| ■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 |
|
OMURA Seigai upon his trip to China in 1921 to study art history
OMURA Seigai (1868–1927) was active as an art critic during the middle of the Meiji Period and later in his life contributed substantially to the development of Oriental art history as a professor at the Tokyo Fine Art School. When OMURA’s relatives donated his papers to the Tokyo University of the Arts in 2008, SHIOYA Jun (National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo) served as a principal researcher in A Study of OMURA Seigai that began in 2009 through a grant-in-aid for scientific research. On October 18th, SHIOYA presented the results of that research at the 7th Seminar of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems.
With “OMURA Seigai and moro-tai (vague style)” as his theme, SHIOYA explored the relationship between OMURA’s art criticism and Japanese-style painting during the middle of the Meiji Period. OMURA is known as a figure who criticized the innovative Japanese-style painting by the likes of YOKOYAMA Taikan and HISHIDA Shunso as “moro-tai,” but what is interesting is that a re-reading of this criticism reveals an aversion to the lines and brush strokes of Japanese-style painting and a tone that seems tied to that vague style. Through a re-appraisal of OMURA’s criticism, SHIOYA’s presentation sought to survey the path that modern Japanese-style painting took as it transformed from paintings that were “drawn” to paintings that were “painted.”
ONISHI Junko of the Tokyo University of the Arts then made a presentation entitled “‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ compiled by OMURA Seigai (A description of featured works).” Published in 1915, “‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ compiled by OMURA Seigai” was the earliest compilation covering Chinese sculpture as a whole and retains its value even today as a guide for many researchers in the history of Chinese sculpture. ONISHI described OMURA’s private papers and the texts he himself revised among the materials donated to the Tokyo University of the Arts. ONISHI also traced the events in the compilation of ‘Chinese Art History: Sculpture’ while identifying research by OMURA and relevant sources.
Researchers of the Institute and other facilities such as YOSHIDA Chizuko of the Tokyo University of the Arts, the leading figure in the study of OMURA, participated in an active discussion following the presentations. Researchers as well, many of the attendees responded especially to OMURA’s empirical approach as was touched upon in the presentation by ONISHI.
Cover of Issue 1 of Mizue (July 1905 edition)
Through a project on General Research regarding the Publication and Utilization of Research on Cultural Properties, the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems is seeking to coordinate with other bodies to effectively display the journal on the Web and utilize accumulated research on cultural properties. Among art journals in the Institute’s collection, some Meiji Period art journals are defunct and their copyrights have expired. Numerous readers here in Japan and overseas wish to view Mizue, one such journal, so as part of the project the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems is seeking to coordinate the National Institute of Informatics to make the journal available on the Web. On September 13th, a conference to achieve that end was held at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. The goal would be to display the journal on the Web with a full index and links; article searches would allow readers to view images of the main text on the Web. Representatives of both institutes determined steps to achieve that goal and effective ways to display the journal on the Web. Representatives of both institutes reaffirmed their intent to display Issues 1-10 within a year and later display issues from the Meiji Period up to Issue 89 as part of the project.
Carrying damaged works out of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum
Cleaning the backside of canvas
The Great East Japan Earthquake that hit Japan on March 11th of this year resulted in a tsunami that caused extensive water damage to the entire collection of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum in Iwate Prefecture. The Museum exhibited and stored cultural artifacts and natural science specimens. It also stored oil paintings, calligraphy works, and block prints done by local artists. After the disaster, these artworks were transported from the site to facilities under prefectural control in the City of Morioka by curators dispatched by museums belonging to the Japanese Council of Art Museums. Emergency measures were then taken to rescue these works.
At the site of the Rikuzentakata Municipal Museum, most of the surrounding buildings had been washed away, and only part of the damaged frame of the museum remained. On July 12th and 13th, curators surveyed and packed the works in the collection under a hot sun and then transported them to facilities under prefectural control in the City of Morioka. Many of the works were quite large (sizes 200-500) and some works were severely damaged by mold since the air temperature had risen after the works were exposed to seawater, so the works had to be fumigated prior to emergency efforts. Works were fumigated from August 9th to 16th and emergency efforts began on August 21st. Close to 700 curators and conservation specialists from Hokkaido to Kyushu came from the Japanese Council of Art Museums to participate in the efforts. They worked non-stop to clean paintings and plaques and mold-proof works so that they would be able to survive interim storage in museum repositories. In total, 156 works were fully treated and delivered to the Iwate Museum of Art repository on September 29th. Plans are for the City of Rikuzentakata to deposit these works with the Iwate Museum of Art in the future. Rescue efforts were undertaken by the Japanese Council of Art Museums, the Iwate Prefectural Board of Education, the City of Rikuzentakata’s Board of Education, the Iwate Museum of Art, and the National Museum of Art. Efforts were supported and coordinated by the Cultural Property Rescue Program Committee (of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo).
Works survived this massive disaster and were cared for by numerous individuals so that they can be protected and handed down to future generations. Fervent hopes are that these works will not lie dormant in museum repositories but that they will have the opportunity to entertain the public.
Discussion following the presentation by Frank Feltens
The Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems holds seminars almost monthly. At the 5th seminar that was held on August 30, 2011, Mr. Frank Feltens, a Ph.D student at Colombia University, presented the results of his research in a presentation entitled Rethinking the Relationship between Rimpa and Noh. Mr. Feltens came to Japan to serve as a visiting researcher in the Department over about a three-month period from mid-June of this year to early September. OGATA Korin (1658–1716) established his own style of painting by fusing traditional pictorial expression and decorative design. Korin studied Noh drama at starting in his childhood and is known to have had an affinity for Noh chanting that lasted his entire life. Previous research has noted that this art may have had a substantial impact on Korin’s work. In light of previous research, Mr. Feltens’ presentation at the seminar focused on Korin’s motif selection and concept of beauty by looking not just at painted works but also at sources such as crafts, ceremonial dress, and the libretti of Noh dramas. Mr. Feltens utilized approaches such as spatial composition analysis and performance theory to interpret Rimpa art. In a discussion following the presentation, Ms. Izumi TAKAKUWA, head of the Intangible Cultural Properties Section of the Institute’s Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage, noted differences in the bases and techniques of studying the history of the performing arts and art history from the perspective of Noh drama research. Although drawbacks of an interdisciplinary approach became evident, active discussion impressed the need for more definitive validation as part of increasingly varied research on the history of paintings and crafts from the Edo Period. The seminar provided an opportunity for a fulfilling scholarly exchange.
This study took part on June 21 (Tues.) and was part of a Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems research project on the Multi-faceted Study of Artistic Representations and Art Materials and Techniques. With the cooperation of Inuzuka Masahide of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques and Hagiwara Hajime, adjunct instructor at Musashino Art University, Tsuda Tetsuei and Sarai Mai of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems studied and photographed a wooden statue of the monk Shoshin (a cultural property designated by Gunma Prefecture that was sculpted by Daishin in the Kamakura period) from Hofuku-ji temple in the Town of Itakura, Gunma Prefecture on exhibit at the Gunma Prefectural Museum of History. Researchers had become aware of the statue’s existence following a full-fledged study by the late Kuno Takeshi, an emeritus researcher at the Institute, in which Kuno became aware of the statue’s inscriptions. Some time later, the statue underwent full-scale restoration, but its obtuse and complicated inscriptions remained unclear.
The aims of the current study were to accurately ascertain the statue’s structure and the conditions under which it is kept and to use infrared photography to discern its undeciphered inscriptions. This study also sought to verify the existence of a container holding the monk’s bones in the head of the statue. X-ray photography was attempted to meet these goals. Plans are to continue studying the statue and present findings and photographs from the study in Bijutsu Kenkyu.
Liu Chi-chun (l.) making a presentation at the Conference of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems
From February to June of this year, Liu Chi-chun of the Art Institute of National Taiwan Normal University served as a visiting researcher in the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. During his research, Mr. Liu used the Institute as his base of operations. Mr. Liu specializes in Taiwanese art under Japanese colonial rule and in his current research he sought to look at trends in the Nanga (Southern School of painting) particularly in modern Japan. Although Mr. Liu had to temporarily return home during his research due to the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, he finished collecting materials in June and presented his results on June 29, 2011 at the 3rd Conference of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. Mr. Liu’s presentation was entitled Searching for the Identity of Taiwan’s Traditional Calligraphy and Painting under Japanese Colonial Rule. This serious presentation looked at individuals with a mix of Taiwanese and Japanese thought through statements at the time concerning Nanga. As Mr. Liu explained, these individuals were caught in the gulf between the 2 frameworks of traditional “calligraphy and painting” common to East Asia and “fine art” as was brought about by the West after the modern age.
Following Mr. Liu’s presentation at the Conference, Minami Asuka, professor at Sagami Women’s University, made a presentation entitled Appraisal of Muromachi-period Paintings by Georges de Tressan (1877－1914). De Tressan was a soldier in the French army with a fondness for Japanese art, and a number of his discourses remain. Ms. Minami has labored several years to verify de Tressan’s achievements, which had been forgotten. Her presentation focuses on de Tressan’s appraisal of Muromachi-period paintings, and she discusses where he drew his information from, characteristics of his discourses, and their significance at the time. Japanese art researchers from the Institute and experts in French art from other organizations attended a discussion following the presentations, and opinions were actively exchanged regarding appraisals of Japanese and Oriental art in Europe during the early 20th century.
Opening of the World Heritage Committee
The 35th World Heritage Committee was held at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from June 19 to 29. The Committee was originally to be held in Bahrain, but the venue was changed two months prior due to anti-governmental protests in Arab countries. Unlike usual committee meetings, no opening ceremony was conducted and there were no excursions to sites. There appeared to be fewer participants than usual because the Committee limited the number of delegates from parties other than Committee Members.
The Committee placed 25 properties, including 3 natural, 1 mixed, and 21 cultural heritage properties, on the World Heritage List. The Advisory Bodies (ICOMOS and IUCN) had recommended the inscription of 12 items, but this number doubled as a result of discussion among the Committee Members. There are four levels of recommendations from the Advisory Bodies, and second from the lowest is “deferral of inscription.” Ten properties that had been deferred were inscribed on the List. The lowest level of recommendation is “not to inscribe” a property, and the recommendation was made to not inscribe the architectural work of Le Corbusier, which includes the National Museum of Western Art. However, the Committee decided instead to defer inscription. Since last year, recommendations from the Advisory Bodies have tended to be overturned by the Committee, and this year that tendency was even stronger. State Parties to the World Heritage Convention have complained about the lack of transparency in the process of finalizing recommendations from the Advisory Bodies, but some Committee Members said that the flood of decisions disregarding the opinions of specialists would damage the credibility of the Convention.
Political conflicts also emerged regarding properties that had already been inscribed or that were to be inscribed on the List. As an example, the Preah Vihear Temple located on the Cambodian-Thai border was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2008. Since the inscription, armed conflicts have erupted between the two countries because of the unclear border demarcation near the temple. During the Committee session, Thailand announced its intent to withdraw from the World Heritage Convention because they were unsatisfied with the lack of information on plans to manage the site and the lack of transparent decision-making. Opposition arose as to whether to discuss or to avoid discussing issues involving Kosovo and Serbia and Israel and the Arab states.
Ogasawara Islands and Hiraizumi, both properties nominated by Japan, were inscribed on the World Heritage List. During the discussion, the chairperson of the Committee expressed condolence to the victims of the recent earthquake and tsunami. The inscription of these properties should have a beneficial effect on the recovery of stricken areas.
Survey underway at the Cincinnati Art Museum
Japanese antiquities located overseas serve to introduce Japanese culture, but these items are suffering from aging and differences in weather and climate, preventing many of these works from being displayed. Thus, the Cooperative Program for the Conservation of Japanese Art Objects Overseas seeks to preserve these works in a consistent state so that they can be put on display. Prior to last year, the program was a project of the Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques, but starting this year the program is being managed by the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation. From the standpoint of restoration, the program studies and repairs artwork in conjunction with art history researchers from the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems. Last year, we surveyed museums in the US, Australia, and Europe with Japanese paintings in their collections in order to ascertain the latest conditions. Twenty-five institutions responded to questions regarding whether or not they had works in need of restoration and how they conserved and restored works at their institution. Based on their responses and a list with images of the works, program experts consulted the curating institution with regard to how works were viewed in terms of art history, what works needed restoration and what works needed immediate restoration, and what the institution had done in response. This year, we conducted our survey at 2 art museums in the US. On June 24, we surveyed 6 hanging scrolls and 6 folding screens at the Cincinnati Art Museum (Ohio), and on June 27, we surveyed 3 hanging scrolls and 5 folding screens at the Kimbell Art Museum (Texas). This year marked the program’s first visit to the Cincinnati Art Museum, which was founded in 1881 and is one of the oldest art museums in the US. The Cincinnati Art Museum is a major art museum in the Midwest with a collection of about 60,000 pieces. The Museum’s collection primarily contains Western art, but the Museum also has a collection of Japanese art, and many of the pieces are unknown in Japan. The study has occasioned technical exchanges, and the program will continue to encourage consultation with relevant personnel and curators.
The 1st Conference of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems was held on May 11, 2011. Presenters and their topics were as follows:
・ Takahiro Tsuchiya (Research Division, Curatorial Research Department, Tokyo National Museum)
A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku in the Metropolitan Museum of Art
This presentation was based on A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku in 2 scrolls in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NY. This piece had not been fully studied despite its significance. Mr. Tsuchiya compared the piece to similar imagery in the 2 scrolls of Okura-ji temple and the 6 scrolls of Shi-tenno-ji temple. Examining specific details with regard to imagery, setting selection, and arrangement revealed similarities to and differences from the piece in the Metropolitan Museum and indicated elements common to scrolls of Tachibana-dera temple and Zuisen-ji temple. A Pictorial Biography of Prince Shotoku has led to a number of varied works, and the presentation touched on issues such as the piece’s relation to other works, the atelier (studio) at Shi-tenno-ji temple, and large-sized medieval depictions of ancient tales.
The presentation’s large audience included Kanako Muramatsu (Ryukoku Museum) and visiting researcher Masahiko Aizawa (Seijo University). After the presentation, there was an active discussion of topics like the piece’s relationship to scrolls of the Seikado Bunko Art Museum, the era when the piece was produced, and establishment and continuation of imagery in depictions of ancient tales.
The 2nd Conference of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems was held on May 25 (Wed.), 2011. A presentation was made by Matthew P. Mckelway, associate professor at Columbia University in NY, entitled The Largest Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Screen: Conditions During and Deduced Eras of Its Production. Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu (Grand View of Kyoto) on an Eight-fold Screen (private collection) recently made news when exhibited at Nagoya City Museum’s exhibit entitled Momoyama: Time of Transformation (Aug. 25–Nov. 7, 2010). The presentation started off by recounting the piece’s background from when it appeared at auction at Christie’s in 1990. The presentation meticulously discussed the era when the piece was produced and conditions under which it was produced by comparing the piece to works with similar content and in similar styles. After the presentation, attending researchers from the Institute and from other organizations engaged in an active and frank exchange of opinions. The Eight-fold Screen is likely to be highlighted both in history and in art history in the future. This presentation and discussion provided an unparalleled opportunity for experts to share essential information and identify problems.
Yokoyama Taikan’s Yamaji (in The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto), X-ray fluorescence analysis
This study represents joint research on Yokoyama Taikan’ s Yamaji with Eisei Bunko that took 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. After the work was studied last fall, a variant of Yamaji in The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto was studied on May 29. Following the work that was exhibited at Bunten, the variant was painted by Taikan for Hara Sankei, a well-known Yokohama industrialist and avid collector of artwork. A letter of thanks from Taikan for receipt of payment addressed to Sankei dated February 6, 1912 remains. With the cooperation of Ogura Jitsuko of The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, the current study by Miyake Hidekazu of Eisei Bunko, Shioya Jun of the Institute, and Arai Kei, Taira Yuichirou, and Ogawa Ayako (Tokyo University of the Arts) used near-infrared reflectance photography and X-ray fluorescence analysis to examine paints in the piece. A study of the Bunten piece last fall revealed that Taikan actively used modern pigments. Taikan was found to use modern pigments in the piece that was formerly in the Hara Sankei Collection. Although this piece had the same motif as the Bunten piece, some of its colors differed due to the use of different pigments. The Bunten piece is current being repaired and plans are to study it again when it is unveiled.
Compilation of Dated Inscriptions on Japanese Paintings - 15th Century
Department of Research Programming has published the Compilation of Dated Inscriptions on Japanese Paintings – 15th Century (A5, 720 pages) to report results of its 5-year research project “Documentary Research on East Asian Art.” This volume reproduces and chronologically arranges 833 dated inscriptions from among inscriptions found on paintings produced primarily in Japan in the 100 years of the 15th century, which marked the height of the Muromachi period. This volume is a continuation of the Compilation of Dated Inscriptions on Japanese Paintings – 10th–14th Centuries published in 1984.
Inscriptions that are directly inscribed on cultural properties provide a basis for authenticating those properties and determining the era when they were produced, but such inscriptions also serve as an indicator of where to position the numerous works that lack inscriptions. Without question, this compilation of inscriptions provides a foundation for the protection and study of cultural properties. Research often tends to overly specialize, but this compilation consolidates that research to provide new perspectives. Such projects are an important part of the Institute’s ongoing mission.
This volume is available from Chuo Koron Bijutsu Shuppan. Please see the website below for details.
http://www.chukobi.co.jp/products/detail.php?product_id=582
Research Materials: Techniques of Hollow Dry Lacquer Sculpture
This research sought to elucidate the techniques used to produce hollow dry lacquer statues of Buddha during the Tenpyo period as part of a Department of Research Programming research project on the Multi-disciplinary Study of Art Techniques and Materials pursuant to a 5-year program that started in 2006. Research Materials: Techniques of Hollow Dry Lacquer Sculpture reports on the results of this research. This volume includes basic data on individual sculptures and images such as X-ray images (black and white) of statues and their internal structures, a feat that would not be possible with surface observation alone. This volume includes a CD version of the Lexicon Database for Color-related Terminology Found in Nara Period Historical Documents, which was part of a research project that took place at the same time.
An Agreement on Optical Study of Buddhist Art and Creation of HD Digital Content was concluded between the Institute and Nara National Museum in 2010 as part of a Department of Research Programming research project on Research on the Use of High-Resolution Digital Images. Results of joint research by the Institute and Nara National Museum on the Five Hundred Arhats from Daitoku-ji Temple are reported in Five Hundred Arhats from Daitoku-ji Temple – Report on a Study of Inscriptions. This volume contains images with better rendering of inscriptions that were hard to read with the naked eye. Publication of this volume has revealed most of the details of these inscriptions and represents a significant achievement in elucidating the circumstances governing the production of Five Hundred Arhats from Daitoku-ji Temple.
Library Catalogue 8 of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo - Works in Chinese
Library Catalogue 1 of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo: Western Art – Works in European languages & Works in Japanese was published in March 2002 as part of a Department of Research Programming research project on the Enrichment of Cultural Archives (overseen by the Library). Additional catalogues have been published since, as demonstrated by publication of Library Catalogue 8 – Works in Chinese, the eighth volume of the library catalogue. This catalogue lists about 12,000 works in Chinese at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. Publication of this catalogue has revealed the full state of works in Chinese held by the Institute and should lead to greater use of these works.
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken) has published “Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, the Wall Behind the Buddha Investigation Material List: Fluorescent Paintings Edition,” a report on the results obtained in a survey of the murals on the wall behind the Buddha image in the Phoenix Hall which was conducted jointly with the Byodo-in Temple in 2004–2005. This publication is the third volume in a series, following on from “Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, the Wall Behind the Buddha Investigation Material List: Color Image Edition” (published in 2008) and “Phoenix Hall of Byodo-in Temple, the Wall Behind the Buddha Investigation Material List: Near-infrared Image Edition” (published in 2009). It is anticipated that these three volumes will provide important basic materials for future research on the Phoenix Hall murals.
Atsushi Tanaka’s keynote speech on the topic of “Creation and Evaluation—An Examination Focused on ‘Woman with a Balloon’ by Tetsugoro Yorozu.”
The discussion session
Having already been held at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (Tobunken) on February 27, 2011, the Japan-South Korea Symposium on “The Dynamics of Interaction between Objects and People—‘Evaluation’ in Art History,” organized to mark the publication of the 30th Issue of “Art History Forum” and the 400th Issue of “Art Studies (the Bijutsu Kenkyu),” was held again on March 12, 2011 in the Audiovisual Room of Ewha Womans University Museum in Seoul.
The Symposium began with a keynote speech by Atsushi Tanaka, Director of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems at Tobunken, on the topic of “Creation and Evaluation—An Examination Focused on ‘Woman with a Balloon’ by Tetsugoro Yorozu.” This was followed by the same speakers as at the Symposium held in Tokyo: Minoru Watada (Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information systems, Tobunken) on “Landscape Scroll Paintings—A Reevaluation of Sesshu Toyo”; Chang Chin-Sung (Seoul National University) on “The Fallacy of Love—An Evaluation and Narrative of Jeong Seon”; Tomoko Emura (Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems, Tobunken) on “The Expressionist World of Early Edo Period Fuzoku-ga (Genre Paintings)”; Moon Jung Hee (Center for Art Studies, Seoul) on “Shitao, as Viewed in Terms of Modern Personality-focused Evaluation.”
Although the Symposium in Seoul was held on the day after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, when people were anxious about the destruction caused by the earthquake, the number of people attending the Symposium was so high that there were not enough seats for everyone; it was even more of a success than the Toyko Symposium. There was a discussion session chaired by Professor Jeong Gang-tak (Dongguk University) during which the speakers answered questions on their presentations, and the differing attitudes towards art history research in Japan and South Korea were discussed, making this a discussion session truly befitting an international symposium seeking to build bridges across national boundaries.
Keynote lecture by Dr. Hong Sun-Pyo “Glory and humiliation of Korean art history – Issue of interpretation and evaluation of paintings in latter term of Korea”
Discussion taking place
On February 27, we held the above-mentioned symposium at our Institute. The “Art Studies (The Bijutsu Kenkyu)” (first published in 1932) is an academic journal issued by the Department of Research Programming of our Institute, and the academic journal “Art History Forum” (first published in 1995) is issued by the Korean Art Research Institute of Hoshioka Cultural Foundation. This symposium came about because we have been interchanging with Dr. Hong Sun-Pyo, Director of the Korean Art Research Institute, stemming from his assistance as an overseas member for the editorial board of the Bijutsu Kenkyu. On February 27, Dr. Hong Sun-Pyo first made a keynote lecture, and then Dr. Chang Chin-Sung (from Seoul National University) and Dr. Moon Jung Hee (from Center for Art Studies) from South Korea made presentations. From our Institute, Watada Minoru and Emura Tomoko made presentations, and then a discussion was held. We took up the important issue of “evaluation” in art history and exchanged opinions.
On March 12, we will hold a symposium in Seoul, South Korea (at Ewha Womans University), with the same presenters.
Discussions at the seminar on research into modern genre paintings
Display of high-definition images in the lobby on the first basement floor
The Department of Research Programming has been studying modern genre paintings since 2009 through a joint research project with the Tokugawa Art Museum. On January 29, 2011, we held a seminar at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo to report on this research. At the seminar’s start, Mr. Tokugawa Yoshitaka, the president of Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation and the director of the Tokugawa Art Museum, gave a talk on IT technology in recent years. Ms. Emura Tomoko then gave a presentation entitled “Depictions in Kabuki Performance and Audience” that focused on details in the scrolls (important cultural properties in the collection of the Tokugawa Art Museum) and characteristic expressions of figures that have been overlooked by past studies of art history. Then, Ms. Yoshikawa Miho, a curator of the Tokugawa Art Museum, gave a presentation entitled “Expression in Genre Figures, said to be based on the romance of Honda Heihachiro and Lady Senhime.” She talked about the depiction of figures in the screen” (an important cultural property in the same museum’s collection) and showed slides of high-resolution images. She reported on the depictions, saying that the woman wearing a kosode with crests of hollyhock appeared to have drawn-in eyebrows, which was a custom and cosmetic practice of noble women at the time. Then, there were discussions chaired by Mr. Yotsutsuji Hideki, the deputy director of the Tokugawa Art Museum. Also participating in discussions concerning image data was Mr. Nakamura Yoshifumi of the National Institute of Informatics. Over 110 participants in fields related to art history, music history, the history of the performing arts, the history of fashion, and the restoration of cultural properties participated in the seminar. Following lively discussions, the seminar concluded. Full-scale images of the two scrolls that make up Kabuki Performance and Audience, which spans 15 meters, were displayed in the lobby in front of the seminar hall for participants to see. We will continue to study such art and publicize our findings in the future.
The 7th conference of Department of Research Programming 2010 was held on December 17. The following were the presenters and titles of their presentations:
Sarai Mai (a researcher at Department of Research Programming)
“Essay on the history of Shinto-Buddhism syncretized sculptures at the beginning of the Heian Period concerning the Bhaishajya-guru standing Buddha statue at Kyoto Jinkoin Temple
Mr. Sasaki Moritoshi (a curator of Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts)
“Acceptance of ‘Beisong-like good behavior for connecting Buddhism bond’ and insertion of Buddhist print into statue”
Based on a survey conducted at the Kyoto Jinkoin Temple at the beginning of October, Sarai introduced the Bhaishajya-guru standing Buddha statue in the main hall, which had been relatively unknown. Sarai also pointed out that the statue is probably an important creation when considering that Shinto-Buddhism syncretized at the beginning of the Heian Period. This statue will be mentioned in the Bijutsu Kenkyu (Journal of Art Studies) published by our Institute.
Mr. Sasaki expounded the religion of inserting prints (Inbutsu, Shubutsu) into Buddha statues, which started to become popular from the late Heian Period, from the viewpoint of accepting faith in the Beisong Period of China. That is, he made the valuable observation that inserting prints into Buddha statues was based on folk-literature collected in the “Jizobosatsu-Ogenki” issued in the Beisong Period, and meant a “deed hoping for a mysterious auspice”. He made an important report that made us consider how the people at that time accepted continental learning and culture. Mr. Mizuno Keizaburo (an emeritus professor at Tokyo University of the Arts), Mr. Asai Kazuharu (Professor at Aoyama Gakuin University) and professors majoring in the history of sculptures joined in this conference, and had active discussions.
All the views at the discussion were very important and we will consider them as we advance our research. This sharing of awareness of issues will be a driving force that stimulates our study. We are trying to determine a good way to hold a conference in the future so that this conference functions as a place that acts as a driving force.
