| ■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 |
|
Discussions
On February 2 and 3, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation held a “conference on international training to foster conservators of cultural properties in overseas countries” at the meeting room of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. As a project to “train personnel engaged in protecting cultural properties in overseas countries” conducted by the Center, we planned this conference to share information and exchange opinions with domestic and international training organizations, aiming to have international training more effectively and practically. The Center focused on training on restoration and conservation techniques and developing the capacity of trainees from overseas countries, centering on developing countries, received reports on the details of training programs, teaching methods and also evaluation methods of training results and some issues, from the persons in charge in four overseas organizations and three domestic organizations including our Institute. Then attendees exchanged their opinions on the basis of these.
By analyzing the examples of training conducted, several common issues were highlighted. The major issues included how to manage training projects, how to continue with training programs and how to have mutual cooperation between the programs, and how to share the data acquired from the training. Although we have not previously had many opportunities to hold a conference with such a theme, we will do our best at every occasion in the future and thus help to improve training methods and foster mutual cooperation between many countries.
Nan Dawas, which is said to be the tomb of a king
Discussions with government representatives of the Federated States of Micronesia
Survey of the ruins at low tide
From February 18 to 25, the Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage surveyed the Nan Madol Ruins in the partnering country of the Federated States of Micronesia. The ruins are said to have been constructed between the sixth and sixteenth century and are said to have consisted of 92 artificial islands and buildings constructed on them. The full extent of the ruins has yet to be determined, leading them to be called mysterious ruins. The purposes of this survey were to examine the current status of the ruins, determine what needs to be done to protect them, and consider potential fields of cooperation of Japan.
The buildings, made by stacking basalt columns, were found to have collapsed in many places. They may have collapsed due to natural weather exposure and the growth of plants such as mangroves. Furthermore, higher water levels due to recent global warming mean that some ruins are now submerged at high tide. A detailed survey regarding these issues must be conducted in the future and a plan to manage the ruins must be formulated. At the same time, local people need to be made more aware of the need to protect these ruins. Some isles and buildings are said to be the tombs of kings and sites of rituals. The need to protect the ruins is pressing, as is the need for comprehensive preservation of oral traditions associated with those ruins.
Talking with relevant individuals at the Ministry of Culture, the Republic of Armenia
Interview at the Matenadaran
The Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage surveyed the partnering country of the Republic of Armenia from February 7–13, 2011. Two experts from the National Research Institute participated in the survey. The survey sought to explore the potential for future cooperation with Japan in safeguarding the cultural heritage of Armenia.
Survey participants visited various institutions involved in protecting and researching cultural heritage such as the Ministry of Culture (Photo 1), which is responsible for the protection of cultural heritage, and the History Museum, the National Gallery, the Matenadaran (the Mesrop Mashtots Institute of Ancient Manuscripts) (Photo 2), and the Scientific Research Center of the Historical and Cultural Heritage. Participants gathered information and talked with supervisors. As a result, the survey identified major problems Armenia faces in the area of cultural heritage. The survey revealed that the country has suffered a lack of capital since gaining independence from the former Soviet Union, and the country also has difficulty training personnel due to the demise of its educational system, which depended heavily on Russia. Although the country has material needs such as the need for equipment and the need to construct museums, it must also quickly train personnel to safeguard cultural heritage. Japanese cooperation in the future should take the form of joint research and training with an eye toward training Armenian experts in conjunction with Armenian research facilities.
Comprehensive discussion
We held the 34th international symposium on the conservation and restoration of cultural properties “‘Rehabilitation’ and Cultural Heritage” at the Heiseikan of Tokyo National Museum for three days from January 19 to 21. Concerning the relationship between societies, which are often in the process of recovering from a natural disaster or conflict or in the midst of changes, and cultural heritage, we provided three sessions that correspond to these circumstances. There were ten lectures presented by persons from overseas countries and four lectures given by Japanese. Then there was a lively discussion among the chairman and lecturers, covering a range of issues such as which cultural heritages should be restored for people while the meaning and assessment of cultural heritage is changing depending on the social circumstances. A report on the details of this symposium will be issued next year.
Survey on lichen species growing thickly on sandstone (Ta Nei site in Cambodia)
From the end of November to the beginning of December, we conducted research and investigation on local cultural properties in Cambodia and Thailand. At the Ta Nei site in the Cambodian Angkor Site group, we conducted a survey on the relationship between the various plants, which grow thickly on the stones at the site, especially on the lichen and moss species and the environment, together with Professor Julia Caneva at Roma Tre University in Italy. In Thailand, in order to survey the effect of a chamber on site conservation, we observed the Buddha leg stone and relief carved in the laterite of Prachin Buri in the east and the Great Buddha of Wat Sri Chum at the Sukhothai ruins. We conducted a survey on the lacquer used for the Buddha statues in Ayuthea and Bangkok. In addition, at the Fine Arts Department, we had discussions with Thailand, our partner in joint research, on how to proceed with future research. This included discussions in regard to the presence of the Department Director.
Condition Assesment of wall paintings (right shrine of Ajanta Cave 2)
Cleaning trial of black accretion (right wall of right shrine of Ajanta Cave 2)
The National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conduct joint research on the conservation of the wall paintings of the Ajanta Caves, under the framework of the Exchange Program of International Cooperation of Cultural Heritage commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the government subsidized budget for the Cooperative Project for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in West Asia. We aim to share knowledge on conservation and exchange conservation techniques that are necessary for this project.
The wall paintings of the Ajanta Caves have many problems – the leaking of water from cracks in the base rocks, biological damage, artificial damage, and discoloration caused by past treatments and the deterioration of colored layers. Noticeable things among these problems are the blackened and whitened bat excrement and the yellowed and darkened varnish (shellac, PVAC) coated on the surfaces of wall paintings. We have currently not yet discovered any effective methods that would lead to assured conservation. To overcome these problems, we conducted cleaning treat of the wall paintings of Cave 2 during this fifth mission (from November 14th to December 4th, 2010). Utilizing the scientific analyses and documented data accumulated up until last year, we examined appropriate conservation methods together with the Indian conservation specialists.
At the workshop
Wall painting fragments exhibited in the museum
From October 3 to November 2, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation conducted the 9th Mission for Conservation of Wall Paintings in the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan. This was part of the Exchange Program of International Cooperation of Cultural Heritage planned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. During past missions, we examined the methods of mounting wall painting fragments on a support and decided on a basic policy. In this mission, we reviewed part of the operation process, aiming to further reduce the weight of support and shorten the operation time.
In addition, we held a workshop entitled the Conservation of Wall Paintings from Central Asia 2010 at the above-mentioned museum from October 21 to the 27. At the third workshop during these missions the theme was mounting, which is the last process of wall painting conservation work. Five conservation specialists participated in the workshop: one conservator from both Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan in Central Asia, two conservators from the Mural Restoration Laboratories at the State Hermitage Museum, Russia, and one conservator from the Dun Huang Academy, China. Three trainees from the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan also participated in the workshop. Using the mounting methods improved during this mission, all participants experienced all the processes of mounting wall painting fragments on a new support.
During the mission, we completed the conservation treatment of six wall painting fragments among those excavated from the Kala-i Kahkaha I site, and exhibited them at the above Tajik museum. Three trainees from the National Museum of Antiquities of Tajikistan learned methods for mounting wall painting fragments and the filling up of the lost portions on the surface of wall paintings. They were able to independently perform all conservation treatment processes. We hope that these trainees will continue conservation even after this project is completed. We also hope that they will contribute to the conservation of valuable cultural heritage in Tajikistan.
Interview at World Monuments Fund (in USA)
Interview at Dutch Cultural Affairs Agency
Interview at French Blue Shield Committee
In recent years, requests for cooperation and emergency assistance concerning cultural heritages damaged by natural disasters have been increasing, and an effective execution of international cooperation for restoration of damaged items of cultural heritage has been more and more important. Therefore, the Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage is now surveying the collaborative structure of relevant organizations and surveying supporting countries on how to perform emergency treatment. We have interviewed a total of 27 organizations in USA (on August 17th-26th), Netherlands and France (September 26th – October 8th) up to present, focusing on the administrative, civilian and international organizations.
In the USA, it became apparent that flexible treatment was performed during the Haiti Earthquake, making use of personnel dispatch systems to damaged items of cultural heritage and the information association network which had been functioning beforehand in USA. In the Netherlands it was revealed that the division of roles of each organization was clear and the content of support was specialized in small-scale financing assistance immediately after disasters occurred. Meanwhile, we found out that in France, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been putting emphasis on the cultivation of emergency support specialists (urgentistes) in cooperation with NGOs. This is in order to further strengthen the conventional cooperation system network.
Enhancing readiness for disasters that occur sequentially is a common issue in Japan, and we acquired useful information through a series of research when considering the Japanese international cooperation system.
The current state of registered buildings in the historic area.
A sound building, a repaired building, one left without intervention, one demolished with a fence installed (from left to right).
Discussions at Padang local administrative organizations concerned
In the framework of the Cooperation Project for the Rehabilitation of Earthquake-affected Cultural Heritage in the historic district of Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia, commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, we have been conducting activities to support Padang. The city suffered severe damaage from the earthquake of September 30, 2009. Our support consists in integrating together with local bodies the protection and conservation of cultural heritage within the more general urban reconstruction process. As a first step in a series of surveys and activities to be executed until February 2011, we conducted a field survey on the state of restoration of historic buildings and twonscape from October 16 to 25.
In this survey, we recorded the current status of the town one year after the earthquake, taking the data of the damage assessment survey of November 2009 (immediately after the earthquake) as basis for comparison. Although the rubble had been cleaned and the bustle of the town had returned, the state of restoration of the buildings that make up the historic townscape was varied. The number of registered heritage buildings, whose restoration had advanced was very limited, and many buildings were left untouched since the earthquake; some lots had been cleared completely.
In the discussions with the governor and the local organizations concerned, our understanding matched in that the protection of cultural heritage contributes to the reconstruction of the town and that the cooperation of specialists, government and residents is important. We will thus continue working with local specialists, cooperating with the central, state and city governments. An on-site workshop on written cultural heritage is planned for November, and workshops on historic buildings and townscape will be held in December and January in Padang. Immediately after our survey team returned from its mission, an earthquake and tsunami hit West Sumatra again. Although Padang did not seem to have suffered heavy damage, this disaster strengthened our desire to contribute to the reconstruction of the town and the maintenance of a safe living environment through the protection of cultural heritage.
Training to clean the surface of metal
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation have used the government subsidized budget for the Cooperative Project for the Conser-vation of Cultural Heritage in West Asia and UNESCO/Japanese Funds-in Trust and invited Iraqi conservation specialists to Japan every year since 2004 for training on conservation of cultural heritage.
This year three specialists in conservation – Ali Ganim, Nafla Nabil and Fadil Abdul Hadi – have been invited from the Iraq National Museum, and training will last for about three months from September 22nd to December 9th. They are to receive training on equipment for the conservation of cultural properties, lectures and practical training on conservation of wood products and metal products. It is also planned that they visit the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Nara, the University Museum, the University of Tokyo, The Institute for Cultural Studies of Ancient Iraq, Kokushikan University and the Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation.
Analysis training using a conservation scientific device at National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo (training on using a latest handheld X-ray fluorescence instrument produced by JEPOL)
IPM training (training on antifungal test) at Center for Fungal Consultation
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation continues to cooperate with a technical support project at the Conservation Center of Grand Egyptian Museum, conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
From September 14 to October 7 (a part of training sessions on September 24), six conservators of the Conservation Center of Grand Egyptian Museum were invited to Japan, and three training sessions were executed in parallel to respond to the current status and issues in the Center.
At the “Conservation and restoration management” session (until September 24), Mr. Osama Abd Elsalam, the deputy director at the Conservation Center of Grand Egyptian Museum, visited the Kyushu National Museum, National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka, the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties in Nara, and the Shosoin Office, and discussed with their managers what can be done in order to improve the operation and management of the center.
In the “Analysis using scientific devices for conservation” training session, three conservation scientists attended lectures and practical training at the Kyushu National Museum, the National Museum of Japanese History, and the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, and learned the analytical techniques needed when using devices in conservation and restoration, the selection of devices for purposes, and knowledge and techniques in regard to application in conservation and restoration.
In “IPM (microorganisms)” training, two Egyptian specialists, who belong to the microorganism laboratory, executed culture, the separation and identification of fungi and bacteria at the Center for Fungal Consultation, the National Institute of Health Sciences, and the Osaka Prefectural Institute of Public Health.
We will continually conduct training so that they can acquire the skills for operating scientific devices for conservation and so they may carry out conservation/restoration techniques so that the staff members in the conservation and restoration fields will be able to cooperate and supplement each other so work can be performed.
High-definition photographing in the Ajanta 2nd Cave
High-definition photographing in the Ajanta 9th Cave
The National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) conduct joint research on the conservation of the mural paintings of the Ajanta Caves, under the framework of “the Exchange Program of International Cooperation of Cultural Heritage” commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the government subsidized budget for “the Cooperative Project for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage in West Asia”, and aim to share the knowledge on conservation and exchange conservation techniques.
The mural paintings of the Ajanta Caves have many problems – the leaking of water from cracks in the base rocks, biological damage, artificial damage, and discoloration caused by the past repair and the deterioration of colored layers. To solve these problems, it is necessary to understand the status of numerous mural paintings in detail and analyze them; however effective documentation techniques have not yet been established.
Therefore, we have begun recording the status of mural paintings on high-definition photos using high-resolution digital cameras as the first attempt in the Ajanta Caves. In this fourth mission (from September 8 to October 2, 2010), we made high-definition photo recordings and color measurements of the mural paintings in the 2nd and 9th Caves jointly with the Indian specialists. The obtained data will be utilized as basic data in order to establish an appropriate mural painting conservation/restoration method, in cooperation with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
Lecture on the Cultural Properties Protection Institution in Japan, by Shimizu Shin'ichi, the Director of Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation
The National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo and the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, China started the program for the fostering of the engineers of conservation and restoration of the cultural properties along the Silk Road in 2006, and the joint program will be complete this year. On August 16, the final mural printing and textile restoration and conservation courses started at the National Institute of Cultural Heritage, China in Beijing. From Shinjang, Gansu, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shanxi, and Henan provinces and autonomous regions located along the Silk Road, fourteen and twelve trainees participating the mural printing and textile courses respectively will attend theory lectures and practical restoration practical training for four months until December 17. Twelve instructors will participate in both courses and some instructors will be invited from Korea. We look forward to getting significant results in the same ways as was possible during the six courses which were executed in the past four years.
Panoramic view of temple with the pagoda and Great Buddha newly built on the back
Workshop
Survey for building conservation
From the end of June to the beginning of July and at the end of August, we conducted a workshop and conservation survey at the Tibetan temple Amarbayasgalant of the Selenge Aimag (province) in northern Mongolia, jointly with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science in Mongolia.
The theme of this year’s workshop was to build a plan for the conservation management of cultural properties, and we set a target for determining a conservation area for the time being. In this 20th year since religious activities at the Amarbayasgalant temple restarted, new building and maintenance of the temple associated facilities stepped up and, and the historical scenery, a key part of heritage values, is rapidly changing. There is also a concern about the influence on the conservation of the underground remains of old temple buildings. To prevent this, we repeated the field survey and discussion together with the representatives of the prefecture, county and local public. We reached the basic agreement for the policy that a wide area, including the surrounding mountains adored by people and the material production site when the temple was built, is to be designated as a conservation region based on the Laws for Protection of Cultural Properties.
Meanwhile, the temple consisting of many wooden buildings, suffered deterioration and damage because of aging and insufficient maintenance, and thus part of the damaged building could endanger the safety of human lives. In the August mission, therefore, we conducted a basic survey on the conservation status of all buildings, which served concurrently as the training of young Mongolian engineers, in parallel with the above-mentioned workshop. The report on the results of survey carried out with the four trainees, who also participated in the last year’s practical training, will be submitted to the Mongolian Government. We hope that the report will be used for future emergent measures and full-scale restoration planning.
Practical training on measuring the surface temperature of rock using an infrared thermometer (Serven Khaalga site)
Practical training on surface peel of stratum by using past excavation pit (Rashaan Khad site)
As part of an exchange program of Networking Core Centers for International Cooperation on Conservation of Cultural Heritage commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, we held an on-site workshop on the conservation of the stone monuments and rock paintings, in late August intended for the experts at the Mongolian cultural heritage center, together with the experts at the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Nara. At the workshop conducted at Serven Khaalga and Rashaan Khad in the Khentii Aimag (province), following last year, we conducted a series of surveys on the stone material, deterioration state and ambient environment which were necessary to examine the conservation method of stone cultural properties. While we worked with the Mongolian experts, we conveyed the specific procedures to them. Along with the survey, we conducted a practical training on the surface peel of the stratum upon request from the Mongolian experts. It was said that it was the first time such training had taken place in the country. We will continue to conduct conservation treatment experiments and a training on the method for evaluating it in Japan, Mongolia, etc. Going forward we will try to gain a better understanding of target sites while working in cooperation with the domestic and overseas organizations, and investigate more appropriate methods of conservation.
General discussions
The 24th Conference on International Cooperation on Conservation titled “Thinking of conservation with a protective shelter” was held on July 8, 2010, with 71 participants. Protective shelter are sometimes used to conserve sites. To understand the advantages and disadvantages of protective shelter, it is necessary to know their state after a certain number of years have passed since they were built. For this reason, we asked three persons to make presentations and then we had general discussions. First, Mr. Anat Bamurunwonsa of the Fine Arts Department of Thailand gave a lecture titled “Protective shelter for a pair of Buddha’s footsteps in the Prachinburi Province.” This was followed by Mr. Irisa Tomoichiro of the Cultural Properties Protection Division, Fukuoka Prefecture, who delivered the lecture “Varied forms and current status of protective shelter in Fukuoka.” Then, Ms. Shin Eun-Jeong of the National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage, Korea, gave a lecture titled “Current status and case study in covering roofs for stone cultural properties in Korea.”The lectures and discussions made us recognize, for site conservation, the need to appropriately decide on specifications of protective shelter, after understanding the conditions such as the ambient environment of sites, and the importance of continuously monitoring the built roofs.
Training on packaging relics of various materials and shapes
Training on transporting a heavy object
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation continues to cooperate with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is conducting a technical support project for establishing and operating the Conservation Center of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
As part of this project, JICA dispatched four instructors from Nippon Express to Egypt from July 3 to 19, and held training on packing for transport in the Conservation Center. This was the second time this training had been held, following the one-week training for seven invited Egyptian conservation specialists that was conducted in the National Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, last October.
We used as many locally procured materials and educational tools as possible and executed on-the-job training, using the latest equipment transported from Japan, in addition to the equipment installed in the Conservation Center. The objects to be packed in the training ranged from small ones to heavy ones weighing about 200 kg, and we used not only replicas but also real relics. The training included robust packing for transport from an external storage site or museum to the Conservation Center, loading and unloading them to and from a vehicle for transport and simple packing for transport between laboratories within the Center and activities during transport. As in the previous training, we also paid attention to conveying the Japanese mentality of being committed to work with a love of relics, in addition to transferring techniques. We hope that the trainees who learned the packing techniques and the spirit of these training sessions will work carefully and speedily when actually packing items for transport.
We will proceed to offer cooperation in effective capacity development that is suitable for the individual levels of specialists, aiming for full-scale operation of the Center.
Member countries’ chairperson seats at the Meeting of World Heritage Committee
The 34th session of the World Heritage Committee was held from July 26 to August 3 in Brasilia, a city that is commemorating its 50th anniversary this year. (Currently, Japan is an observer, not a committee member.) It was conspicuous in this session that despite the recommendations of the advisory bodies for enquiring about information or putting off nominations in the World Heritage List, many cases were decided to be nominated. Some committee members stated that the professional opinions of advisory bodies should be respected and the reliability of the List should be taken into account. However, we got the impression that many countries had complaints and were dissatisfied with the opacity of advisory bodies and the decrease in nomination recommendation rate. Meanwhile, the conservation state report exposed multiple territorial disputes in lands that contain heritage sites listed as World Heritages.
It can be said that the system related to World Heritage is approaching a turning point regardless of whether the heritages are already listed or newly nominated. We believe Japan has a lot to do toward the 40th anniversary, in two years’ time, of the Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, such as proposing solutions.
We participated in the 6th Cultural Heritage East Asian Network assembly held in Solo, Indonesia, at the request of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. In the assembly, representatives of ASEAN countries and three countries in East Asia (Japan, China and South Korea) participated and reported on projects developed by ASEAN countries. The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation made a report on the survey on restoration of damaged cultural heritage, conducted in 2009. This was conducted in the framework of the project of Japan Consortium for International Cooperation in Cultural Heritage, and commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Responding to our report, the participating countries indicated their hope for actively surveying cultural heritage, and holding workshops and meetings in the future.
From South Korea, the director of the Cultural Heritage Conservation Science Center of National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage participated, and the 7th assembly will be held in South Korea. It is conceivable that the importance of the assembly will further increase in the future to deepen the relationship between ASEAN and East Asian countries.
IPM practical training
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation has been continuing to cooperate in the technical support project of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to establish and operate the Conservation Center in Egypt, an affiliated organization of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
As part of this project, three Japanese conservation specialists were dispatched to the local site from May 14 to 22, and IPM training took place at the Conservation Center. IPM stands for Integrated Pest Management, and it indicates here integrated management for preventing harmful organisms from damaging cultural properties. Before this training, the staff of the Conservation Center had little idea about IPM, but its concept has led to the continuous management activities of Egyptian staff such as their own monitoring after training. On June 14, the opening ceremony of the Conservation Center took place with the attendance of Ms. Susan Mubarak, the first lady of Egypt. There are currently more than 120 Center employees and restoration specialists, and a further increase in this number is being examined. Thousands of relics have already been brought to the Center, and restoration and conservation work has started gradually. We will continuously move forward with effective cooperation in capacity development that is suitable for the various levels of the individual specialists, aiming for full-scale operation of the Center in the future.
