| ■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 |
|
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.
Maki KANEKO, Assistant Professor in the Art History Department at the University of Kansas, who came to research and study as a visiting researcher in the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems for one year last July, gave her results presentation at the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems’s research conference on June 28, coinciding with her visit coming to an end. Ms. KANEKO has been investigating how the Asia-Pacific War and the postwar period were expressed in the work of artists, and as a very interesting problem to emerge from that investigation, she has focused on the change in the evaluations surrounding Kiyoshi YAMASHITA (1922–71), who is known for his simple collages. She presented a topic titled “The Expression of a ‘National Artist’: ‘The Kiyoshi YAMASHITA Boom’ during the Asia-Pacific War and the Postwar Period.”
Kiyoshi YAMASHITA has been spoken of as a ‘National Artist’ that can create imagery that induces a sense of innocence and idyllic nostalgia since the second time he was noticed during the postwar period in the mid-1950s. In contrast, when he first gained prominence for two years between 1938 and 1940, from around one year after the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War, he was portrayed as the ‘Japanese Van Gogh,’ who exemplified a magnificent creative faculty even while having a mental disability.
Ms. KANEKO pointed out the possibility that these portrayals of Kiyoshi YAMASHITA reflected the state of the societies during each period, in that during the latter half of the 1930s a system of total war was constructed for the war, while the memories of war were brought back in various ways during the 1950s, when it was said, “it’s still not the postwar period.”
It was a very interesting experiment that tried to analyze society from how visual representations were received, extending outside of the narrow framework of “art.” Ms. KANEKO returned to her home upon finishing her research here at the end of June.
Study and photography of Yokoyama Taikan’s Yamaji (Eisei Bunko collection)
As previous reports have occasionally mentioned, joint research on Yokoyama Taikan’s Yamaji [the Mountain Path] with Eisei Bunko Museum has taken place as part of a Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems research project entitled Documentary Research on Cultural Properties. Taikan’s Yamaji in Eisei Bunko’s collection was exhibited at the 5th Bunten Art Exhibition (sponsored by the Ministry of Education) in 1911 and is an important work that inaugurated new forms of expression in Japanese painting with its vivid strokes. Upon completion of the piece’s restoration this spring, high-resolution images of the piece were taken on May 12th at the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, where the piece is held, by Seiji SHIRONO (National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo), and the piece was studied by Hidekazu MIYAKE (Eisei Bunko Museum), Ryuta HAYASHIDA (Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art), Ayako OGAWA, and Jun SHIOYA (also of the Institute).
Yamaji features extensive use of coarse paints made from mineral pigments, though this was not readily apparent in conventional images. The images taken during this study adeptly convey the nuances of the piece’s texture. In conjunction with the results of X-ray fluorescence analysis performed in the fall of 2010, high-resolution images should help distinguish the pigments used in the piece. Plans are to summarize these results in one volume and report them this year by means of a conference in August of this year.
A discussion underway
Japanese art objects are found in collections in the US and Europe and are greatly treasured. Experts overseas are also actively researching Japanese art history. Heidelberg University in Germany is one of the key sites of that research, and Melanie Trede, a professor at the University, was invited to Japan, where she delivered a lecture at the Institute’s seminar hall on March 5th entitled “Hachiman Engi Paintings as Cultural Memory: Using the Past to Serve the Present.”
“Cultural memory” is a political, social, and religious context that many people share when they recall a given work. An expert in Japanese art history, Professor Trede is often cited in the US and Europe by researchers in other fields as well. Her lecture examined the political nature of the Hachiman Engi by focusing on sources ranging from medieval picture scrolls to modern paper currency and was quite thought-provoking.
A lecture by Mari TAKAMATSU (adjunct instructor at Meiji University) lasted close to 2 hours as a result of consecutive interpretation and was followed by a discussion chaired by Tetsuei TSUDA (the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems) featuring comments by Takahiro TSUCHIYA (researcher at the Tokyo National Museum) and Jun SHIOYA (the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems). The day’s program received positive reactions from researchers of history and Japanese literature. The lecture on the Hachiman Engi provided a valuable impetus for the exchange of opinions by experts in different specialties or experts specializing in different eras.
High-resolution digital photography of a picture scroll
The “Zenshin Shonin Shinran Dene [Illustrated Biography of Shinran, Zenshin Shonin]” (2 scrolls) are picture scrolls depicting the life of Shinran (1173–1262) from his entry into the priesthood until the erection of his mausoleum following his death and were passed down by Bukkoji Temple, Kyoto. These scrolls were produced under the influence of picture scrolls of Shinran’s life that were passed down by Senjuji Temple, Mie Pref. The second set of scrolls is known to include text and portrayals that are hard to accept. And it is said that those text handwriting was those of the Emperor Godaigo. In principle, Bukkoji Temple’s picture scrolls are not shown to the public. Since the scrolls have been carefully passed down, they lack any evidence of restoration efforts like repaired creases. Despite its aging, silver paint on the scrolls has retained its brilliance. The scrolls are also notable for their colors, which remain as vivid today as when the scrolls were originally produced. Nevertheless, there are strongly divergent views on the date of production, with one view dating the scrolls back to the middle ages (15th century) and another placing the date in the modern age (the 17th century or afterwards).
With the understanding and cooperation of the Temple’s administrative office, Tetsuei TSUDA, Tatsuro KOBAYASHI, and Seiji SHIRONO of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems studied and photographed Bukkoji Temple’s “Zenshin Shonin Shinran Dene” on February 23 and 24, 2011 in the Temple’s great hall. Since previous opportunities to study the scrolls were severely limited, the current research sought to obtain basic data on such illustrated biographies and digitally photograph each illustration in high resolution so that Bukkoji Temple’s picture scrolls could contribute greatly to the study of cultural properties. Findings from this research were presented along with an interim report at a seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems on February 29th (Tetsuei TSUDA, “Bukkoji Temple’s ‘Illustrated Biography of Shinran’”). The scene in the first scroll, “Dream at the Rokkakudo [shrine],” features the most distinctive portrayals, so wall panel of this scene was displayed on the wall of the floor corridor of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems to further publicize the existence of this work. This research was undertaken with a 2011 grant from the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies. This research is one result of a research project of the Institute’s Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems entitled Study on Digital Imaging of Cultural Properties. (Tetsuei TSUDA, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems)
The Shochuhi memorial before the disaster.
The Shochuhi memorial after the disaster. The black kite in bronze that was perched atop the pedestal has fallen beak first to the foot of the pedestal.
A number of cultural properties were seriously damaged by the Great East Japan Earthquake last year. Within its Secretariat in the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, the Committee to Rescue Cultural Properties Damaged by the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami has been involved efforts to rescue cultural properties in regions like coastal areas hit by the tsunami. As of January, the Committee worked to rescue the Shochuhi memorial (Gokoku Shrine, Miyagi Pref.) 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 memorial features a black kite in bronze with its wings outstretched atop a stone pedestal close to 20 m high. The recent earthquake caused extensive damage and left the memorial in a pitiful state, causing the black kite at the top to fall to the foot of the stone pedestal and breaking its left wing. During work in January 22nd and 23rd, bronze fragments that could be collected by hand were collected by personnel in conjunction with individuals from the Gokoku Shrine. Future steps like movement of the bronzed black kite itself were also discussed.
The Shochuhi memorial was crafted on commission by the Tokyo Fine Art School (now the Tokyo University of the Arts). Masao KAWABE designed the memorial, Ichiga NUMATA crafted the original of the black kite adornment, and Sanshiro SAKURAOKA and Shinobu TSUDA cast the black kite in bronze. In other words, the memorial brought together the cream of the Fine Art School. The plaque in the center of the stone pedestal is inscribed “Shochu” [summoning the spirits of the loyal fallen] as was written by Prince KOMATSU Akihito. Conveying heroism, this plaque was exempted from metal requisition during the War. How will the damaged plaque be salvaged and will it be passed on to future generations? Numerous difficulties, such as raising funds, are anticipated, but the memorial is a valuable cultural property. With this in mind, we at the Institute fervently hope to return the plaque as a new symbol of the spirit of recovery.
Sample screen from the integrated database
Report on a Study of Architectural Pigments at Byodoin’s Phoenix Hall: With Particular Focus on Blues by the Cultural Properties Division, Kyoto Prefectural Board of Education (Papers of TANAKA Ichimatsu). This report is from an August 10, 1955 meeting of the Byodoin Phoenix Hall Restoration Committee. This document was discovered during this attempt to create a database and appears to feature the first instance of the term “substituted azurite blue.”
On December 20th, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems held an interim meeting on a study funded by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research entitled R&D to Preserve and Utilize Past Reports on Artwork and Types of Image Data: Passing on the Views of Art Historians (principal researcher: Atsushi Tanaka). The Institute is a repository for materials used in its previous projects and reports, photos, and other items donated by the families of former Institute officers. The Department is encouraging the preservation and utilization of these items as research materials. The Department is also encouraging the study and utilization of related materials that had been overlooked in previous art history research. The materials include items that are easily categorized and stored, like printed publications, as well as handwritten notes and sketches, handouts from meetings and conferences, 35-mm slides, and 16-mm film. Organizing these items is difficult, and such items are treated less than reverentially by organizations such as art museums, museums, libraries, and universities. Such items are also extremely rare. The study on R&D to Preserve and Utilize Past Reports on Artwork and Types of Image Data was scheduled to last 4 years starting in 2009, and this year marks the third year of the study. Members of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems and visiting researchers have divvied up the voluminous materials and are organizing them and converting them into digital formats. The interim meeting described which materials were assigned to certain individuals in certain categories, to wit:
EMURA Tomoko is studying Kogabiko (Notes on Old Paintings) during the Showa Period: Using the Papers of TANAKA Ichimatsu in Future Research, SARAI Mai is studying the Papers of KUNO Takeshi, MIKAMI Yutaka (Wako University, visiting researcher in the Department) is studying Documents on Modern Art: Assembling Art Gallery Circulars and Catalogs and Topics for the Future, NAKANO Teruo (visiting researcher) is studying the Papers of YANAGISAWA Taka, WATADA Minoru is studying the Papers of TANAKA Sukeich, and TANAKA Atsushi is studying the Papers of TANAKA Toshio.
There are various databases for each category of material, preventing a full archiving of these cultural properties. To resolve this problem, basic data from the papers of TANAKA Ichimatsu, KUNO Takeshi, and UMEZU Jiro were integrated into a database of books, exhibition catalogs, art journals, original photos, and other items currently in use at the Institute. A simulation was performed with the resulting database (about 635,000 records in total). The database allows simultaneous searches of research materials in various formats and it highlights multiple trends in research. The database will provide new directions for specialized archives. Numerous issues must be dealt with so that the database can serve as a more accurate information-gathering tool, but hopes are to create an archive of cultural properties that can be utilized in various fields of study.
Yokoyama Taikan’s Yamaji (Eisei Bunko collection), Imaging of the back of the painting
As reported last October, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems is conducting joint research with Eisei Bunko on Yokoyama Taikan’s Yamaji (the Mountain Path) as part of a research project entitled Documentary Research on Cultural Properties. Taikan’s Yamaji in Eisei Bunko’s collection was exhibited at the 5th Bunten Art Exhibition (sponsored by the Ministry of Education) in 1911 and is an important work that inaugurated new forms of expression in Japanese painting with its vivid strokes. After the piece was studied last fall, it was restored by one of the Kyushu National Museum’s conservation facilities. The mounting was dismantled, the cover was removed, and the back side of the painted silk cloth was visible, occasioning a second survey on December 9th with the aid and cooperation of the Museum and the Association for Conservation of National Treasures, which supervised the restoration. Looking at the picture through the thin silk cloth from the back revealed a process of manufacture that was not apparent from the front. The piece’s characteristic brownish tint to represent leaves in fall appears to have been dotted on later on, but the survey of the back of the piece revealed that the color was applied in an earlier stage of the piece’s production.
The current survey team included MIYAKE Hidekazu of Eisei Bunko; HAYASHIDA Ryuta of the Kumamoto Prefectural Museum of Art, which curates Yamaji; ARAI Kei and TAIRA Yuichirou of the Tokyo University of the Arts, both of whom were on the previous survey team; and SHIRONO Seiji and SHIOYA Jun of the Institute. Mr. SHIRONO took high-resolution images of the back of the painting. Such an imaging survey of a piece during its restoration is rare. The back of the painting is not visible unless the painting is removed from its mounting, so images of the back provide extremely valuable information.
Survey of species of organisms on stone surfaces and environmental conditions
Signing of the memorandum of understanding
In December 2011, the Institute conducted a field survey of the Angkor Complex. The memorandum of understanding between the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Nara Institute) and the Authority for Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA National Authority) was also renewed.
Efforts at the Angkor Complex seek to clarify environmental conditions suited to preserving stone monuments. Biodeterioration of stone is a common problem in the area, and different species affect stone surfaces differently. However, few organizations are studying the relationship between the condition of stone and the environment and species of microorganisms, and this includes taxonomic studies. The Institute has been studying the relationship between environmental conditions and species of moss, lichen, and algae that grow on stone to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate their effect on stone surfaces. The current survey included specialists in the taxonomic study of lichen from Japan and South Korea, and specialists in plant ecology and biodeterioration of cultural property from Italy. The survey was conducted at sites with different environmental conditions such as the Ta Nei Temple which has been previously surveyed, and several other temples like Ta Keo, Ta Phrom and Bayon. Researchers are now analyzing the information obtained from the field survey. Institute researchers have been monitoring the surface conditions of stone samples taken from a nearby quarry and left at Ta Nei and they have been following up on past attempts at conservation efforts.
Following the field survey, the Institute renewed a memorandum of understanding with the APSARA National Authority on joint research at the Angkor Complex. Previously, both the Tokyo and Nara Institutes each signed an MOU with the APSARA National Authority, but the current MOU was signed by all three organizations so that the Tokyo and Nara Institutes will be able to cooperate more closely with each other in the same area. The signing ceremony was held at the Headquarters of the APSARA National Authority in Siem Reap and was attended by Mr. KAMEI Nobuo (the Director General of the Tokyo Institute), Mr. INOUE Kazuto (Deputy Director General of the Nara Institute), and H.E. Bun Narith (President of the APSARA National Authority). The Institute will study restoration preparations at the West Prasat Top, where repair work is planned.
Presentation by TAKAGISHI Akira (Nov. 11th)
Presentation by SASAKI Moritoshi (Nov. 12th)
In order to further publicize the results of its day-to-day research, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems hosts a public lecture series each fall for personnel from the Institute and other facilities. This year marked the 45th of these lecture series. The theme of this year’s lecture series was a new one, Dialogues on Objects and Images, and dealt with various aspects of cultural properties as immobile objects that engender vivid imagery in people’s minds. Four art history researchers from the Institute and other facilities gave presentations Nov. 11th and 12th in the Institute’s seminar hall.
The theme for Nov. 11th was “Multiple streams of styles in Japanese art history: Selection and modification of styles.” SARAI Mai, a researcher in the Department, gave a presentation entitled “From the Early to Late Heian Period: Sculpting of the Juichimen Kannon [eleven-headed Kannon] at Rokuharamitsuji Temple while TAKAGISHI Akira, an associate professor in the graduate school of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, gave a presentation entitled “From the Kamakura Period to the Muromachi Period: The origins and revival of the medieval Yamato-e painting style.” Ms. SARAI focused on “style,” a concept particular to art history, as she discussed sculptures during a transition in styles in the mid-10th century with specific attention to the context in which those sculptures were produced. Mr. TAKAGISHI expanded on his own multilayered view of changes in Yamato-e style paintings evident in picture scrolls from the end of the Heian Period–Muromachi Period.
The theme for Nov. 12th was “Concepts of antique art.” WATADA Minoru, Head of the Department’s Trans-Disciplinary Research Section, gave a presentation entitled “Foundations for Chinese-style paintings of the Muromachi Period: Shubun and Sesshu” while SASAKI Moritoshi of the Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts gave a presentation entitled “Buddhist print design from the Heian Period–Kamakura Period: Buddhist images on stamps.” Antique art tends to be described merely in terms of shape, but Mr. WATADA shed light on conditions during the creation of “Autumn and Winter Landscapes,” one of Sesshu’s works (in the Tokyo National Museum’s collection) and the works of Shubun, his teacher, as well as the roles of those works. Similarly, Mr. SASAKI shed light on conditions during the creation of Buddhist prints stored inside Buddhist statues as well as the roles of those prints. Although completely forgotten today, the “concepts” of those works were brought to light.
Lectures were unusually well attended, with an audience of 128 on Nov. 11th and 108 on Nov. 12th. The seminar hall was packed. In each presentation, presenters described the results of their latest research. Despite the academic content of the lectures, audiences remained enthralled and appeared to enjoy these novel topics.
The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art
Survey underway at the Museum
As part of a program for cultural cooperation by the Japan Foundation and scheduled from Nov. 27 to Dec. 6, 2011, a survey of Japan-related artworks in the collection of the Azerbaijan State Museum of Art was conducted. Azerbaijan became an independent state following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Its capital, Baku, is located on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, and medieval buildings that have been inscribed as world heritage sites still remain in the older part of the city. The Azerbaijan State Museum of Art was founded in Baku in 1920 and curates and domestically exhibits primarily Russian and European paintings and sculptures. The Museum’s collection includes about 300 pieces of Oriental art from Japan and China, but the Museum has no expert in Oriental art, so the Museum has had difficulty distinguishing Japanese artworks from those made in China or elsewhere. Thus, OCHI Ayako, a member of a culture team in the Cultural Programs Division of the Japan Foundation, KOMATSU Taishu, Director of the Akita Senshu Museum of Art, and EMURA Tomoko of the Institute visited the Museum. We surveyed works in the collection and advised Museum personnel on exhibiting and managing those works. As a result, the survey determined that about 100 of 270 works that were surveyed were Japanese artworks (pottery, sculptures, lacquerware, gilded objects, textiles, paintings, and books printed from woodblocks). Most of the surveyed works are pottery exported overseas from Japan and China from the late 19th century to the early 20th century; although the pieces are not considered particularly rare, the identification of this collection of exported pottery is significant. Plans are to finish compiling the survey data and then translate the survey report and provide copies to the Museum. This effort should help to further understanding of Japanese culture in Azerbaijan and help locate unknown works held abroad as part of research on pottery exported from Japan.
While in Azerbaijan, we visited the Embassy of Japan in the Republic of Azerbaijan and met with WATANABE Shusuke, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary. The Ambassador explained that he wanted to build on the survey and encourage further cultural exchanges between Japan and Azerbaijan. The efforts of Embassy staff like KOBAYASHI Ginga, second secretary to the Japanese Embassy and supervisor of this program, helped to ensure our survey went smoothly overall. The year 2012 will mark a 20-year milestone since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Azerbaijan. Plans are underway for the Museum to host commemorative exhibitions with the cooperation of the Japanese Embassy. The survey was extremely significant since it laid the groundwork for future activities like plans for friendly relations between the two countries.
High-resolution image photography of the Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva
As part of the “Study on Digital Imaging of Cultural Properties” research project of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems, high-resolution images of a color Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva on silk (a National Treasure) in the Tokyo National Museum were taken on October 5th. This photography was in accordance with a “joint study” between the Institute and the Tokyo National Museum. The images were taken by SHIRONO Seiji of the Institute’s Image Laboratory with the assistance of TAZAWA Hiroyoshi of the Tokyo National Museum; KOBAYASHI Tatsuro and EMURA Tomoko were also involved in the project. The Painting of the Akasagarbha Bodhisattva is a typical Buddhist painting from the Heian Period. Buddhist paintings from the Heian Period display delicate beauty in subtle features that distinguish these works in the history of Japanese paintings. Thus, observing the subtle features displayed is crucial. The project photographed the work as a whole in 28 sections at the highest resolution currently available, and more detailed portions were macro-photographed in 8 sections. The results surpass what is visible with the naked eye. In the future, the Institute will jointly examine the information obtained with specialists from the Tokyo National Museum.
