| ■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 |
|
During the lecture
To welcome Dr. Stanley Abe (professor, Duke University, USA), an expert in Chinese art history, as a visiting researcher to the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems, the lecture by Dr. ABE was organized under the title of Imagining Chinese Sculpture from 2:00 to 5:30 PM on June 5 (Wed.) in a basement meeting room at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo.
Dr. ABE’s lecture focused on the fact that the Western concept of “sculpture” did not exist in China until the 19th century. Instead, emphasis was placed on the text that accompanied three-dimensional objects. Tracing the history of this text, Dr. Abe noted that it was valued in different ways and was intended as a gift or treated as an art object. Since the dawn of the modern age, that text gained new value as a work of art when it was collected by Westerners and Japanese who visited China.
After the lecture, a discussion took place with comments by Dr. TANAKA Shuji (associate professor, Graduate School of Education, Faculty of Education and Welfare Science, Oita University) and OKADA Ken (Head of the Institute’s Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques). The discussion revealed that China and Japan attached different value to three-dimensional objects prior to encountering the Western European concept of “sculpture,” and the social status of the individuals who produced those items also differed. In China, the term “sculpture” strongly connotes an object produced after the dawn of the modern age.
The discussion brought up topics such as variations not only in the acceptance of Western culture, but also in the modern shaping of the plastic arts, and the historical and economic contexts that led to those variations. The lecture had 48 attendees and was a success.
YUKI Somei’s manuscript for A Description of Graves of Artists
The Japanese-style painter YUKI Somei (1875–1957) is known as a figure who contributed to a revolution in modern Japanese-style painting. He did this by developing a style based on naturalism in the middle of the Meiji Period and by participating in the forming of Kinreisha (an organization encouraging Japanese-style painters) with painters such as HIRAFUKU Hyakusui and KABURAKI Kiyokata during the Taisho period. Many of YUKI’s written works about art survive today. Some of these works contain empirical information based on documentary research that is valued even today. These works include A Study of the Graves of Tokyo Artists (1931), A Description of the Graves of Tokyo Artists (1936), and A Description of the Graves of Artists (1953). These 3 works compile information on the graves of artists (with a focus on “artists” in the traditional sense), and they are valuable sources that provide clues to the past.
AOKI Shigeru, the head of the Association for the Study of Modern Japanese Art History and a visiting research at the Institute, donated YUKI’s rough draft of his series of descriptions of graves to the Institute. Like the printed edition, the rough draft features the date when different artists died, their age at death, and a biography. However, YUKI continued to revise the draft copy by adding information even after the printed edition came out. The assembled rough draft is more than 10 inches thick. The work conjures up YUKI’s devotion to compiling descriptions of graves. This work can be viewed in the Institute’s Library.
The instant that the decision was made to inscribe Fujisan, sacred place and source ofartistic inspiration (a property nominated by Japan), on the List of World Heritage
The 37th Session of the World Heritage Committee was held from June 16 to 27 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (the closing ceremony on the 27th took place in Siem Reap-Angkor). Prior to the session, personnel at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo analyzed data on the state of conservation of World Heritage properties and data regarding properties nominated for inscription on the World Heritage List. Five representatives from the Institute, including FUTAGAMI Yoko (Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems), attended the session to gather information on World Heritage issues.
This session of the World Heritage Committee decided to inscribe 19 properties on the World Heritage List. During discussion of Mt. Fuji, which Japan nominated for inscription, 19 of the 20 Committee Members (excluding Japan) expressed approval of the site for inscription, but many opposed a recommendation to exclude the Miho-no-Matsubara pine grove because of its distance from the mountain. Committee Members gained a full understanding of the value of Mt. Fuji and the Miho-no-Matsubara site thanks to materials such as letters of nomination and explanations from Japanese representatives, leading to inclusion of the Miho-no-Matsubara site.
In addition, 6 properties in Syria, such as the Site of Palmyra, were inscribed as World Heritage site of Syria properties on the List of World Heritage in Danger. This was a result of the country’s domestic instability, which has hampered efforts to conserve Syrian cultural properties. However, restoring peace is a complicated issue and will take time.
Additionally, the Committee explored reducing the number of properties to discuss and having Committee Members voluntarily withdraw nominations of properties in their own countries during their term of office. However, many Committee Members opposed these proposals, so no decision was reached. The World Heritage Committee does not merely discuss nomination of properties to the World Heritage List as it also plays an important role in dealing with any topic related to the conservation of World Heritage. Representatives from the Institute were involved in varied aspects of the session’s agenda and they gathered, analyzed, and presented relevant information at the session.
Field in Grez by KURODA Seiki
The Institute of Art Research opened in 1930 with an endowment bequeathed by Western-style painter KURODA Seiki and later became the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. To inherit Kuroda’s will, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo has placed stress on the study of Japanese modern art. Field in Grez (canvas, oil, 29.2×51.4 cm) by KURODA Seiki was donated to the Kuroda Memorial Hall upon the condition that it be exhibited there. On May 6, TANAKA Atsushi, SHIOYA Jun, SHIRONO Seiji, and YAMANASHI Emiko of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems studied and photographed the work. The work depicts a rural landscape with 2 piles of straw in a vast grass field and a red flower in grass in the foreground. The signature,“S.K.”, is at the bottom right. The year the work was painted is not written, but the imagery and style indicates the work was done in Grez-sur-Loing while KURODA was studying in France. It is thought to date to around 1890, when KURODA sought to have his work entered in the Salon. The piles of straw evoke an association with Jean-François Millet, whom KURODA admired. The work has been passed down by the family of NOMURA Yasushi (1842–1909), who served as ambassador to France from 1891 to 1893 and supported KURODA’s painting in France. The work sheds light on NOMURA’s friendship with the painter. Plans are to publish the study’s results and exhibit the work in the Kuroda Memorial Hall.
Study and photography of Taima-dera Temple’s “Backboard” Mandala
The Taima Mandala is a pictorial depiction of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism showing primarily the Pure Land Paradise of Amida based on the Commentary on the Meditation Sutra by the monk Shandao from Tang Dynasty China. The work has been passed down by the Taima-dera Temple in Nara, leading to its name. The work is massive, extending more than 4 meters in width and height. Scenes in the mandala are depicted by weaving, i.e. figured brocade, rather than pictures painted on silk canvas, as was normally the case. A recent view has posited that the work may have been produced in Tang Dynasty China in the 8th century. Nevertheless, the work has unquestionably deteriorated over a span of 1200–1300 years. The state and extent of the original figured brocade that remained had not been fully ascertained. The Institute’s Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems conducted a joint research project on the mandala with the Nara National Museum last year when the museum hosted a special exhibition entitled Taima-dera Temple.
The Taima Mandala was kept affixed to the back of a board in a miniature shrine atop a dais in the mandala hall of Taima-dera Temple. However, the mandala had severely deteriorated by the Edo Period, so paper was placed on top, water was applied, and the fabric of the mandala was detached to that it could be refashioned into a hanging scroll. This hanging scroll was studied last December. Some of the fabric remaining on paper that was used to detach the mandala during the Edo Period has been kept by Saikou Temple in Kyoto as the Mandala “Imprint on Paper.” The remaining woven fabric that has not peeled away from its original backing, known as the “Backboard” Mandala, has survived. Together with the Nara National Museum, SHIRONO Seiji and SARAI Mai performed high-resolution imaging of the Mandala “Imprint on Paper” at the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems on May 28 of last year. On May 29, SHIRONO Seiji and KOBAYASHI Tatsuro participated in a study involving macro-photography of the “Backboard” Mandala in Taima-dera Temple’s mandala hall. Portions of the original figured brocade on the Mandala “Imprint on Paper” were not readily discernible, but the fabric itself was found to remain. Because of the physical constraints on site, the scope of the study of the “Backboard” Mandala was somewhat limited, but the original figured brocade was found to have survived. The Taima Mandala was poorly understood, but the current study has helped to ascertain its true state.
The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems conducted a regular conference on May 28 (Tues.). This conference was entitled Issues with the Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku in 6 Scrolls in the Collection of Shi-tenno-ji Temple. The conference featured presentations from TSUCHIYA Takahiro (Tokyo National Museum) and MURAMATSU Kanako (Ryukoku Museum), who comprised the team that surveyed A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku.
The conference covered Shi-tenno-ji temple’s A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku in 6 scrolls (an Important Cultural Property). The work was commissioned by (at the behest) of AJARI, a priest at the Ida Bessho (a remote religious facility away from the main temple) in year 3 of the Genko Era (1323) and painted by an individual named TOTOMI Hokkyo of an atelier (studio) in the Southern Capital (Nara), according to writing on the back of the work. These aspects mark the piece as important among the many works on Prince Shotoku produced after the early 14th century. The writing on the back of the piece had been considered as-is since it was first printed out some 30 years ago. However, YONEKURA Michio (emeritus researcher at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo), a member of the team that studied the actual work, indicated that the writing is not original. Mr. YONEKURA presented the view questioning what is written along with images of the writing (Mr. YONEKURA was absent that day, so Mr. TSUCHIYA made the presentation in his stead). Afterwards, Mr. TSUCHIYA showed detailed images of the painting and he offered his own doubts about the rather vague grounds for considered the work a Painting of the Southern Capital (school). Mr. TSUCHIYA announced that there was ample room for additional consideration of whether or not that style of work actually existed at the time. Ms. MURAMATSU indicated the iconic relationships in a number of other versions of the Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku, and she noted their significance in surviving versions of the Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku. Although the work is noteworthy for the exceptional way in which it was crafted, it has not been fully discussed. Perhaps this conference will spur further study of the work.
KURODA Seiki in Formal Attire (Photo: OGAWA Kazumasa, July 1914, in the collection of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo [donated by KANEKO Mitsuo])
The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems held its first seminar of 2013 on April 30. Research presentations were given on Hananokage (Illustrious Portraits), a Private Photography Magazine for Nobles, and Letters from OGAWA Kazumasa to KURODA Seiki. Presentations were made by SAITO Yoichi (Tojo Historical Museum, City of Matsudo) and OKATSUKA Akiko (Edo-Tokyo Museum, Tokyo) along with TANAKA Atsushi.
Starting off, Mr. SAITO described results of his previous studies of Hananokage (published from 1903 to around 1908), a private photography magazine published by former daimyo (feudal lords) such as TOKUGAWA Yoshinobu and TOKUGAWA Akitake, i.e. Meiji-era nobles. Based on his studies, Mr. SAITO deduced that 4 volumes of Hananokage were published each year. Mr. SAITO focused on 5 editions published between March 1907 and March of the following year that featured Photography Critiques of submitted photographs authored by KURODA Seiki and photographer OGAWA Kazumasa (1860–1929). Based on these Photography Critiques, Mr. TANAKA appraised KURODA as an artist and OGAWA as a photographer, and Mr. TANAKA also described KURODA’s views on “photography.” Letters addressed to KURODA Seiki curated by the Institute include letters (7) from OGAWA Kazumasa. Ms. OKATSUKA is studying OGAWA based on these letters, and she described the relationship between KURODA and OGAWA. She also described the world of Meiji photography based on OGAWA’s relationship to nobles of the period. Plans are to publish the results of this research in vol. 411 of Bijutsu Kenkyu (The Journal of Art Studies) (scheduled for publication in Nov. 2013) and in subsequent volumes.
Front cover of “YOKOYAMA Taikan’s Yamaji”
Display boards on Research on YOKOYAMA Taikan's Yamaji in the Institute’s entrance lobby
This spring, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems published volume 6 of the Archive of Art Studies, entitled “YOKOYAMA Taikan’s Yamaji.” The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems started publishing the Archive of Art Studies in 2002. This volume summarizes the results of 3 years of research on YOKOYAMA Taikan’s Yamaji conducted jointly with Eisei Bunko. In the past, individual research reports were made available via the Institute’s website, but the full nature of that research has now been revealed to the public thanks to the cooperation of a number of individuals.
Vol. 6 of the Archive of Art Studies features Yamaji (painted in 1911) in Eisei Bunko’s collection and a variant of that piece, Yamaji (painted in 1912), in the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto. This volume assembles information on the individual pieces based on their restoration and analysis of the pigments used as well as textual information regarding the pieces, such as critiques when they were presented and a description of their provenance. Reliable articles based on surveys of the pieces and other materials have been authored by ARAI Kei (Tokyo University of the Arts), OGAWA Ayako (Tokyo National Museum), SATO Shino (Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall), TAIRA Yuichiro (Tokyo University of the Arts), TAKEGAMI Yukihiro (Association for Conservation of National Treasures), NOJI Koichiro (Nerima Art Museum), HAYASHIDA Ryuta (Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Arts), MIYAKE Hidekazu (Eisei Bunko), and SHIOYA Jun, who were involved in restoring and studying the pieces. Hopes are that this case study of research on a single work will, like previous volumes of the Archive of Art Studies, contribute to future studies of art history. Vol. 6 is available from Chuo Koron Bijutsu Shuppan. Please see the website below for details.
http://www.chukobi.co.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=635.
In conjunction with the publication of this volume, display boards describing Research on YOKOYAMA Taikan’s Yamaji were exhibited in the entrance lobby on the first floor of Institute starting on March 28. The display boards provide an overview of the research with a focus on images of Yamaji in Eisei Bunko’s collection (the same images are featured in Vol. 6). Thanks to high-resolution images taken by SHIRONO Seiji of the Institute, visitors to the Institute will be able to see for themselves the ingredients of the pigments used in Yamaji.
Movement of the bronzed black kite of the Shochuhi memorial (Feb. 7, 2013)
Erected on the ruins of the keep of Sendai Castle (or Aoba Castle), the Shochuhi memorial was erected in 1902 to commemorate the fallen from the Imperial Army’s 2nd Division, which was located in Sendai. The Shochuhi memorial is currently under the care of Gokoku Shrine, Miyagi Prefecture. As was previously reported (Jan. and June, 2012), the black kite in bronze that sat atop the memorial’s stone pedestal fell as a result of the Great East Japan Earthquake. With its Secretariat in the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, the Committee to Rescue Cultural Properties Damaged by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami worked to rescue the memorial as a cultural property. Bronze fragments that were scattered around and atop the pedestal were previously collected. The bronzed black kite had been left as it was for a prolonged period, but it was finally moved this February.
Work started on February 4 and was supervised by Bronze Studios and Sekiho, which have previously worked to restore outdoor sculptures. A 4.5×4 m bed of steel plates was placed on the ground in front of the east side of the Shochuhi memorial. On February 7, a 25-t all-terrain crane lifted the bronzed black kite and placed it atop the bed of steel plates. A covering was then fashioned from corrugated plastic panels, and all work was completed on February 9. Snow occasionally fell during the work but was cleared. Luckily, lifting of the bronzed black kite was marked by good weather on the 7th; lifting proceeded as relevant personnel and members of the local media looked on. Movement will allow inspection inside the broken neck of the black kite statue. The head of the statue was found to be joined to the body by a mortise-and-tenon joint and an inscription was found to read “Head joined October 4, 1902/At the Tokyo Fine Art School/ In Commemoration of this Date.” Such discoveries are important to the study of the Shochuhi memorial. Like previous work to rescue the Shochuhi memorial, movement of the bronzed black kite was carried out thanks to donations to the Institute from Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. (President: MURAKAMI Takashi) to help with the Cultural Property Rescue Program.
Movement of the bronzed black kite under cover will prevent damage to broken areas by rain for the time being. Nevertheless, the bronzed black kite was damaged extensively by the fall, e.g. its left wing broke off, so it is far from its majestic visage prior to the disaster. Other threats have yet to be dealt with, such as bronze adornments atop the pedestal falling off and complete collapse of the pedestal due to penetration by rainwater. Future steps must be taken to conserve this rare memorial from the Meiji Era.
Presentation of results of an optical study of AI-MITSU’s Landscape with an Eye
On February 26, OTANI Shogo (Senior researcher, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo) delivered a presentation entitled “AI-MITSU’s Landscape with an Eye” at a seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. The work’s creator, AI-MITSU (born: ISHIMURA Nichiro, 1907–46), left behind a body of work through his unique sense of shapes and steadfast use of oil paints. As a painter, AI-MITSU is an essential part of Japan’s history of Western-style painting from the 1930s to 40s. Among his numerous works, Landscape with an Eye is not merely a result of surrealism in modern Japanese art; rather, the piece is renowned for its unique depiction of the fantastic amidst darkening times.
The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems previously conducted optical studies with the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo through a research project on Research on the Use of High-Resolution Digital Images and Comprehensive Research on Modern and Contemporary Art in January and April 2010. Full-scale color images and near-infrared reflectance images from those studies will be exhibited on the second floor of the Institute.
A participant in the optical study of AI-MITSU’s Landscape with an Eye, OTANI presented the results of his research, which builds on study and discussion of the images obtained. OTANI’s presentation brought up several issues. Although AI-MITSU’s work is generally considered to be typical of surrealist painting in Japan, numerous questions remain, e.g. what specific impact did the work have and what was AI-MITSU trying to depict? Near-infrared reflectance imaging and near-infrared transmittance imaging were done, allowing a glimpse into the process AI-MITSU used to produce the work. The comprehensive presentation discussed a single work from multiple perspectives. It reviewed the work in terms of the motivation behind its creation and its motifs and depictions in light of the imaging information and it confirmed the work’s place in art history via remarks on and assessments of the work thus far.
The optical study of the Nissokan doors (two panels)
The Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple, where the temple’s principal image is enshrined, has two doors at its entrance the rear corridor, featuring Nissokan illustrations intended to evoke Paradise. The door on the right-hand side depicts mountains with buildings in their midst, including a Buddhist temple, while the images on the left door include the expansive sea and the setting sun above the horizon. While naturally the passing years have caused many parts of the paintings to peel off and a number of repairs were made by later generations, in light of the tough environment in which they were placed the original pictures can be said to have survived the years well. These are very important paintings in that they are rare examples of full-fledged paintings remaining from the mid-Heian Period. In September 2012, as requested by Byodoin Temple the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo conducted an optical study focusing chiefly on the paint remaining under the sliding locks that had been installed atop the pictures in later years, since those locks had just been removed.
This more recent study focused chiefly on the outer frame of the doors, a part of the Nissokan doors not previously subjected to full-fledged optical study. Parts of the frames are decorated with patterns that from their materials are thought to be original. From January 8 through January 10, 2013, Seiji SHIRONO and Tatsuro KOBAYASHI of the Planning and Information Department took high-resolution color images, fluorescence images, and infrared images of the Nissokan images themselves along with other subjects including fragments of the Jobonjoshozu doors of the Phoenix Hall, preserved in the Hoshokan, and parts of the ceiling panels. Yasuhiro HAYAKAWA of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques used fluorescence X-ray analysis to study the materials used in the frame patterns. After study of the data obtained, plans call for reporting the data to the Byodoin and then announcing it publicly in the future.
Prior to this study, the Nissokan doors were moved to the Hoshokan, a museum facility equipped with an environment resembling that of the interior of the Byodoin, and they will be preserved and made available for public viewing in this facility. Plans call for installation of new doors with reproductions of the Nissokan paintings inside the Phoenix Hall, and this optical study, like its predecessor, is likely to contribute greatly to the process of preparing these reproductions.
Kasuga Gongen Genki E is a massive work from the dawn of the 14th century consisting of 20 scrolls in total featuring paintings by TAKASHINA Takakane, head of the court atelier, at the behest of SAIONJI Kinhira, Minister of the Left at the time. All of the scrolls have survived. The work is extremely valuable in terms of the history of Japanese paintings, and it features a style that is unrivaled in its elaborateness and resplendence. Currently curated by the Imperial Household Agency, the work is being completely disassembled and restored as a part of a 15-year plan that began in 2004. As part of joint research with the Imperial Household Agency, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo has optically studied and photographed the work prior to restoration. As of last year, 12 scrolls of the 20 total scrolls had been studied.
This year, high-resolution digital photography of scroll 4 and scroll 15 was done with visible light, fluorescence, and 2 types of infrared waves (reflected and transmitted). Photography took place from December 3 to 6, 2012 and involved SHIRONO Seiji, KOBAYASHI Koji, and KOBAYASHI Tatsuro from the Institute’s Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. From December 10 to 20, HAYAKAWA Yasuhiro of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques used X-ray fluorescence of the 2 scrolls to collect data on paints.
Use of the reams of data that have been obtained thus far will be examined with the Imperial Household Agency once conservation and restoration are complete.
Study and photography of the Taima Mandala
The Taima Mandala is a pictorial depiction of the teachings of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism showing primarily the Pure Land Paradise of Amida based on the Commentary on the Meditation Sutra by the monk Shandao from Tang Dynasty China. The work has been passed down by the Taima-dera temple in Nara, leading to its name. Vast numbers of works depicted the same images even in later ages and can be found around the country, but the basis for these works is the Taima Mandala, which the Institute studied. The massive work has been designated a National Treasure and extends more than 4 meters in width and height. The work is thought to have been produced in the 8th century, though some believe it to have been produced in Tang China while others think it was produced in Nara. A major feature of this key mandala is that scenes are depicted by weaving, i.e. figured brocade, rather than pictures painted on silk canvas, as was normally the case. However, the work has unquestionably deteriorated over a span of more than 1000 years. Massive restoration in the Kamakura and Edo periods only just managed to keep the work intact. Scenes are apparent as a result of patching that was done during those periods, but the ground weave has been severely damaged. The extent of original figured brocade that remained and the features of that brocade were somewhat unclear.
The mandala had long been out of public view, but the mandala was slated for exhibition during a special exhibition, Taima-dera Temple, by the Nara National Museum starting on April 6 of this year. Prior to exhibition, the Institute’s Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems conducted an optical study of the mandala from December 17 to 21, 2012 at the Nara National Museum as part of a joint research project with the Nara National Museum. SHIRONO Seiji, KOBAYASHI Koji, SARAI Mai, and KOBAYASHI Tatsuro of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems participated in the study. A railed platform was crafted for extensive photography. The work was placed on the platform and then photographed with a high-definition digital camera. The total surface of the work was divided into close to 150 segments, allowing viewing of the extremely elaborate weaving of the mandala. High-definition digital images were taken with visible light, and sections were photographed in greater detail with fluorescence and infrared light. During the study, macro-photographs were taken on portions where the original figured brocade appeared to have survived. Very few portions were found to have the original weave of the figured brocade, providing a key springboard for future studies. This study also helped to facilitate exhibition of the work at the Nara National Museum.
High-resolution image photography of a Painting of the Thousand-armed Kannon (a National Treasure)
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 Painting of the Thousand-armed Kannon (a National Treasure) in the Tokyo National Museum were taken November 1. This photography was in accordance with a “joint study” between the Institute and the Tokyo National Museum and follows the study of a Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva (also a National Treasure) last year. The current images were taken by the Institute’s SHIRONO Seiji with the assistance of TAZAWA Hiroyoshi and OKIMATSU Kenjiro of the Tokyo National Museum. KOBAYASHI Tatsuro and EMURA Tomoko were also involved in the project. A Painting of the Thousand-armed Kannon (a National Treasure) 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 current images surpass what is visible with the naked eye. Beauty unique to Buddhist paintings from the Heian Period is apparent in the painting’s subtle features. In the future, the Institute will jointly examine the information obtained with specialists from the Tokyo National Museum.
A lecture underway 1
A lecture underway 2
This year marks the 46th public lecture series of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. Lectures on the topic of Dialogues on Objects and Images were given in the Institute’s basement seminar hall starting at 1:30 PM on both October 19th (Fri.) and 20th (Sat.). Cultural properties and artworks are immobile objects that engender vivid imagery in people’s minds. With this in mind, the lecture series seeks to inform more people of new information about the Objects and Images they encounter every day.
Presentations were made by PAI Shih-ming, an Associate Professor at National Taiwan Normal University (on the 19th, entitled Firsthand Experiences from Ueno Modern to Modern Culture: The modern Japan that CHEN Cheng-po encountered) and MARUKAWA Yuzo, an Assistant Professor at the International Research Center for Japanese Studies (on the 20th, entitled The Lines and Dots of Art History that Engender Mental Associations: What can be gleaned from archives). Presentations were also made by YAMANASHI Emiko, Assistant Director of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems (on the 19th, entitled Painters who Depicted the Mausoleum of the Tokugawa Shoguns) and TANAKA Atsushi, Director of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems (on the 20th, entitled October 20th, 1912: Ueno & Art) from the Institute. Despite the great weather on both days, lectures on the 19th had an audience of 96 and lectures on the 20th had an audience of 80.
Kasuga Gongen Kenki-e is a voluminous work that was commissioned by SAIONJI Kinhira, the Minister of the Left, in the early 14th century. The work consists of a total of 20 scrolls painted by TAKASHINA Takakane, head of the official court atelier. Masterfully painted, the work is a treasured part of the history of Japanese paintings. The work is currently curated by the Imperial Household Agency. The Imperial Household Agency has been dismantling and completely restoring the scrolls in line with a 15-year plan that started in 2004. As part of joint research by the Institute and the Imperial Household Agency, optical studies of the work were done prior to its restoration.
On September 25th, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems held a seminar to report on the interim results of those studies. OTA Aya, a senior researcher from the Sannomaru Shozokan who is directing the restoration, described the restoration overall and findings yielded by the restoration. SHIRONO Seiji of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems delivered a report focusing on the characteristics of high-resolution images in visible light. The various optical studies done by SHIRONO include visible-spectrum images as well as near-infrared reflectance, near-infrared transmittance, and fluorescent images. As the current point in time, studies of 12 scrolls have resulted in image information consisting of close to 6,700 sections. KOBAYASHI Tatsuro of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems described some of that information in terms of its significance to art history. The optical studies also include a scientific study of pigments via X-ray fluorescence analysis done by HAYAKAWA Yasuhiro of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques. The information that study is yielding is clearly quite valuable. Suitable ways of publishing that information will be explored in consultation with representatives from the Imperial Household Agency.
Survey of the Nissokan [door paintings] (from the rear corridor)
The Phoenix Hall of Byodoin Temple is a famed structure that was built around the first year of the Tengi Era (1053). Paintings on its doors and pillars are also a treasured part of the history of Japanese paintings. Behind the Seated Amida Nyorai (Amitabha Buddha) statue, the temple’s principal Buddhist image, are 2 doors to the entrance to the rear corridor from the west side of the main hall. The paintings on these doors depict Nissokan as described in the Kanmuryojukyo [“Sutra on the Contemplation of Buddha Amitayus”]. Although much of the paint has peeled off and the paintings were retouched a number of times in later centuries, the paintings are important because they have retained the major elements of their composition since they were originally created.
The foot of the left door has a flush bolt that locks when the bolt is dropped into a hole in the doorsill. The lock’s wooden support is shaped like an “エ,” obscuring part of the painting. In conjunction with work to restore the Phoenix Hall, this support was removed, revealing the part of the painting that had been obscured. At the behest of Byodoin Temple, an optical study primarily of this portion was conducted. The study took place over 3 days from Sept. 4–6 and was done by HAYAKAWA Yasuhiro of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques and SHIRONO Seiji and KOBAYASHI Tatsuro of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems.
Little pigment remains in what is thought to be the original portion of the painting behind the flush bolt. However, traces do remain. HAYAKAWA submitted these traces to X-ray fluorescence analysis while SHIRONO took high-resolution images, near-infrared reflectance images, and fluorescent images of these traces. Plans are to soon analyze and examine the data obtained and then publish those findings.
Conference underway
As mentioned in previous updates, the Institute has studied Yamaji by Yokoyama Taikan since 2010 through joint research with Eisei Bunko. Results of the 4th survey of the piece, occasioned by its restoration, are finally being summarized. A conference primarily for individuals involved in the surveys was held at the Institute on August 3rd. At the conference, the individuals listed below (including myself) reported on their own research topics related to Yamaji (individuals are listed in the order in which they made presentations):
TAKEGAMI Yukihiro (Association for Conservation of National Treasures), ARAI Kei (Tokyo University of the Arts), TAIRA Yuichiro (Tokyo University of the Arts), OGAWA Ayako and MIYAKE Hidekazu (Eisei Bunko), HAYASHIDA Ryuta (Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art), SATO Shino (Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall), and NOJI Koichiro (Nerima Art Museum)
Presenters discussed the piece with personnel of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. Presentations covered a range of topics, including reports on the restoration, analysis of the piece based on surveys, and re-examination of points raised during presentations. Multiple researchers investigated a single work from multiple perspectives. Such an approach is unprecedented in the study of modern Japanese-style painting, making the conference a groundbreaking event. Plans are to summarize the results in volume 6 of the Archive of Art Studies (published by the Institute) for publication next spring.
Survey with the cherry picker. The bronzed black kite that had fallen from the pedestal is evident at the bottom right.
The damaged bronze adornment and top of the pedestal. The stone leaves blossoming from the pedestal’s center are barely restrained by a loosened bolt.
Erected on the ruins of the keep of Sendai Castle (or Aoba Castle) in 1902, the Shochuhi memorial commemorates the fallen from the Imperial Army’s 2nd Division, which was located in Sendai. As was reported in January of this year, the memorial features a black kite in bronze atop a stone pedestal close to 20 m high that was damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake last year (evident by the fall of the bronzed black kite). Following a survey of the damage and collection of fragments in January, damaged to the top of the pedestal was surveyed and fragments were collected with a cherry picker on June 26th as part of the Cultural Property Rescue Program.
The survey and work to collect fragments included individuals from the Gokoku Shrine, Miyagi Pref., where the Shochuhi memorial is located, as well as Mitsuro MIKAMI (Miyagi Museum of Art) from the Council to Conserve Damaged Cultural Properties in Miyagi Prefecture, personnel from the Japan Institute for the Survey and Conservation of Outdoor Sculpture (a firm with experience surveying and conserving outdoor sculptures in Japan), and personnel from Hashimototen Co., Ltd. (a local construction firm). Also participating in the survey were Akio HASHIMOTO of the Department of Crafts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts and Chizuko YOSHIDA of the Educational Materials Office of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Work was supported by a donation from Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd. to the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo to help with the Cultural Property Rescue Program.
The survey found a number of bronze fragments scattered atop the pedestal, and these fragments were collected. A survey of the remaining portion of the bronze adornment determined that one of the stone leaves was barely restrained by a loosened bolt, cracks ran through the narrow portion of the base supporting the bronzed black kite, and the bronze adornment that was perched atop the pedestal had struck the projecting cornice at the top of the pedestal before leaving a hole at the foot of the pedestal when it fell. The stone leaves that had come free were secured with bands and the top of the pedestal was covered with blue plastic tarp, but these are only stop-gap measures. If a large earthquake were to strike again, the stone leaves could fall to the foot of the pedestal. Rainwater from holes in the cornice and the damaged pedestal could seep into the pedestal and cause it to collapse. Steps to deal with the bronzed black kite that had been left where it fell at the foot of the pedestal need to be devised along with steps for the future.
Tauride Palace, venue of the World Heritage Committee
The moment when Palestine’s property was inscribed
Fireworks during the welcoming reception (Peterhof Palace)
The 36th Session of the World Heritage Committee was held from June 24th to July 6th in Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.Prior to the Committee, the Institute summarized and analyzed documents regarding the state of conservation of World Heritage properties and the Advisory Bodies’ evaluation of nominated properties. Three staff members of the Institute joined the Committee in collecting information.
Twenty-six properties were inscribed on the World Heritage List during the session. Four properties that were slated to have their inscription deferred were instead inscribed on the list; this number was smaller than that during the previous session. Seven properties that were to be referred back to the state party for additional information were all inscribed on the List. Although there was less of a tendency for the Advisory Bodies’ recommendations to be overturned by the Committee due to changes in Committee Members as a result of elections,that tendency still remained. Three former mining sites were inscribed on the list, and all three were associated with negative aspects of history, like the spread of labor movements among miners and mining accidents. This tendency to focus on the dark side of the history remains evident.
The World Heritage Convention is said to be UNESCO’s most successful convention since it has been ratified by 190 state parties. The Birthplace of Jesus: Church of the Nativity and the Pilgrimage Route, Bethlehem was inscribed on an emergency basis during the session. Of interest is the fact that the “state party” nominating the property was Palestine. In addition, World Heritage property in Mali was destroyed by Muslim fundamentalists, highlighting the global impact of the destruction of World Heritage properties.
Since Palestine ratified the Convention last year, the United States stopped its financial contribution and Japan became the largest contributor to UNESCO. As of the current session, Japan also became a Committee Member with the right to comment freely during sessions, so Japan should be playing a larger role in future sessions. The Institute hopes to provide information to relevant organizations in Japan and to provide support such as information analysis so that Japan can contribute further to the World Heritage Committee.
