tobunkennews digest no.10 tobunken newsthe bijutsu kenkyu (the journal of art studies) (first...

Spurred by the Project to Rescue CulturalProperties Damaged by the TohokuEarthquake and Tsunami (Project to

Rescue Cultural Properties), the NationalResearch Institute for Cultural Properties,Tokyo will provide logistical support via itsSecretariat located in Tokyo and coordinate withthe Agency for Cultural Affairs and other rele-vant institutions and organizations. A specificseries of emergency measures must promptly beestablished (in a manual) to rescue damaged cul-tural properties in a variety of potential situa-tions. When cultural properties are damaged bywater from a tsunami, water damage, salt dam-age, and biological deterioration due to microor-ganisms (e.g. mold) should be limited as muchas possible. Efforts should also be made todevise responses using materials and infrastruc-ture available on-site in order to facilitate subse-quent restoration of those properties. Severaltypes of efforts should be explored. Informationshould be shared with relevant individuals,institutions, and organizations involved in res-cuing those properties and information shouldbe provided to the site of the disaster. As a firststep, a conference to share information was heldon May 10, 2011 at the National ResearchInstitute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo. Thetopic of the conference was Expanding Choicesin Initial Efforts to Rescue Damaged CulturalProperties: Limiting Biological Deterioration asMuch as Possible and Preparing for LaterRestoration.

TOBUNKENNEWS DIGEST no.10

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TOBUNKENNational Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo13-43 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, Tokyo, 110-8713 JAPAN http://www.tobunken.go.jp

N E W S DIGESTno.10

Salvage Project of Cultural Properties Damaged by TsunamiReport on a Conference to Share Information

By Kigawa Rika, Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques

Demonstration of the squelch drying technique

Discussion during the meeting

This conference featured issues raised bySakamoto Isamu, who was actively involved inefforts to rescue damaged cultural properties on-site during the Northern Sumatra earthquake,Enomae Toshiharu, who studied the incidence

ducted to examine each of the situations men-tioned above. Finally, a general discussion tookplace.

Individual sessions were chaired byresearchers in history, international politics, andIslamic area studies. Extremely interestingreports were delivered on various topics, such ascultural heritage and earthquake reconstructionin Italy, China, and Japan, reports fromAfghanistan and Bosnia on the process ofnation-reconstruction following civil wars,Cambodia's intangible heritage, and situationsinvolving cultural heritage in the former EastGermany, Russia, Bhutan, and Japan amidstrecent social change.

During the discussion, two issues were com-monly noted by attendees. One was that thevalue of cultural heritage and its significancehad to change in response to social conditionsand recipients of that heritage. Another was theneed for further discussion of what sort of cul-tural heritage should be restored in relation topeople's lives. The discussion also touched onthe sense of duty among experts in their work toreconstruct and restore buildings and thecityscape.

While there appeared to be a substantial lackof time to discuss such varied points, partici-pants reacted favorably to the topics given sincethey dealt with the issue of reconstruction fromthe perspective of safeguarding cultural heritage.Participants appreciated the symposium a highlybeneficial opportunity for experts from different


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of mold on paper immersed in seawater, andTanimura Hiromi, who studied use of thesquelch drying technique as a way to rescuedamaged cultural properties during recent floodsin Europe. Experts in various fields were invitedto comment, notes on initial responses for dif-ferent materials were provided, and views werepresented. In addition, the conference featured ademonstration of the squelch drying techniqueand sample paintings immersed in salt and salt

water. Thanks are expressed to the experts whoparticipated and to the 161 attendees who par-ticipated in the enthusiastic discussion through-out. Hopes are that this information will proveof some use at rescue sites.

Materials from the conference were madeavailable at the National Research Institute forCultural Properties, Tokyo website http://www.tobunken.go.jp/~hozon/rescue/rescue20110510.html on May 17.

International Symposium on “Reconstruction” and Cultural HeritageBy Tomoda Masahiko, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

The 34th International Symposium on theConservation and Restoration ofCultural Property, “Reconstruction” and

Cultural Heritage, was held from January 19 to21 in Heiseikan of the Tokyo NationalMuseum. The symposium considered the roleplayed by cultural heritage in the process ofsocial reconstruction or transformation againstthe backdrops of natural disasters, armed con-flicts, and social change. The symposium main-ly discussed the effect that events such as con-servation, restoration, and rebuilding of culturalheritage would have on society as a whole. Theorganizers also sought to encourage discussionof the forms that international cooperation tosafeguard cultural heritage should take. The twokeynote speeches at the beginning were intend-ed to correctly convey these goals to the audi-ence and define the issues to discuss in greaterdetail. Next, three sessions in total were con-

Overall discussion


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countries to share their experiences and relateissues they had faced.

Preparations are currently underway to publisha report on details of the symposium this year.

Hut on a cliff where young cormorants are caught in flight

Study of Techniques to Catch Japanese Cormorants in Jyu-o town, HitachiCity

By Imaishi Migiwa, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage

transmission were studied. The hut had beenaffected by the collapse of the cliff due to thehuge earthquake in March but had been repairedby cormorant catchers before the spring cor-morant season starts (from the end of April tothe middle of May). In all, 11 cormorants werecaught and sent to fishing sites around thecountry. Plans are to visit the site again in theautumn cormorant season and to study thetechniques firsthand.

This study examined techniques of catch-ing Japanese cormorants (an intangiblefolk cultural property of Hitachi City) in

Jyu-o Town, Ibaraki Prefecture from June 7 to 8.Most of the wild Japanese cormorants used incormorant fishing, a traditional fishing tech-nique now found mainly in western Japan, arecaught here in Jyu-o Town at a little hut locatedon a precipitous cliff facing the Pacific Ocean.Both the technique and the present status of its

Publication of Science for Conservation, Vol. 50By Yoshida Naoto, Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques

Science for Conservation is a bulletin thatreports the results of our study andresearch regarding conservation of cultural

properties primarily from a scientific perspec-tive. The bulletin has been published since it

came out in 1964, and Vol. 50 came out at theend of March this year. The bulletin's historycertainly reflects the history of the conservationscience in Japan. When Vol. 1 came out, thebelief that conservation of cultural properties

On February 27, a symposium entitledThe Dynamics of Interaction betweenPeople and Objects: “Appraisal” in Art

History was held at the Institute. The BijutsuKenkyu (The Journal of Art Studies) (first pub-lished in 1932) is an academic journal publishedby the Institute's Department of Art Research,Archives, and Information Systems and ArtHistory Forum (first published in 1995) is anacademic journal published by the KoreanCenter for Art Studies. The Institute had dealtwith Dr. Hong Sun-Pyo, Director of the KoreanCenter for Art Studies, through his position asan international editorial board member of TheBijutsu Kenkyu, resulting in this symposium.


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Holding of a Japanese-Korean Symposium on The Dynamics of Interactionbetween People and Objects: “Appraisal” in Art History

By Tanaka Atsushi, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

The symposium began with a keynote speech byDr. Hong entitled Pride and Shame in KoreanArt History - Issues concerning Interpretationand Appraisal of Late Chosun Period Paintings.Presentations were given by Drs. Chang Chin-Sung (Seoul National University) and MoonJung Hee (Korean Center for Art Studies) fromSouth Korea and Watada Minoru and EmuraTomoko from the Institute. Presentations werefollowed by a discussion. The discussion provid-ed an opportunity to discuss the important issueof “appraisal” in art history.

The symposium's program and titles of pre-sentations were as follows:

Watada Minoru (the Institute's Department of

Front and back cover of Science for Conservation, Vol. 1. The bulletin has faded somewhat after about 47 years, but its format

has changed little.

required scientific perspectives and techniqueswas little known for the most part. Thus, theterm Conservation Science was almostunknown. The term is now widely knownthanks to the unceasing efforts and strugglesand the passion for conservation of culturalproperties on the part of our predecessors. Wecontinue their work, and Science forConservation will continue to strive to encour-age the recognition of this science as a beneficial

and essential field of academia.A limited number of copies of Science for

Conservation are printed, so the bulletin is onlydistributed to relevant institutions. Thus, everyarticle will be available on the Internet in PDFformat, starting with Vol. 1. If you are interest-ed, feel free to have a look (http://www.tobunken.go.jp/~hozon/hozon_pdf.html); we welcomeyour interest in our activities.


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Art Research, Archives, and InformationSystems) Discussion of the Long LandscapeScroll: A Re-appraisal of Sesshu

Dr. Chang Chin-Sung (Seoul NationalUniversity), The Fallacies of Love: Appraisal andDepiction of Jeong Seon

Emura Tomoko (the Institute's Department ofArt Research, Archives, and InformationSystems), Worlds Depicted in Early Edo-periodGenre Paintings

Dr. Moon Jung Hee (Korean Center for ArtStudies), Shitao, with a View toward AssessingModern Individuality

After the symposium started at the Institute,the symposium convened on March 12 in theAudio-Visual Room of Ewha WomansUniversity Museum in Seoul under the title“Dynamics” of Perspective: “Appraisal” in ArtHistory. The session began with a keynotespeech by Tanaka Atsushi, Director of theInstitute's Department of Art Research,Archives, and Information Systems, entitledCreation and Appraisal: Focusing on YorozuTetsugoro's Woman with a Balloon. Then, thesame program was followed and the same pre-sentations as those at the Tokyo session weregiven. The session convened despite concernsoverseas regarding damage from the TohokuEarthquake and Tsunami that had occurred theday prior. Despite this, the session was as wellattended as the Tokyo session, with the stand-ing-room-only audience almost overflowing the

Keynote speech by Dr. Hong (Tokyo session)

venue. A discussion chaired by Chung Woo-thak (Dongguk University) featured questionsand answers regarding individual presentations,and the discussion even touched on differencesin Japanese and Korean positions on the studyof art history. The discussion was commensu-rate with an international symposium that tran-scended national borders.

The “aim” of the symposium was to examinedifferences in Japanese and Korean participants'views of the same presentations. The Tokyo ses-sion was witness to more general views whilethe Seoul session was witness to more distinc-tive views on individual presentations. Thatsaid, the symposium was a valuable opportunityfor both Japanese and Korean researchers toexchange views on issues inherent in the“appraisal” in art history.

Discussion session (Seoul session)


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Study of the Techniques to Craft Kurume IkatBy Kikuchi Riyo, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage

This study examined techniques of craft-ing Kurume Ikat, which is designated animportant intangible cultural property,

by visiting members of the Society to PreserveIkat from June 27 to 28. Ikat is a decorative fab-ric woven with a weft and warp that are dyeddifferently depending on the pattern. The pic-ture shows how ikat is woven by adjusting theweft and warp in order to create certain patternson the cloth. Kurume Ikat also uses araso, ahemp fiber, to prevent dyeing of the weft andwarp. Manufacture of this araso is a selectedpreservation technique and is thus nationallyprotected. Plans are to conduct additional stud-ies of these techniques firsthand and theirpreservation.

Ikat weaving in the studio of Moriyama Torao, a second-

generation crafter of Kurume Ikat

An International Conference on “The Value and Competitive Power ofNaganeupseong Folk Village as World Heritage” was held in Suncheon City,Jeollanam-do, South Korea

By Miyata Shigeyuki, Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage

There was also great interest in how Japan dealswith intangible properties. The Department ofA

n international conference organized bythe Folklore Society of Korea was held onMay 12 as part of efforts to designate

Naganeupseong Folk Village (Suncheon City) asa world heritage site. Experts from various disci-plines related to cultural properties such as his-tory, folklore, and architecture and administra-tion officials involved in protecting culturalproperties participated in the conference. MiyataShigeyuki from Japan was invited to give a lec-ture on “The present state of designation ofintangible world heritage in Japan.”Naganeupseong Folk Village is not merely anamusement park but it is a place where peoplereside. Participants shared the perception thatapproaches to assessing such a “living” heritageas both tangible and intangible are essential. Discussions at the Conference


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From March 8 to 14, the Center forConservation Science and RestorationTechniques conducted a field survey of

conservation and restoration of trains, automo-biles, and aircraft in France and Switzerland.The Center also conducted an on-site study ofconservation of blast furnaces in Germany. InMulhouse, France, the la Cité du Train (Muséefrançais du chemin de fer) and la Cité de l'auto-mobile (Musée national de l'Automobile) weresurveyed. The number of train cars and automo-biles kept by both museums was both consider-able and impressive. The train cars werearranged in ample exhibit spaces and there wasno sense of being closed in, as is often found inrailroad museums. The cars were kept indoorsand properly stored. Most were diligently

repainted since this is an aspect visitors wouldnotice, though this aspect did have some draw-backs. Nevertheless, there were various twists inthe way exhibits were laid out and the museumis interesting enough to warrant repeat visits.The automobile museum was extremely neatand felt like a museum for car buffs, which isprobably the result of the collection being basedon automobiles that were originally privatelyowned. Although the cars were obviously wellpreserved, many of the cars were resting directlyon their tires and damage to those tires was evi-dent.

The Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, located besideLake Lucerne in Switzerland, was surveyed. Themuseum grounds are over 2,000 square metersand feature a space where children can play in

A Field Survey of Conservation of Modern Cultural Properties in France,Switzerland, and Germany

By Nakayama Shunsuke, Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques

Intangible Cultural Heritage plans to activelyparticipate in such exchanges of opinion and

publicize its experiences and findings fromJapan.

Exhibit depicting a train derailed by sabotage efforts of the Resistance during the War

(la Cité du Train (Musée français du chemin de fer), Mulhouse, France)


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Japanese antiquities located overseas serve tointroduce Japanese culture, but these itemsare suffering from aging and differences in

weather and climate, preventing many of these

would obviously be rather difficult because ofnumerous legal constraints and the need forevacuation routes in the event of a fire.

Survey of paintings in the US as part of the Cooperative Program for theConservation of Japanese Art Objects Overseas

By Emura Tomoko, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

the center with exhibit halls surrounding it. Theimpressive museum showcases items related totransportation. Although there was the undeni-able sense that the collection was somewhatmix-and-match overall, seeing so many thingsin one place was a joy. Most of the exhibits weremade of iron and the museum had apparentlytaken pains to rust-proof portions touched byvisitors. The last site surveyed was an ironworksin Germany. Although its style is foundthroughout Europe, the facilities were extremelyinteresting in the sense that they appeared tohave just ceased their operations and remainedin that state. Also quite interesting is the factthat some equipment for visitor safety(handrails, elevators, and walkways) has beenupdated although other elements are preservedas they used to be. Having such a site in Japan

Precisely aligned automobiles (la Cité de l'automobile (Musée national de l'Automobile), Mulhouse, France)

Road signs as exterior decorations

(Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, Lucerne, Switzerland)

works from being displayed. Thus, theCooperative Program for the Conservation ofJapanese Art Objects Overseas seeks to preservethese works in a consistent state so that they


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tect them, and consider potential fields of coop-eration of Japan.

The buildings, made by stacking basaltcolumns, were found to have collapsed in manyplaces. They may have collapsed due to naturalweather exposure and the growth of plants suchas mangroves. Furthermore, higher water levelsdue to recent global warming mean that someruins are now submerged at high tide. A detailedsurvey regarding these issues must be conductedin the future and a plan to manage the ruinsmust be formulated. At the same time, localpeople need to be made more aware of the need

can be put on display. Prior to last year, the pro-gram was a project of the Center forConservation Science and RestorationTechniques, but starting this year the programis being managed by the Japan Center forInternational Cooperation in Conservation.From the standpoint of restoration, the programstudies and repairs artwork in conjunction withart history researchers from the Department ofArt Research, Archives, and InformationSystems. Last year, we carried out a question-naire survey to museums in the US, Australia,and Europe with Japanese paintings in their col-lections in order to ascertain the latest condi-tions. Twenty-five institutions responded toquestions regarding whether or not they hadworks in need of restoration and how they con-served and restored works at their institution.Based on their responses and a list with imagesof the works, program experts consulted thecurating institution with regard to how workswere viewed in terms of art history, what worksneeded restoration and what works neededimmediate restoration, and what the institutionhad done in response. This year, we conductedour survey at two art museums in the US. OnJune 24, we surveyed six hanging scrolls and sixfolding screens at the Cincinnati Art Museum(Ohio), and on June 27, we surveyed three hang-

ing scrolls and five folding screens at theKimbell Art Museum (Texas). This year markedthe program's first visit to the Cincinnati ArtMuseum, which was founded in 1881 and isone of the oldest art museums in the US. TheCincinnati Art Museum is a major art museumin the Midwest with a collection of about60,000 pieces. The Museum's collection prima-rily contains Western art, but the Museum alsohas a collection of Japanese art, and many of thepieces are unknown in Japan. The study hasoccasioned technical exchanges, and the pro-gram will continue to encourage consultationwith relevant personnel and curators.

Survey underway at the Cincinnati Art Museum

Survey of a Partnering Country by the Japan Consortium for InternationalCooperation in Cultural Heritage: Nan Madol Ruins in the Federated Statesof Micronesia

By Haramoto Tomomi, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

From February 18 to 25, the JapanConsortium for International Cooperationin Cultural Heritage surveyed the Nan

Madol Ruins in the partnering country of theFederated States of Micronesia. The ruins aresaid to have been constructed between the sixthand sixteenth century and are said to have con-sisted of 92 artificial islands and buildings con-structed on them. The full extent of the ruinshas yet to be determined, leading them to becalled mysterious ruins. The purposes of thissurvey were to examine the current status of theruins, determine what needs to be done to pro-


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to protect these ruins. Some isles and buildingsare said to be the tombs of kings and sites of rit-uals. The need to protect the ruins is pressing,as is the need for comprehensive preservation oforal traditions associated with those ruins.

Seminar on Implementation of International Conservation TrainingProgram

By Tomoda Masahiko, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

Survey of the ruins at low tide

Nan Dawas, which is said to be the tomb of a king

On February 2 and 3, the Japan Center forInternational Cooperation inConservation held a “Seminar on

Implementation of International ConservationTraining Program” in a meeting room at theNational Research Institute for CulturalProperties, Tokyo. This conference was plannedas part of the Center's project on “capacitydevelopment in foreign countries of personnelengaged in protecting cultural properties.” Theconference sought to encourage the sharing ofinformation and exchange of opinions amongdomestic and international training organiza-tions in order to facilitate more effective andpractical international training. The conferencefocused on training in restoration and conserva-tion techniques and developing the abilities offoreign trainees primarily from developing coun-tries. Speakers from four foreign and interna-tional organizations and three domestic organi-zations (which included the Institute) provided

reports regarding specific program content andmethods of instruction as well as methods ofassessing results and issues concerning training.Attendees exchanged opinions in light of thesereports.

Several common issues were highlighted byanalyzing examples of training. The majorissues included the management of training

Discussion


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Seminar to Report on Joint Research into Modern Genre PaintingsBy Emura Tomoko, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

ures in the screen” (an important cultural prop-erty in the same museum's collection) andshowed slides of high-resolution images. Shereported on the depictions, saying that thewoman wearing a kosode with crests of holly-hock appeared to have drawn-in eyebrows,which was a custom and cosmetic practice ofnoble women at the time. Then, there were dis-cussions chaired by Mr. Yotsutsuji Hideki, thedeputy director of the Tokugawa Art Museum.Also participating in discussions concerningimage data was Mr. Nakamura Yoshifumi of theNational Institute of Informatics. Over 110 par-ticipants in fields related to art history, musichistory, the history of the performing arts, thehistory of fashion, and the restoration of cultur-al properties participated in the seminar.Following lively discussions, the seminar con-cluded. Full-scale images of the two scrolls thatmake up Kabuki Performance and Audience,which spans 15 meters, were displayed in thelobby in front of the seminar hall for partici-pants to see. We will continue to study such artand publicize our findings in the future.

The Department of Art Research,Archives, and Information Systems hasbeen studying modern genre paintings

since 2009 through a joint research project withthe Tokugawa Art Museum. On January 29,2011, we held a seminar at the NationalResearch Institute for Cultural Properties,Tokyo to report on this research. At the semi-nar's start, Mr. Tokugawa Yoshitaka, the presi-dent of Tokugawa Reimeikai Foundation andthe director of the Tokugawa Art Museum, gavea talk on IT technology in recent years. EmuraTomoko then gave a presentation entitled“Depictions in Kabuki Performance andAudience” that focused on details in the scrolls(important cultural properties in the collectionof the Tokugawa Art Museum) and characteris-tic expressions of figures that have been over-looked by past studies of art history. Then, Ms.Yoshikawa Miho, a curator of the Tokugawa ArtMuseum, gave a presentation entitled“Expression in Genre Figures, said to be basedon the romance of Honda Heihachiro and LadySenhime.” She talked about the depiction of fig-

projects, the continuity of training programs,coordination between different programs, andsharing of information from training. Althoughfew past conferences have dealt with such

themes, the Center plans to further utilize suchopportunities to improve training methods andhelp encourage cooperation among countries.

Discussions at the seminar on research into modern genre

paintings

Display of high-definition images in the lobby on the first

basement floor


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This study represents joint research onYokoyama Taikan' s Yamaji with EiseiBunko that took place as part of a

Department of Art Research, Archives, andInformation Systems research project entitled

Documentary research on cultural properties.Taikan's Yamaji in Eisei Bunko's collection wasexhibited at the 5th Bunten Art Exhibition(sponsored by the Ministry of Education) in1911 and is an important work that inaugurated

A Study of Yokoyama Taikan's Yamaji (the Mountain Path) at The NationalMuseum of Modern Art, Kyoto

By Shioya Jun, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

From February to June of this year, Liu Chi-chun of the Art Institute of NationalTaiwan Normal University served as a vis-

iting researcher in the Department of ArtResearch, Archives, and Information Systems.During his research, Mr. Liu used the Instituteas his base of operations. Mr. Liu specializes inTaiwanese art under Japanese colonial rule andin his current research he sought to look attrends in the Nanga (Southern School of paint-ing) particularly in modern Japan. Although Mr.Liu had to temporarily return home during hisresearch due to the Tohoku Earthquake andTsunami, he finished collecting materials inJune and presented his results on June 29, 2011at the 3rd Conference of the Department of Art

Visiting Researcher Liu Chi-chun and Convening of a Conference of theDepartment of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

By Shioya Jun, Department of Art Research, Archives, and Information Systems

Research, Archives, and Information Systems.Mr. Liu's presentation was entitled Searching forthe Identity of Taiwan's Traditional Calligraphyand Painting under Japanese Colonial Rule.This serious presentation looked at individualswith a mix of Taiwanese and Japanese thoughtthrough statements at the time concerningNanga. As Mr. Liu explained, these individualswere caught in the gulf between the 2 frame-works of traditional “calligraphy and painting”common to East Asia and “fine art” as wasbrought about by the West after the modern age.

Following Mr. Liu's presentation at theConference, Minami Asuka, professor at SagamiWomen's University, made a presentation enti-tled Appraisal of Muromachi-period Paintingsby Georges de Tressan (1877-1914). De Tressanwas a soldier in the French army with a fond-ness for Japanese art, and a number of his dis-courses remain. Ms. Minami has labored severalyears to verify de Tressan's achievements, whichhad been forgotten. Her presentation focuses onde Tressan's appraisal of Muromachi-periodpaintings, and she discusses where he drew hisinformation from, characteristics of his dis-courses, and their significance at the time.Japanese art researchers from the Institute andexperts in French art from other organizationsattended a discussion following the presenta-tions, and opinions were actively exchangedregarding appraisals of Japanese and Oriental artin Europe during the early 20th century.

Liu Chi-chun (l.) making a presentation at the Conference

of the Department of Art Research, Archives, and

Information Systems


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Taira Yuichirou, and Ogawa Ayako (TokyoUniversity of the Arts) used near-infraredreflectance photography and X-ray fluorescenceanalysis to examine paints in the piece. A studyof the Bunten piece last fall revealed that Taikanactively used modern pigments. Taikan wasfound to use modern pigments in the piece thatwas formerly in the Hara Sankei Collection.Although this piece had the same motif as theBunten piece, some of its colors differed due tothe use of different pigments. The Bunten pieceis current being repaired and plans are to studyit again when it is unveiled.

new forms of expression in Japanese paintingwith its vivid strokes. After the work was stud-ied last fall, a variant of Yamaji in The NationalMuseum of Modern Art, Kyoto was studied onMay 29. Following the work that was exhibitedat Bunten, the variant was painted by Taikan forHara Sankei, a well-known Yokohama industri-alist and avid collector of artwork. A letter ofthanks from Taikan for receipt of paymentaddressed to Sankei dated February 6, 1912remains. With the cooperation of Ogura Jitsukoof The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto,the current study by Miyake Hidekazu of EiseiBunko, Shioya Jun of the Institute, and Arai Kei,

Approaches to Theories of Conservation of Museum Materials ConvenedBy Yoshida Naoto, Center for Conservation Science and Restoration Techniques

Starting in 2012, Theories of Conservationof Museum Materials will be a requiredclass as part of a university course to train

curators. This class requires that students whowish to become curators have knowledge of theconservation of materials with a scientific basis.Although over 300 universities and junior col-leges currently offer such a course, the reality isthat a limited number of personnel have theexpertise sufficient to teach the course. In orderto prepare for the start of these classes, lectureson Approaches to Theories of Conservation ofMuseum Materials took place for three daysstarting on March 8. The lectures were intendedfor instructors who had been assigned to oversee

the course and consisted of 15 lectures relatedparticularly to preventive conservation. The lec-tures provided information instructors wouldneed to know. The lectures were attended by 81individuals from around the country, includinguniversity instructors and curators overseeingthe class on an adjunct basis. Since this was thefirst time such lectures had taken place, partici-pants praised the lectures but the lastingimpression was that many were confused. In thepast, involvement with such individuals hasbeen severely limited, but in the future depart-ments that study conservation conditions mustplay an active role in educating these individu-als.

Project for the Conservation Center in the Grand Egyptian Museum:Implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Training andParticipation in a Phase 2 Study to Formulate a Detailed Plan

By Hemuki Naomi, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

The Japan Center for InternationalCooperation in Conservation is continu-ing to assist with the Project for the

Conservation Center in the Grand EgyptianMuseum implemented by the Japan

International Cooperation Agency (JICA).Occupational Health and Safety Training was

conducted at the Conservation Center fromApril 27 to May 5, 2011. Professor KirinoFumiyoshi of the Tokyo University of the Arts


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and Fujisawa Akira of the National ResearchInstitute's Japan Center for InternationalCooperation in Conservation were sent to theCenter by JICA to serve as instructors.Egyptians have no chance to study occupational

health and safety at institutions of higher educa-tion that teach conservation and restoration ofcultural properties, and Egyptian experts oftenhave doubts about their health and safety duringtheir everyday work. The knowledge and skillsthey need have been determined from previouslyimplemented training, leading to the currenttraining program. Training was warmly wel-comed, and trainees have often asked for repeat-ed instruction. The goal is to provide everyoneworking at the Conservation Center, from con-servation experts to cleaning personnel, with ashared awareness of health and safety throughperiodic training.

In addition, three specialists from theInstitute participated in the phase 2 study (full-fledged cooperation) to formulate a detailed planthat JICA implemented from May 27 to June 4.With the written cooperation of experts, JICAconsulted Egyptian representatives about thepotential for future cooperation based on thephase 2 capacity development plan coordinatedby the Institute. As a result, JICA promisedEgyptian representatives that it would assistwith the teaching and training of experts work-ing at the Conservation Center, and the earlystages of full-fledged cooperation began after thisJuly. Accordingly, the Institute plans to cooper-ate more effectively with JICA.

Occupational health and safety training

Conclusion of an agreement on full-fledged cooperation

Cooperation in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the Republic ofArmenia - Preparatory Team sent and the Conclusion of an Agreement

By Hemuki Naomi, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

The Japan Center for InternationalCooperation in Conservation begancooperation to preservation of cultural

heritage in the countries of the Caucasus underthe framework of the exchange program ofInternational Cooperation of Cultural Heritagecommissioned by the Agency for CulturalAffairs and the government subsidized budgetfor the Cooperative Project for the Conservationof Cultural Heritage in West Asia.

The Republic of Armenia has a number ofmaterials that are extremely valuable historical-ly but cannot encourage research and conserva- Survey of artifacts in the History Museum of Armenia


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Armenian experts on cultural heritage throughjoint projects and workshops at home andabroad. The memorandum of understandingagrees to cooperation in the training of expertsin the conservation and study of metal artifactskept by the History Museum of Armenia.

The Center plans to begin efforts pursuant tothe agreement and memorandum of under-standing in January of 2012.

tion and restoration as expected due to the lackof financial resources, personnel, educationalinstitutions, and information. The countrycraves foreign assistance to teach and train per-sonnel in the area of protecting cultural proper-ties.

A preparatory team was sent to the countryfrom April 3 to 13, 2011. The team consultedwith officials of the Ministry of Culture (whichoversees museums), it inspected the HistoryMuseum of Armenia's conservation facility andstorage, and team members talked directly withconservation experts working there about specif-ic details on research cooperation.

As a result, preparations have been done toconclude an agreement and memorandum ofunderstanding with Armenian representatives.And the Institute concluded an agreement withMinistry of Culture of the Republic of Armeniaand a memorandum of understanding with theHistory Museum of Armenia on June 24, 2011at the Ministry of Culture in Yerevan, theRepublic of Armenia. The agreement coverscomprehensive cooperation in the field of theconservation of cultural heritage in the Republicof Armenia. The agreement seeks to train

Conclusion of an Agreement between the Institute of History and CulturalHeritage of Academy of Science of the Kyrgyz Republic and the NationalResearch Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo, Japan for Cooperation inthe Conservation of Cultural Heritage of the Kyrgyz Republic

By Abe Masashi, Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation

On June 27, 2011, the National ResearchInstitute for Cultural Properties, Tokyoand Institute of History and Cultural

Heritage, Academy of Science of the KyrgyzRepublic concluded an agreement and memo-randum of understanding to protect CulturalHeritage in Kyrgyz.

The Institute will conduct a training programand a program on preservation of cultural her-itage with the Institute of History and CulturalHeritage and jointly organize a symposium withthe Institute.

This autumn, the Institute plans to start aprogram to train Kyrgyz personnel in documen-tation, excavation, conservation, and mainte-

nance of historical sites in the medieval town ofAk Besim along the Chu River.

Survey of artifacts in the History Museum of Armenia

Conclusion of the agreement


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Publications

Compilation of dated inscriptions on Japanese painting - 15th Century

This fundamental research material compilation presents a chronological arrangement of transcriptions into

modern Japanese of 833 dated inscriptions from among those found on paintings created primarily in Japan

during the entire 100-year period of the 15th century, the height of Japan's Muromachi period. This volume

continues on from the 1984 publication, Compilation of dated inscriptions on Japanese painting 10th - 14th

Centuries. 2011, Chuokoron Bijutsu Shuppan (+81-(0)3-3561-5993), Price: ￥19,950

Research Materials: Techniques of Hollow Dry Lacquer Sculpture

This publication includes fundamental data, such as detail dimensions and description of the structure and

condition for each Tempyo era hollow dry lacquer sculpture, with x-ray transmission images and other pho-

tography. A CD is included in the back of the volume providing a "Lexicon Database for Color Related

Terminology Found in Nara Period Historical Documents". 2011, Chuokoron Bijutsu Shuppan, Price:

￥9,975

Research and Reports on Intangible Cultural Heritage

Research and Reports on Intangible Cultural Heritage has been published since 2006 by the Department of

Intangible Cultural Heritage. It contains academic papers, research reports and translations of classic docu-

ments into modern Japanese. The articles can be downloaded as PDF files from the website of the

Department. not for sale

Ito Jakuchu, Doshoku Sai-e

A report on the scientific research of Doshoku Sai-e (Colorful Realm of Living Beings) by Ito Jakuchu con-

ducted with the Museum of the Imperial Collections. It consists of two volumes, one on scientific research

and the other on high-resolution photographs. 2010, Shogakukan (+81-(0)3-3230-5144), Price: ￥52,500

Corsair KD431: The Time Capsule Fighter

A book that provides detailed documentation of the investigation and conservation of Corsair KD431, a project

that was executed at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, UK. Originally published in English, the book was translated

into Japanese by the Japan Aeronautic Association and supervised by the Institute. 2009, Office HANS (+81-

(0)3-3400-9611), Price: ￥3,360

Structure, Design and Technique of the Bamiyan Buddhist Caves, Recent Cultural Heritage Issues in

Afghanistan Volume 5

This volume contains the drawings of the caves by digital measurement and introduces their architectural fea-

tures and present condition for conservation. It also includes the chronological study of the caves on the com-

parison between their architectural style and the result of radiocarbon dating. 2011, Akashi Shoten (+81-(0)3-

5818-1171), Price: ￥13,650