training and to make it more beneficial for museum curators in charge of conservation, this fiscal year, we decided to divide the training into the “Basic Course,” implemented by the National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties, and the “Advanced Course,” implemented by the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties.
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has been implementing intensive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and we thoroughly conducted temperature inspections, sanitization, and mask-wearing policies during the training.
Each laboratory of the Center for Conservation Science led the training on a one- or half-day basis, providing lectures and practical training in accordance with their respective specialties. Since advance-level courses are offered to people who have already received training for curators in charge of the conservation of museums, most of the attendees had an awareness of the issues and challenges faced by their own museums. On the last day, a lecture on disaster prevention and the mitigation of damage to cultural properties was given in light of recent natural disasters. This was a valuable opportunity to consider how to deal with and implement measures against natural disasters in museums, as well as the roles of the institutions in disaster prevention with regard to cultural properties.
In questionnaires, many participants stated that the training was helpful, such as by increasing the knowledge and skills that would be helpful in carrying out their work in the future.
This was the first time the training was held as an advanced course, but since the issues of the training have been clarified, we would like to improve it next year and in the future.
We are also continuing to develop databases for our internal work. The image shows the database we are developing to manage the photographic survey records by ODAKA Sennosuke, which are viewable online (
www.tobunken.go.jp/materials/odaka).
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has released more than 30 databases related to cultural properties and made them available online. These databases contain a variety of data, such as painters’ diaries, monochrome photos of cultural properties taken in the 1930s, and art magazines published in the 1890s.
We operate two types of databases, one for releasing data to the public over the internet and the other for creating and storing data. The databases for public use do not require much functionality. However, they do require stability so that they can operate 24 hours a day, while security updates must be implemented frequently. On the other hand, the databases for internal work require advanced features such as special data manipulation for proofreading or batch replacement of specific character strings.
We have been operating databases for public use and databases for internal work since around 2014. During that time, various events have impacted the development and operation of these databases, such as software upgrades, hardware updates, the use of database services built by other organizations and personnel changes. At the 3rd seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems in fiscal 2021, we reviewed the current status of the databases and examined how the development should be pursued. Following these discussions, we will not only continue to make these data bases available to the public, but also strive to develop new databases and improve user convenience.
On June 3, 2021, this year’s panel exhibition “Intangible Cultural Heritage Preserved and Communicated through Records,” curated by the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, opened in the lobby of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. The purpose of this exhibition is to inform people of the importance of recording intangible cultural heritage, especially when many examples of such heritage are facing crises due to the spread of COVID-19.
For example, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused a sharp decline in the number of programs of classical performing arts, causing serious difficulties for the performers. Nevertheless, we continue to take measures against COVID-19 and make efforts to ensure that such arts are passed on even if the scale of performances has been reduced. The news that major Shamisen manufacturer Tokyo Wagakki was threatened with closing down has also been a great shock to the traditional entertainment world.
Folk entertainment and festivals are also being forced to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The threat to their survival for future generations is becoming serious since even canceling an annual event just once would result in a two-year gap. Moreover, the risks associated with natural disasters, a declining birthrate, and an aging population are constantly threatening their survival. In particular, crafts and folk techniques that use natural materials are being greatly affected.
Preserving intangible cultural heritage, which can be lost because of these various risks, through records is an important task. Furthermore, recording the current crisis situation will form a basis for examining future survival. We also hope this exhibition will give you a sense that transmitting such records will be a boost to such heritage being passed on to future generations.
Photo taken mid-presentation
The last slide of the presentation
The effects of the novel coronavirus infection have persisted for a long time and this has meant that meetings and other events, which had previously been held with a large number of stakeholders, are now often held online. The annual meeting of the Art Libraries Society of North America was also held online on May 13, 2021, in collaboration with the Getty Research Institute, and was titled “Building Bridges: Working Together to Disseminate Japanese Art Literature.” This was the first time the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (TOBUNKEN) gave a presentation at this conference. In 2016, we signed an agreement with the Getty Research Institute in the United States regarding collaborative research. In addition to the Meiji Art Journal “Mizue,” we digitized books in our library collection, including art magazines from the Meiji period, art exhibition catalogues from the Meiji period up to the early Showa period, and woodblock print books from the Edo period. We also provided information to the Getty Research Portal, a virtual library operated by the Getty Research Institute, and we are working to publish more information online. In the presentation, we introduced the history and results of our collaborative research projects so far, and specifically presented new perspectives that could be obtained by cross-searching the materials in the possession of each country. As global travel and excursions are restricted, virtual libraries where valuable research materials are freely available online are becoming increasingly important. We will continue to cooperate with research institutes in Japan and overseas to promote the dissemination of useful information for research on cultural properties.
Photo taken mid-presentation
The sixth volume of the “Shuten-dōji handscrolls” by SUMIYOSHI Hiroyuki (owned by GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig )
The Shuten-dōji picture scrolls depict an ogre named Shuten-dōji who once lived on Mt. Ōe or Mt. Ibuki and engaged in the wicked acts of capturing women and plundering treasures in the capital, being conquered by samurai such as Minamoto-no- Raikō. The character of Shuten-dōji is a popular theme and there are many works depicting him that remain in existence today. One famous work, a three-scroll piece by KANŌ Motonobu, which is owned by the Suntory Museum of Art, is well known. At this seminar, a presentation titled “Regarding the First Appearance of SUMIYOSHI Hiroyuki’s ‘Shuten-dōji handscrolls’ (owned by the GRASSI Museum für Völkerkunde zu Leipzig)” was given. This work consists of six volumes, and its existence was completely unknown after Heinrich Botho Scheube, a foreign physician hired by the Meiji Government, brought it to Germany in 1882. The presenter was able to inspect the pieces in this work at Leipzig in 2019, and in this presentation, she noted that the scrolls may have been painted by SUMIYOSHI Hiroyuki in 1786 as a trousseau when Tanehime (1765-94, her biological father was TOKUGAWA Munetake, the first head of the Tayasu branch of the Tokugawa clan and her biological brother was MATSUDAIRA Sadanobu) who was an adopted daughter of TOKUGAWA Ieharu, the tenth shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, married TOKUGAWA Harutomi (1771-1853), the tenth head of the Kishū-Tokugawa family. The first half of this work was added to the content of KANŌ Motonobu’s three-volume work, and it can be said to be an important example of a body of work when moving forward with future research into Shuten-dōji handscrolls. In the future, we will continue to engage in research and utilize this work as a research material.
Survey of Armor by X-ray Fluorescence Analysis
At the request of the Kariya city Museum of History, INUZUKA Masahide of the Center for Conservation Science, conducted an analytical survey of a suit of armor. As part of these materials, the helmet became a designated cultural property of Kariya City in 1984. The location of items other than the helmet, such as the torso of the armor, only came to light a few years ago. The degree of damage to these other parts of the suit armor is much more severe than to the helmet, but they were additionally designated as cultural heritage by Kariya city in 2019 and deposited at the Museum.
A project to preserve and restore these materials will be implemented in the future. To collect basic data for this purpose, a structural survey using X-ray radiography and a pigment analysis using X-ray fluorescence analysis were conducted at Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties on May 31, 2021.
Images taken with X-ray radiography provided information on the structure of the helmet and torso, the number of components that comprise the armor, the position and number of studs, and other information. We also conducted an X-ray fluorescence analysis of the pale orange-colored portion on the surface of the helmet, leveraging a device that specializes in analyzing cultural properties, which are large in size and have a three-dimensional structure, with high sensitivity, as shown in the photograph. The results of these surveys will be used as reference materials for future restoration work.
A Kote-e by Chohachi Irie (Zenpuku-ji Temple, Tokyo)
Stucco decoration in the Ticino style
Stucco decorations are distinct in their form and purpose, and they can be found in various parts of the world. The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation began research and surveys investigating stucco decorations in fiscal 2021 as part of a the “International Research on Technology for the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage” program, which offers grants for research expenses. The purpose of this program is to track how stucco decorations have been propagated to different regions as they repeatedly evolve and deteriorate in quality, and to understand and verify how efforts are being made to conserve and restore these decorations in different countries today. On May 29, experts involved in the conservation of stucco decorations, mainly in Europe, participated in an online discussion.
In an exchange of opinions, the topic of stucco decorations in the Ticino region of Switzerland were introduced, which laid the foundation for stucco decoration in Europe from the Mediterranean coastal regions and from the 16th to 18th centuries. From Japan, we introduced what we have learned from our research so far, including kote-e (plaster relief paintings) made using traditional plaster, the stucco techniques and materials that were popularized alongside pseudo-Western-style architecture, which imitated Western architecture from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period, and also the current maintenance status of these works.
Participating experts expressed surprise that many common points can be found in techniques and materials across different countries and time periods. They also agreed to jointly study methods for conservation and restoration aimed at improving the current situation, as there are many similarities regarding maintenance and management issues.
In the future, while continuing with our research surveys in Japan, we will recruit overseas research collaborators, and expand the scope of our research domains. In addition, we would like to accumulate information through exchanges of opinions and the sharing of research results, deepen understanding of stucco decorations, and opening a forum for the consideration of how to both conserve them and pass them down to future generations.
National Treasure, God of Heavenly Punishment of Extermination of Evil, hanging scroll From the Collection of the Nara National Museum. Photograph courtesy of the Nara National Museum.
Online Q&A session
The paintings constituting the National Treasure Extermination of Evil, held in the collections of the Nara National Museum and others, are thought to have been created at the end of the Heian period around the time of Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Along with the Hell Scroll, these paintings are well known as works representing this period, but there is still room for examination regarding their subjects and the background to their production. In the first seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems in 2021, Ms. UMEZAWA Megumi (chief researcher at Kanagawa Prefectural Kanazawa-Bunko Museum) gave a presentation titled “Restorative Consideration of the Subject of Extermination of Evil.” She has argued that the subject of this work is “hell for demon-gods” (UMEZAWA Megumi, “Ya o hagu bishamonten to ‘Hekijae’ no shudai” [Bishamonten fletching arrows and the subject of Extermination of Evil]. In Chūsei kaiga no matorikkusu II [Matrix of medieval paintings II], Seikansha, 2014). In this presentation, she conducted a detailed analysis including the newly discovered notes that seem to be part of the series of picture scrolls that have come to be known in recent years. She reexamined the ideas of the work as a whole and considered the religious thought and historical tastes underlying its expression. The seminar took place online with measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but remote participants also engaged actively in the Q&A session. Although human movement is restricted, we will continue our research activities after taking adequate measures.
The lecture
The satellite venue
YAMANASHI Emiko, Deputy Director General at Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) gave a lecture entitled “The project of compiling the Year Book of Japanese Art as a legacy of the Hakuba-Kai” on March 25th, 2021. Currently, the Year Book of Japanese Art (the Year Book ) that TOBUNKEN publishes compiles annual developments in the Japanese art world two years ago, which is made up of “annals,” “art exhibitions,” “bibliography of art literature,” and “the deceased.” We have published the Year Book since 1936, which was not disrupted by the difficult times during and after the war and has continued up until today. Its unique composition was invented by IWAMURA Tōru (1870 – 1917), an art critic who maintained close relations with KURODA Seiki and KUME Keiichiro. Regarding how it has developed and changed thereafter, she delivered a lecture from her viewpoint as a researcher of modern Japanese art history and based on a wealth of experience that she had accumulated. As the number of art exhibitions has risen and the scope of “art” has widened in recent years, there are various challenges. She concluded her lecture by emphasizing the importance of sharing common awareness of the issues to continue with its publication and the significance of a public institution like TOBUNKEN continuing to publish the Year Book. In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the lecture was conducted online while participants viewed her presentation from the seminar room at TOBUNKEN, which served as a satellite venue, their respective workplaces or homes. Further, the video of the lecture was published via TOBUNKEN’s YouTube channel for a limited period of time until April 30, 2021. Yamanashi resigned as Deputy Director General as of the end of March 2021 and assumed a role as a visiting researcher starting in April 2021 and continues to provide cooperation to our activities at TOBUNKEN.
