| ■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 |
|
Training underway 1
Training underway 2
Guided tour of the systems to manage conservation conditions at Yamanashi Prefectural Museum
The 18th Local Training Course for Museum Conservation was conducted at Yamanashi Prefectural Museum to provide personnel involved in materials conservation at museums and archives in Yamanashi Prefecture with a basic knowledge of conservation. The training was done at December 11th and 12th and that was co-organized by the Institute and the Museum Kai Network. The training had 41 attendees from Yamanashi Prefecture.
As a general outline, a lecture entitled “An Introduction to Conservation Conditions” (SANO Chie, Head of the Conservation Science Section) covered basic principles of and recent trends in materials conservation. This was followed by lectures on “Temperature and Humidity,” “Light and Lighting” (YOSHIDA Naoto, Senior researcher), “Climate Control” (SANO Chie), “Pest Control” (SATO Yoshinori, researcher in the Biological Science Section), and “Practical Methods for Conservation of Folk Objects and Artifacts” (KITANO Nobuhiko, Head of the Technical Standards Section). Folk objects and artifacts are kept primarily by smaller museums, but these museums truly lack the facilities and systems to manage those objects. Training accounted for the fact that many of the attendees would be from smaller museums.
After the lectures, Yamanashi Prefectural Museum graciously permitted inspection of its facilities. Systems to manage conditions at the museum were explained in detail by curator Takahiko KUTSUNA. Mr. KUTSUNA provided great assistance with regard to the conduct of this training.
A survey after training yielded numerous comments that the training was productive as well as requests to learn more about specific steps to take in accordance with conditions at specific institutions. We at the Institute greatly value communication with attendees after training as a way to meet the needs of conservators.
Trainees creating 3D images based on photographic surveys
Five countries in Central Asia and China have been involved in various efforts to nominate cultural heritage sites along the Silk Roads as World Heritage Sites in 2014. To support these efforts, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (JCICC) has participated in UNESCO/Japan Funds-in-Trust Project, “Support for Documentation Standards and Procedures of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial Transnational Nomination Dossier within the Framework of the Silk Roads World Heritage Serial and Transnational Nomination”: Uzbek Workshop and Sub-Regional Closing Meeting for 3 years since 2011 and JCICC has conducted various training workshops in countries in Central Asia.
This workshop marks the final training workshop. The workshop was conducted from December 1st to 3rd in Tashkent, Uzbekistan at the UNESCO Office in Tashkent. Training covered Photographic Surveys of Cultural Heritage Sites. Fourteen young experts participated in the training.
Once the training workshop concluded, We attended the sub-regional closing meeting of the project that took place in Tashkent on December 4th and 5th. The meeting reviewed the training program conducted by the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the University College London in countries of Central Asia. Representatives from different countries asked that training be conducted in the future as well. They specifically asked that training related to Surveys of Historical Buildings, Preservation of Sites, and Management of Cultural Heritage be conducted.
An explanation gave to the visitors in a chemical science laboratory.
A group of 5 visitors from the Korea National University of Culture Heritage
The group visited the Institute on November 18th to examine the Institute’s preservation and restoration facilities to learn about case studies of international collaboration. The visitors were shown round a chemical science laboratory at the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques as well as the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation with the staff explaining the work conducted at these facilities.
Image of Resolve by SHINKAI Taketaro (created in 1907, no longer extant) from a photographic plate
SHINKAI Taketaro (1868–1927) studied sculpture in Europe and he presented works such as Bathing (an important cultural property created in 1907). SHINKAI is known as a sculptor who contributed significantly to the modernization of Japanese sculpture. SHINKAI Takashi, grandson of SHINKAI Taketaro, donated a set of photographic plates through TANAKA Shuji (Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education and Welfare Science, Oita University). The plates feature SHINKAI’s works and Nanga (Southern School paintings) by HOSOYA Fuo and his son HOSOYA Beizan whom SHINKAI studied under in his home prefecture of Yamagata. SHINKAI himself was asked to take the photos. The plates also include images of works that are no longer extant, such as Resolve, which won first prize at the Tokyo Industrial Exhibition in 1907. SHINKAI’s photographic works are valuable materials that relate the history of modern Japanese sculpture. SHINKAI Takezo, Taketaro’s nephew, posthumously compiled photos by his uncle, and these photos joined the Institute’s collection prior to World War II (they can be viewed in the Library). The donated plates were used to produce the photos compiled by SHINKAI Takezo. Plans are to make copies of all of the images featured in the plates and include them in digital archives on the Institute’s website.
A general discussion underway
The 8th Conference on the Study of Intangible Folk Cultural Properties was held on November 15th. The Conference covered “Passing down Techniques: Traditions and Their Use,” and the central theme of the Conference was folk techniques, which the national government began designating in 2005.
A system of national designation to preserve folk performing arts and manners and customs has been in operation since 1975. Although preservation of these practices has been amply discussed in the past, there has been limited awareness of the concept of folk techniques and a system to designate them. Moreover, performing arts and festivals essentially fall under practices or events that are out of the ordinary while folk techniques basically fall under routine practices, so a number of people make their living performing these techniques. Thus, these techniques are more susceptible to social and environmental changes.
Given this reality, the Conference featured reports and a discussion of current issues encountered in efforts to preserve folk techniques and what types of preservation efforts are feasible. The Conference featured 2 individuals who are working to preserve nationally designated folk techniques and 3 individuals who have worked to preserve craft techniques in Tokyo prior to the system that nationally designated folk techniques. After these individuals delivered presentations, they were joined by 2 commentators to participate in a discussion.
Reports and the discussion highlighted various issues such as the reduced demand for folk techniques (products), the breakdown of specialization, the shortage of raw materials, and the lack of individuals to carry on techniques. There is no magic bullet to resolve the difficulties in carrying on traditions, but the Conference emphasized the fact that concerned parties in different positions need to discuss issues and share information.
The Conference also emphasized the need for coordination that bridges the divide between production sites and compartmentalized government administration. The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage hopes to share and disseminate information by assembling examples of efforts in different areas.
Plans are to publish a report on the conference’s proceedings in March 2014.
On-site study of painted wall panels of the Yomeimon Gate
Positioning of a device for X-ray imaging
As part of the Study of Traditional Techniques and Materials Used in Cultural Properties, the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques is currently conducting a study in line with restoration of the paint pigments on the Yomeimon Gate of the Toshogu Shrine. Large Panels with a Relief Sculpture of a Peony Design that were created in 1796 are currently installed on panels on the east and west walls of the Yomeimon Gate. According to historical documents, however, the walls had contained paintings produced by a technique known as “tung oil sprinkled with Makie” in much earlier years, such as 1688 and 1753. During restoration of these Panels in 1971, the east wall was removed, revealing a painting of 3 Zebra Finches Perching atop a Japanese Plum Tree on a Crag with Bamboo Grass that is thought to have been produced in 1753. The painting was studied by the Department of Conservation Science at the time. In addition, X-ray imaging at the time also revealed a painting of Nesting Cranes in a Pine Tree atop a Crag with Bamboo Grass beneath the panels on the western wall. However, the wall panel overlaying it was not removed, so the actual painting was not visible. The current study removed the overlaying panel on the western wall in order to restore its paint. Its removal revealed the painting beneath for the first time in 218 years or so. However, the painting had deteriorated markedly, as was evident from its discoloration and peeling. Thus, the Center examined the painting’s materials and its deterioration in cooperation with the Nikko Toshogu Shrine and the Association for the Preservation of the Nikko World Heritage Site Shrines and Temples in order to prevent further deterioration. In addition, X-ray imaging was done so that researchers in the history of painting could verify that traces of paintings from earlier periods were beneath the painting (Photos 1 & 2). Results of this study will help to reveal the state of paint pigments that have adorned the Yomeimon Gate since the Nikko Toshogu Shrine was completed in 1636. Results will also help to maintain the works in somewhat better condition.
A demonstration of infilling techniques
International training in Paper Conservation in Latin America was conducted jointly by the Institute, ICCROM, and INAH (Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History) as part of the ICCROM-LATAM Program (conservation of cultural heritage in Latin America and the Caribbean). Training took place at the INAH from November 6th to 22th and was attended by 9 experts in conserving cultural properties from 8 countries: Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador, Spain, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Peru, and Mexico.
Training sought to provide attendees with basic knowledge of traditional Japanese paper, adhesives, and tools. It also sought to enhance attendees’ understanding of Japanese mounting and restoration techniques by having them practice reinforcing, infilling, and lining using actual Japanese paper, adhesives, and tools. The first half of the training consisted of lectures by Japanese experts on materials and tools used in mounting and restoration techniques and then practice by the attendees. In the latter half of the training, lecturers from Mexico, Spain, and Argentina with experience conserving works using mounting and restoration techniques described how Japanese materials, tools, and techniques were actually used to restore cultural properties in Europe and the US, and then attendees practiced those techniques. Given the likelihood that Japanese mounting and restoration techniques will be used to conserve cultural heritage in different countries, plans are to conduct similar training sessions in the future as well.
Practice surveying a cultural heritage site (the Hulbuk site)
Documentation practice using CAD
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation (JCICC) has been commissioned by UNESCO to provide support for nomination of World Heritage sites in Central Asia along the Silk Road. Since 2012, JCICC has conducted a series of training workshops on documentation of cultural heritage in Central Asia and the Republic of Tajikistan.
Following a workshop in 2012, a second training workshop was conducted jointly with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan. The workshop took place from November 7 to 14, 2013. Training during the workshop took place on-site at the Hulbuk site, a medieval fortified town nominated as a World Heritage site. On-site training was conducted by experts from Japan, and training consisted of surveys using equipment (total stations), documentation using CAD, analyses using GPS and GIS.
Trainees participating in the second workshop were 9 young Tajik experts. Of these experts, 2 were from the National Museum of Antiquities, 2 were from the Institute of History, Archaeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences, 1 was from Historical and Cultural Reserve “Hissar”, 3 were from the Hulbuk Museum, and 1 was from the Kulob Museum. Through intensive lectures and practice over a period of about a week, participants planned and implemented surveys to document sites and they learned specialized processes used to analyze the survey results. Participants also learned how to use survey equipment and GPS devices that had been donated for use in the project. This experience and the equipment that was provided will help participants who completed the training to study, safeguard, and document cultural properties in their country. JCICC plans to conduct various training workshops to safeguard the cultural heritage of Central Asia in the future as well.
Deliberations at the General Assembly meeting
From November 27 to 29, 2013, Director General KAMEI Nobuo, KAWANOBE Wataru, and SAKAINO Asuka of the Institute attended the 28th General Assembly of ICCROM in Rome, Italy. The decision to found ICCROM was made at the 9th UNESCO General Conference in 1956. This intergovernmental organization has been headquartered in Rome since 1959. ICCROM works to conserve a wide range of cultural heritage, both movable and immovable. The Institute has specifically helped with these efforts by conducting training in the conservation of paper and laquerware.
The General Assembly meets biennially. At this meeting of the General Assembly, 13 new members of ICCROM’s Council were elected to replace members who had completed their terms. Serving Council members from 12 countries (United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Canada, South Korea, Greece, Guatemala, Sweden, China, Tunisia, Japan, Brazil, and France) have been joined by newly elected Council members from the US, India, Egypt, Switzerland, Sudan, Spain, Tanzania, Chile, Germany, Bahrain, the Philippines, Belgium, and Mexico. The meeting of the General Assembly also reiterated to Member States the need for ICCROM to improve its finances. Japan’s monetary contribution is second only to that of the US, and Japan is cognizant of the severity of this problem. Hopes are that the new Council will consider specific approaches so that ICCROM can continue its activities in the future.
Visitors given a presentation in a chemical science laboratory
Staff gave an explanation to visitors in a demonstration recording room
Staff gave an explanation to visitors in a restoration laboratory
Visitors were given a presentation at the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation
A group of 14 visitors from Chulalongkorn University in Thailand
The group visited the Institute on October 7th to learn about the latest techniques which is used in the preservation of traditional Japanese buildings and structures. They were given a tour of a chemical science laboratory the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques and the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation, where the staff explained the work carried out by these two Centers.
A group of 17 visitors from the Cultural Properties Science at the Department of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University
The group visited the Institute on October 7th to be given a tour round the cultural properties preservation and restoration facilities. The visitors were shown round a library in the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems, a demonstration recording room in the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage and a chemical science laboratory at the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques with the staff explaining the work undertaken in these facilities.
A group of 36 visitors from the “Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Museums—Working Together with Local People” Museum Revitalization Support Project organized by the Agency for Cultural Affairs
The group visited the Institute on October 11th to be given a tour round the cultural properties preservation and restoration facilities. The visitors were shown round a biological science laboratory and restoration laboratory at the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques, where the staff explained the work carried out in these facilities.
A group of 14 visitors from Kanazawa University
The group visited the Institute on October 18th to learn about the current state of international collaboration in the field of cultural properties conservation and about the latest developments in preservation and restoration techniques. The visitors were shown round a chemical science laboratory at the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques as well as the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation with the staff explaining the work conducted at these facilities.
Leaflet for the 8th public lecture by the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage
Following the public lecture it offered last year, the Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage offered another public lecture on materials in the Institute’s collection. The lecture sought to inform the broader general public of the existence of materials that the Department had assembled for research purposes.
The lecture discussed long-playing records (LPs) from Nitto Records (the Nitto Gramophone Company). Nitto Records was a record label established in Osaka, and the company sold LPs in the early Showa period (the 1920s). The LPs recorded sound in a different format than that used in typical records, hampering the ability of present-day listeners to listen to the LPs.
Nitto Records’ LPs feature KATSURA Harudanji the first [note: multiple generations of rakugo (Japanese comic storytelling) performers often adopt stage names derived from their master’s name, hence “the first”, “the second,” etc.], TACHIBANAYA Kakitsu the second, and SHOFUKUTEI Shikaku the second (SHOFUKUTEI Shokaku the fifth), who were rakugo performers typical of the pre-war Kamigata style (from Osaka and surrounding areas). Some of the performances by these performers are found only on Nitto Records’ LPs, and the recorded performances are very interesting in terms of their execution. During the 8th public lecture, attendees took whatever time was available to listen to excellent performances of Kamigata rakugo from the early Showa period.
Checking the fractured shapes of the wall painting fragments (excavated at the Khulbuk site in Tajikistan)
From September 19th to October 14th, conservation works were conducted at the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan to the wall painting fragments excavated from the Khulbuk site. These wall painting fragments are assumed to have been produced in the early Islamic period. Since a limited number of wall paintings of this era have been found, this wall painting is very important from historical and art historical points of view in Tajikistan. NRICPT has been earnestly conserving the wall painting fragments since 2010.
The wall paintings were excavated in fragments. When conservation work initially began, paint layers and the white plaster layer as a ground were extremely fragile. In the previous projects, the work such as consolidating the paint layers, jointing broken fragments together, and attaching a new backing had been carried out. This year, artificial renders imitating earthen plaster were applied on the backs of wall painting fragments for further stabilization.
By this operation, the fragments in the various thicknesses were standardized to the same thickness, and it allowed the surface height of the fragment consistent for exhibition. Moreover, the defective and joint parts of fragments were filled with gypsum-based grout. The filling surface of the fragments was painted regarding the color balance of the whole painting which consequently made the image easier to see. In the future, plans are to explore ways to safely exhibit the fragments at the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan.
Part of this conservation project was undertaken with a Sumitomo Foundation Grant for the Preservation and Conservation of Foreign Cultural Properties.
Pagoda No. 1205
Setup of meteorological equipment
As part of the Networking Core Centers for International Cooperation in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage Project commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo conducted a survey on safeguarding Myanmar’s cultural heritage in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar from October 23rd to November 1st. Among the art and craft works in Myanmar, the mission surveyed temple mural paintings and lacquerware. Institute personnel were accompanied and assisted by personnel from the Department of Archaeology, National Museum, and Library of Myanmar’s Ministry of Culture and university staff.
During a survey of temple mural paintings in Bagan, mural paintings in a hall in pagoda No.1205, a Buddhist monument scheduled for surveying and conservation by Japan and Myanmar, were imaged and the state of damage to those paintings was surveyed. In addition, humidity and temperature recorders were set up inside and outside the hall at pagoda No. 1205 for environmental monitoring to ascertain meteorological conditions that might cause the mural paintings to deteriorate.
Meteorological equipment was also set up at the site of the Bagan Branch of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum, and Library of Myanmar’s Ministry of Culture. In the future, plans are to collect and analyze data and devise policies for conservation of mural paintings in concert with personnel from the Bagan Branch of the Department of Archaeology, National Museum, and Library.
During a survey of lacquerware in Mandalay, studios making items such as kamawaza (religious texts drew on lacquer) , glass mosaics, dry lacquerware, and begging bowls (used by priests to collect alms) were visited to observe the techniques and materials currently used to produce lacquerware in Myanmar and interview craftsmen. In Bagan, raw materials for bamboo crafts were studied and all of the ancient lacquerware in the museum of the Bagan College of Lacquerware Technology was surveyed. Plans are to continue conducting similar surveys in the future.
Presentation given by Dr. Youssef KANJOU
Pro-democracy movements in the Middle East that originated from the Arab Spring have caused major changes in the Arab world. A large-scale democracy movement began in Syria in April 2011, and where this swell will lead is not known. The nation is currently in a de facto state of civil war. Syria has already experienced over 100,000 deaths, and many citizens have been forced to flee. Opposition is growing as Syrians flee to neighboring countries, and there appears to be no end in sight to the conflict.
As the civil war unfolds, the destruction of cultural heritage has again captured headlines around the world. Aleppo, Syria’s second largest city, is renowned as an ancient capital with scenic views, but the city has been home to severe fighting during the war. Cultural heritage is at great risk, as evinced by the burning of historical souqs (markets or bazaars) that led the city to be inscribed as a World Heritage Site and destruction of the much of the Ancient City of Aleppo. In light of continued fighting, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee placed all 6 of the World Heritage sites in Syria on the List of World Heritage in Danger on June 20, 2013.
In light of these circumstances, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo hosted a symposium on “Syria’s Recovery and Its Cultural Heritage” on October 31st with the backing of the Japanese Society for West Asian Archaeology.
During the symposium, presentations were given by 9 experts, including Dr. Youssef KANJOU, the current Director of Antiquities and Museums of Aleppo. Presentations covered the Current State and Future Direction of the Syrian Civil War, Syria’s History and Cultural Heritage, the Extent of Destruction of Cultural Heritage by the Syrian Civil War, and Restoration of Cultural Heritage and National Recovery. A panel discussion followed the presentations, where the topic of What Should Be Done to Restore Syria’s Cultural Heritage Now and in the Future was actively discussed.
Prior to the international symposium on Reconsidering “Form”: Towards a More Open Discussion that the Institute is hosting, Asae OZAWA (Tokai University, Japanese architectural history), who will be making a presentation during the 1st session, was invited to participate in a seminar to enhance discussion when the symposium takes places. The seminar started at 3 PM on September 9th(Tues.) in the Seminar Room of the Department of Art Research, Archives and Information Systems.
In her talk about The Creation and Establishment of “Styles” in the Modern Age: The Imperial Tour and Accommodations during the Tour, Ms. OZAWA related the common view that royal tours (or “Imperial Progresses”) made by the Emperor Meiji were intended to bolster the image of a Westernized Imperial family. Citing the architectural forms of early Meiji Period accommodations like Anzaisho (a Temporary Court Site) and Okoyasumisho (a Brief [Imperial] Rest Site), Ms. OZAWA instead argued that Japanese architecture was overwhelmingly used. When Western architecture was used, it was altered; until recently, the form of the throne was fashioned with fixtures such as single tatami mats and bamboo blinds. Even when forms from different cultures were incorporated, the existing relationship between forms and people was considered, as Ms. OZAWA revealed.
In the field of architecture, classification has become possible for the first time with a discussion of the similarities in what people expect and what their views will be. These expectations and views are the basis for forms. This seminar has led to a reexamination of the ways in which forms are discussed in various fields.
A Catalog of Works from the 8th Exhibition of Works by the Hakubakai.
At a seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems on September 24th, UENO Kenzo (Professor in the Faculty of Humanities, Fukuoka University) delivered a research presentation entitled “A Newly Discovered Item: A Catalog of Works from the 8th Exhibition of Works by the Hakubakai.” The Hakubakai was a group of artists who painted Western paintings during the mid-Meiji Period (the 1890s) and was spearheaded by KURODA Seiki. There were 13 exhibitions of works by the Hakubakai, with the first taking place in 1896 and the last taking place in 1911. Professor UENO has previously researched the Hakubakai, but the newly discovered item is a catalog of works from the 8th Exhibition (1903), no copies of which were thought to exist. The 8th Exhibition featured works by AOKI Shigeru, who was a student at the Tokyo Fine Art School at the time, and his work received the first Hakuba Prize. The catalog of works had not been found, so researchers were left to surmise which works had been exhibited based on reports in newspapers, magazines, and other media from the time. The same held true for exhibited works by members of the Hakubakai like KURODA. The catalog of works revealed the AOKI, for example, exhibited 14 works based on myths and early Buddhism, such as “Jaimini (a philosopher of ancient India).” The catalog that Professor UENO described in his presentation is a very valuable item because it describes the titles and number of works that artists exhibited. Plans are to present this catalog of works as Research Material in Bijutsu Kenkyu (The Journal of Art Studies).
A tub boat for sightseeing with an outer covering of clear FRP
A current tub boat for isonegi with an FRP outer covering and an outboard motor attached
From September 10–11, tub boat building techniques (nationally designated as an Intangible Folk Cultural Property in 2007) passed down around the Ogi Peninsula, south of the City of Sado, Niigata Prefecture were studied. Tub boats, known on Sado Island as hangiri, are able to make tight turns and are highly stable, so they have readily been used for isonegi (fishing or harvesting seaweed close to shore), which is done in inlets with numerous rocks.
Coopering techniques are applied to build tub boats, which are made by sticking planks of Japanese cedar together and then holding them in place with hoops of timber bamboo. The City of Sado attempted to train successors to carry on these techniques by conducting a seminar to train tub boat builders in 2009. However, the situation remains dire as there are only a few such boat builders. One reason for this was the initial decline in demand for tub boats. As a result, tub boat builders had difficulty making a living and they had few opportunities to hone the skills. Tub boats are still used for isonegi on the northern coast of the Ogi Peninsula, but isonegi itself is not as prevalent as it once was. Moreover, fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) was used to coat tub boats starting in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, increasing their durability. Thus, there is little projected demand for new tub boats.
When demand for a folk technique like tub boat building wanes as a result of changes in ways of life and people’s lives along with changes in lifestyles and as a result of the introduction of new technologies, the technique itself quickly fades. That said, the fact is that techniques can be carried on by altering the techniques and their uses in accordance with changes in the social climate. In Ogi, a private operator began offering rides in tub boats starting in the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Sado has now become synonymous with sightseeing. Fishing from tub boats and tub boat building had been passed down in places like the Noto Peninsula and Toyama at one time, but those traditions have steadfastly remained only in Sado. This is probably because Sado created a new demand by turning tub boats into a sightseeing resource and because of changes in people’s attitudes towards tub boats.
Nonetheless, FRP is being used to successively coat the boats that were built and stored for tub boat sightseeing about 10 years ago. The passing down of tub boat-building techniques will be subjected to further changes.
Checking a control point in the GIS training workshop
Example of a survey drawing of colonial architecture
Symposium on overall achievements of the project
A project to preserve the Thang Long Imperial Citadel site, a World Cultural Heritage located in the heart of Vietnam’s capital city, has been undertaken by the NRICPT, commissioned by the UNESCO Office in Hanoi to spearhead Japanese efforts, since 2010. The project is scheduled to conclude at the end of this year. The following efforts were undertaken at the site since the latter half of last year.
a) GIS training workshops (December 27-28, 2012, May 15–18, 2013, September 10, 2013)
Selected staff of the Thang Long – Hanoi Heritage Conservation Centre received training from both Japanese and Vietnamese experts to establish a geographic information system (GIS) to manage cultural properties. Attendees learned various topics including basic concepts of using a GIS to manage cultural properties, correcting the base map using measurement points on-site, and ways to create a data base. This training has allowed staff to conduct basic operations themselves.
b) The second workshop on archaeological artifacts (January 23–24, 2013)
A workshop was co-organized by the NRICPT and the TL Centre in cooperation with the Institute of Archaeology, Imperial City Research Center, and the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties. The workshop focused on the study of ancient roofing techniques by comparing roof tiles unearthed from the site with those found in Japan. Experts from both countries exchanged their knowledge and opinions, and they also visited excavations at the ancient temple and traces of ceramic kilns.
c) Workshop on sociological assessment (March 4, 2013)
A workshop on socio-economical assessment of the value of the Thang Long site was co-organized by the NRICPT with the TL Centre and Institute of Vietnamese Studies and Development Sciences, Hanoi National University (IVIDES). Experts from both countries gave presentations based on survey results and interviews with relevant individuals. The experts actively discussed their views on the future use of the site.
d) Survey of buildings from the colonial period (May 20–24, 2013)
Historical military buildings that were built during French colonial rule at the Thang Long site were surveyed with the TL Centre staff. Together, a new survey and supplementary surveys surveyed 7 buildings in order to prepare accurate documentation of the current status of these buildings, which have value as cultural properties, as basic data for management of cultural properties. Plans are to publish survey drawings, including those of 10 previously surveyed buildings, and to offer the digital data to the TL Centre.
e) Field study on the preservation of excavated remains (August 8–9, 2013)
At the excavation site, monitoring data were collected from sensors that have measured moisture migration in the soil where archaeological remains are located. Preserved bricks that had been subjected to an outdoor exposure test were also recovered for analysis of the test results. In addition, local staff members were given lectures on the use of equipment and materials and methods of data analysis to enable them to make similar measurements even though the current project has concluded.
f) Symposium on overall achievements of the project (September 11–12, 2013)
A symposium was held to bring together experts in charge of different portions of the project and other relevant personnel. The symposium served as a forum to summarize achievements of the project thus far and to exchange opinions on issues with an eye towards the future. Nine presentations were made in this two-day symposium with more than 60 participants from both countries and the UNESCO Office in Hanoi. The symposium, which was also one of the events to commemorate 2013 as the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Year, allowed participants to reaffirm the significance of the site in different terms and to sense the extensive achievements of the project firsthand, including studies on appropriate conservation efforts, planning site management, and teaching and training personnel to create a system to preserve and manage the Thang Long site. Japanese personnel are currently working, together with their Vietnamese counterparts, to publish a final project report by the end of the year.
Demonstration of lining
International Course on Conservation of Japanese Paper was conducted from August 26th to September 13th by ICCROM and the Institute. Approximately 60 individuals who work with cultural properties applied from around the world. Of these, 10 individuals from the USA, UAE, Germany, Canada, Australia, UK, Malaysia, Switzerland, Bolivia, and Guatemala were selected to attend. The course focused on Japanese paper and included classes from perspectives ranging from materials science to history. In practical sessions, participants made infillings of missing portions, attached linings, attached rods, and mounted a work to a hanging scroll. They also attempted Japanese-style book binding. During this training, participants visited the Mino region in Gifu Prefecture, where a type of Japanese handmade paper that is used in restoration work is produced, and they also visited a town where traditional buildings are being conserved. Participants also visited traditional mounting studios and stores that make traditional tools and materials to learn about aspects relating to conservation of Japanese paper. The techniques and knowledge provided by this course will help encourage the conservation, restoration, and exhibition of Japanese paper cultural properties in collections overseas and can also be used to conserve and restore works made outside Japan.
Practice of dyeing
As part of JICA’s (Japan International Cooperation Agency) Project for cooperation with the Conservation Centre of the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM-CC), a training course on textile conservation was conducted at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (NRICPT). The course was attended by 8 Egyptian trainees from the GEM-CC: 5 conservators of organic artifacts such as textiles, 1 curator who is in charge of storage, and 2 scientists who oversee instrumental analysis. Dr. Ishii Mie, a textile conservator and a visiting researcher from the NRICPT, led the training course as a head instructor for 2 weeks from September 2nd to 13th.
During the training, trainees learned about the mechanisms of synthetic dyes, dye discoloration by light, and color fastness tests in cooperation with Dr. Asakura Mamoru of the Tokyo Metropolitan Industrial Technology Research Institute. Dr. Fujisawa Akira, an associate fellow of the NRICPT specializing in conservation science, instructed trainees in methods of materials testing and gave them the opportunity to practice those methods. Trainees practiced dyeing and making mounts for use in display. In addition, trainees also inspected storerooms and they viewed conservation underway in museums.
The course sought to encourage an understanding of the importance of individuals in different areas, such as conservators, curators, and scientists, working in concert, performing analysis and evaluation, and exchanging opinions. Trainees gained a lot of knowledge and experience in a short period of time.
This project seeks to foster and enhance cooperation among staff of the GEM-CC so that what is taught in training courses can spread and raise the standard of the museum as a whole. This is achieved by having trainees describe and teach what they have experienced and learned to their colleagues.
