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Spatial Logic and Visual Meaning (Part I): A New Theory on the Furen Qimen Images in Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties Tomb Chambers
Get PDFThrough an analysis of the decorative motifs used in Song, Liao and Jin dynasties tombs, the author has clarified that the space beyond the furen qimen motif is a “sleeping chamber,” and thus the furen qimen motif alludes to a sleeping chamber. Then the question arises, why is the figure that stands in the half open, half shut door, opening the door without putting her foot outside a woman, and rarely a man?
The furen qimen motif in Song, Liao and Jin tombs had already been formulated by the Later Han dynasty. However, from the Wei, Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties period through the Sui and Tang dynasties, the furen qimen motif did not appear in tomb decoration. By the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties this motif had reappeared as a trend in tomb arts.
Further, it is not simply an allusion to a sleeping chamber. The majority of the women who appear at a door in tombs of the Song, Liao and Jin dynasties are young and beautiful women. However, what must not be overlooked is the fact that this same type of motif also appears outside of tomb art. This motif can be seen in the decoration on bronze mirrors in the Song and Yuan dynasties. In these bronze mirror motifs, a beautiful woman is seen standing in a half-shut gate on the front of a building sheltered by the laurel bay trees found in the land of the immortals. Subjects and their contents that use this motif can be seen to have influenced the understanding and awareness at the time of the furen qimen motif seen in tombs. In addition, the figure of the woman who does not put her foot outside the gate, as seen in Song, Liao and Jin dynasty tomb decoration, cannot be seen as simply the wife of the deceased. Judging from the age and faces of these women, they could have been substitutes for the deceased’s attendant women or wives. However, even if that is the case, we cannot dismiss the possibility that they are immortalizations of these women. The winged form of female immortals can be discerned in the furen qimen iconography that appeared in the Later Han. On the other hand, in the Song, Liao and Jin tombs, there is the frequent use of heaven imagery, immortal women, bodhisattvas and palaces of the immortals used as decoration in the top of the tomb, all of which would be seen by the viewers as divine immortals. If that is the case, then the viewer would see the doors of the gate tower reminiscent of the sanctuary where immortals live, in the depths of the tomb.
Further, the image of a woman opening that door also includes a sense of the Confucian moral view of women that women do not cross the threshold. From this viewpoint, we can explain why there is a gateway in furen qimen, why it is half open, half shut, and why it is all women opening the door, rarely men.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, other than in tomb arts, images of beautiful women on the other side of a halfclosed door were a general visual interest in the society of the day. In the literary realm, in the romantic novels and popular literature begun in the Mid to Late Tang dynasty, there is frequent mention of women and half open gates. Further, a beautiful woman is shown in many of the Tang and Song dynasties romantic events that placed importance on evoking the pleasures of men and women, or in Song and Yuan theatrical performances. When people began to use such female imagery in tombs, they may have imagined the figure as the woman in the household who is a fusion of opening the door to the bedchamber for the deceased, Confucian ritual and female virtue, and thus they may have been seeking to depict the immortal abode in the afterlife that they dreamt about while alive.
Thus, the furen qimen image alluding to the sleeping chamber used in Song, Liao and Jin tombs can be seen as the crystallization that emerged from the mutually interacting elements of Confucian ethics and sensuality, goodness and beauty, reality and fiction.journal articl
Material for Art Research, Meiji Photography Groups and the Noility - From Considerations of Ogawa Kazumasa's Archievements
Get PDFOn October 18, 1910, Kuroda Seiki (1866–1924) and Ogawa Kazumasa (1860–1929) were named teishitsu gigeiin, art experts in service to the Japanese imperial court.While from different fields, Western style painting and photography, a letter dated April 26, 1910 among Ogawa’s letters addressed to Kuroda indicates that they were aware of each other prior to being named to their imperial household posts. The letters are about requests or thanks for gifts, and appear monthly, thus indicating that the two men were in regular contact, and this continued even after Ogawa closed his own photography studio and photoengraving company.
Ogawa was six years older than Kuroda. Even though he was younger, Kuroda had spent almost a decade, from ages 18 to 27, studying in France, and taught at Tokyo Bijutsu Gakkô after his return to Japan. He was the rising star of the Western painting world in Japan, building a reputation for himself despite his youth. For Ogawa, it was an honor to become close to Kuroda, and Ogawa’s respect for Kuroda can be seen in his letters.
The points in common between the two men include their overseas study experience, their dauntless pursuit of new expressive methods never before seen in Japan, and their success in that endeavor. Ogawa’s overseas study was not as lengthy as Kuroda’s, but he set out for America in order to learn photographic techniques. After his return he used his acquired knowledge, taking photographs, and energetically developing his photographic printing and publishing work, breathing new life into the photography industry in Japan. After his return from France, Kuroda led the Japanese Western painting world into new forms of painterly expression, and thus undoubtedly felt a sense of shared closeness with Ogawa through their innovative endeavors.
It is unclear when the two men met, but their critiques of photographs in the Hana-no-kage journal published by the Kakô-kai photography group started by members of the Japanese nobility provide historical materials showing their connection prior to the dates on extant letters. Their photography critiques were first published in Hana-nokage in March 1907, and thus it can be presumed that they had actually met by that time. Hana-no-kage itself was first published in 1903, and if like other photography groups of the period, the Kakô-kai held meetings, it is possible that Kuroda or Ogawa may have been invited to such meetings, and thus they may have met at an even earlier date.
Ogawa Kazumasa was born in Gyoda, Musashi province (present-day Gyoda city, Saitama prefecture), and after learning the wet collodion process he left Japan for America in July 1882. In Boston he learned the collotype process and dry plate production, returning to Japan in January 1884. In 1885 he opened the Gyokujun-kan photography studio in Iida-machi 4-1, Kojimachi-ku, Tokyo. In 1888 he acted as a record photographer in the treasures survey of the Kinki region conducted by Kuki Ryûichi of the Imperial Household Agency and others, taking large numbers of photographs of ancient art works. Further utilizing the knowledge and techniques learned in America, he experimented with collotype printing, later opening the Ogawa Shashin Seihanjo (literally, Ogawa’s photoengraving company) in Hiyoshi-chô, Tokyo. This led to his fullscale production of collotype printed works. This studio produced the collotype plates for the art journal Kokka, founded in October 1889.
Ogawa acted as a consultant for the Bankoku-shashinkokai (international photography association) held in conjunction with the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, setting off for America once again. During this visit Ogawa learned about the halftone process, and after buying printing equipment, tools, and materials in America he returned to Japan. He began halftone-printing work in February 1894. Then during the First Sino-Japanese War (July 1894–March 1895), he produced the photographic plates for the Nisshin senso jikki (August 1894–January 1896) published by the Hakubunkan and the Tokyo Asahi Shimbun’s supplement. During the Russo-Japanese War (February 1904–September 1905) he printed and published a large number of photographic albums, including the Nichirô sen’eki shashinchô (total 24 volumes, The Ordnance Survey Office, 1904–1905), Nichirô sen’eki shashinchô (Photographs by Imperial Headquarters Photographic Department, The Ordnance Survey Office, 1906), and the Nichirô sen’eki kaigun shashinchô (Ichioka Tajirô, author, 1905). In April 1905 the Great Colored Photographs Exhibition of the Russo-Japan War was held in the Number 5 building of the former exposition buildings in Ueno Park, and thus he played a major role in war journalism. For his Russo-Japanese War achievements overall, on April 1, 1906, Ogawa was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays. Thanks to this recognition, he received a variety of honors, and in 1910, he was the first photographer named an art specialist in service to the imperial household.
Thus Ogawa brought technologies to Japan from overseas at an early date and put them to use in the development and success of his business endeavors. In the shadows of this success however, was the support of Viscount Okabe Nagamoto (1855–1925). Viscount Okabe understood photography and himself took pictures, serving as the vice-chairman of the Nihon Shashin-kai, Japan’s first such group established in 1889 with Ogawa as the organizer. In 1893 Okabe was one of the organizers of the Dai Nihon Shashin Hinpyôkai. The Hinpyôkai welcomed numerous members of the aristocracy, Tokugawa Atsuyoshi was the chairman of the group and the members of the nobility were all named honorary members. Having members of the nobility as the chairman and vice chairman probably lent authority to the group, but it was a fact that many of the nobility of the day were photographic aficionados, and that tendency can be seen amongst many of them with diplomatic or overseas study experience. They are thought to have taken photographs of scenes they witnessed while overseas and as some sort of record of their journeys, and after their return to Japan they joined photography groups that had a salon-like atmosphere and represented gatherings of intellectuals from both Japan and overseas. The Kakô-kai was the highest ranking gathering of upper class members interested in photography, and their journal, Hana-no-kage, became printed photographic compendia that allowed them to publish their photographs as they liked. Unlike ordinary photographic groups, whose membership was too large to allow compendia of works by all members, the Kakô-kai had only a small number of members, and their publications were further realized because all the members were of the same status.
Not only did Kuroda Seiki provide photographic critiques for Hana-no-kage, he also acted as a judge for photographic contests held by such organizations as the Tokyo Photographic Materials Association. Kuroda, a professor at Tokyo Bijutsu Gakkô and a leading Westernstyle painter, was probably asked to be a judge in order to add tone to the contest. In the same manner, for the noble members of the Kakô-kai, having Kuroda provide photographic critiques in Hana-no-kage may have made them feel that their works would be more highly valued. This would have also been the case for photographic critiques by Ogawa, a major force in the Japanese photographic world of the day. Inviting the two men to provide critiques, and the publication itself of the Hana-no-kage, can be considered the shining moments of Japanese photography during a time when photography was still new and available to and enjoyed by only a limited number of people.journal articl
Material for Art Research, Thoughts on Hana-no-kage, a photography Journal Published by the Japanese Nobility: Actives of Noble Photography Aficionados in the Late Meiji Period
Get PDFHana-no-kage was a photography journal published by a group of noble photography aficionados. The survey examined 25 volumes from the total 47 volumes published, for a total of 580 photographic plates. These volumes published the name of the photographer, name of the person submitting the work for publication, the subject of the photograph, and the month and year the subject was established. Of those 25 volumes, five contained photographic critiques by Kuroda Seiki and Ogawa Kazumasa. This article is an attempt to understand and quantify the activities of the contributors as well as the point of connection between the rich trove of plates and the critiques of the era’s major Western style painters and photographers. On the other hand, this evaluation is hobbled by the fact that these journals do not publish such essential information as the name of the publishing group or individual, the publication date, or volume number.
This article investigated this fundamental information and its changes, and thus clarified that Hana-no-kage is an example that fully conveys the activities of late Meiji period amateur photographers. Through an analysis of the terminology used in the photographic critiques themselves, we can see that they represent one aspect of the Kuroda and Ogawa’s views on photography. A comparison of these materials and the contents of the lectures these men later gave on photography reveal that in the late period of the Hana-no-kage publication, they contributed their efforts to photographic production with paintings as their model.
The first section of the article categorizes the 25 volumes of Hana-no-kage on the basis of the subjects of the photographs, the month and year the photographic subjects were established, whether or not the works were given nyûsen status, and whether or not they included critiques or grades. This meant that of the 25 volumes can be divided into five periods, with four were from the first period, eight from the second period, seven from the third period, five from the fourth period, and one from the fifth period. Focusing on the regularity of their publication, and considering the possibility that at least three unsurveyed volumes existed, the publication order numbers were set for each Hana-nokage volume. The second section notes that there were 46 members and all were from the nobility. Of these 39 were former Tokugawa shoguns and daimyô or other members of the samurai class, with three princes holding the highest Japanese peerage rank, with the most members, 25 in number, were viscounts. Section three discusses the changes between each of the periods touched upon in section one. The first period photographs were mainly shots taken at will by their photographers; the period two photographs were on set subjects to allow for comparison; the third period works were assigned nyûsen status based on a judgment of the quality of the submitted works, and in section four, Kuroda and Ogawa published their critiques and grading. The setting for pure enjoyment was transformed into a setting for competition as they aimed at improving their skills. The lack of photographic critiques in the one volume in period five single it out. In period two, there is the unexpected appearance of Okabe Nagamoto’s photographs reproducing paintings by Rembrandt, Titian, Corot and others. These are surely early examples of the introduction of these paintings in Japan. The fourth section of the article determines from related historical materials that the publishing group was first called the Hana-no-kage-kai or Kaei-kai, and then after the amalgamation with the Tanshô-kai in February 1905 it became known as the Hana-no-hikari-kai or Kakô-kai. The publication period of Hana-no-kage was from ca. 1902 to ca. 1909, but it was discovered that the group was still active as of December 1911. Toda Tadao, Ii Naokata and Matsudaira Naoyuki played leading roles in the operations of the journal. In addition to Hana-no-kage, the Hana-no-hikarikai also published Fugaku-shû (publication dates unknown) and Kankoku-shû (published February 5, 1910).
Section five of the article recounts how Kuroda and Ogawa evaluated the photographs in terms of such technical terms as position, iconography, perspective, lighting, printing quality, and exposure time, and appear to have given such matters weight in their decisions regarding the overall evaluation of whether the photography was interesting or not. The inclusion of high-level analysis of each stage of the photographic process, from photographing to developing and printing, was at both once practical and at times, harsh. This is thought to have been because the group members sought to improve their techniques. The sixth section quotes from Kuroda and Ogawa’s lectures on photography, and notes that they shared the awareness that if photography learned from painterly methods it could approach artistic status, and indicates that painting techniques have points in common with the perspective and interesting qualities noted in section five. Both Kuroda and Ogawa cooperated in the raising of the position of photography, but the article mentions the differences between the two men, in that, unlike Ogawa, Kuroda believed that even if the position of photography were raised, it would never equal painting.
Hana-no-kage, lacking all colophon pages and only giving the journal’s name, is a record of the photographs of the nobility, revealing the rich cultural background and splendid group context amidst a closed world. This special nature of the group brought about the above-mentioned characteristics, and in their final period can be linked to their invitation to the leading Western style painters of the day for their guidance. This period’s activities can thus be positioned as a typical example of the supremacy of painting over photographic production.journal articl
Material for Art Research, The Guimet Version Illustrated Handscrolls of the Legend of Tenjin (Dajoitokuten-engi-emaki): Transcription of All Text Passages and Reproduction of All Scroll Sections (Part II)
Get PDFFor résumé, see Bijutsu Kenkyu No.410journal articl
Report on Nitto Long Play Records in the Collection of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo
Get PDFRecording time of 10 inch short play records (78rpm) that widely popular before World War II was approximately 3 minutes per side. For this reason, various ways were developed to enable continuous recording for pieces that were longer than 3 minutes.
In the latter half of the 1910s Nitto, a record company in Osaka, developed a long play record that enabled recording for a little over 10 minutes per side. This was an epoch-making invention. However, while the recording system employed for ordinary records was constant angular velocity, the one for Nitto long play records was constant linear velocity. For this reason, a special player was necessary and Nitto long play record was not so popular. Now, it is extremely difficult to obtain proper sound of Nitto long play record whose manufacture was terminated several years after its development.
The Department of Intangible Cultural Heritage of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Tokyo has a collection of 16 Nitto long play records. An open lecture entitled “Record of Kamigata Rakugo of the Early Showa Period” （Main Hall of Heisei-kan, Tokyo National Museum, October 5, 2013) was held on the topic of this record. In the present report, Nitto long play records in the Institute’s collection are introduced with focus on the one used in the open lecture.departmental bulletin pape
Performance Evaluation Method for Passive Use of Absorbents in Exhibition Cases
Get PDFChemical absorbents are sometimes installed in air conditioning systems and create clean air for conservation of museum objects. Suppression performance of chemical absorbents is tested according to JIS 1906 :2008 with active air ventilation using a pump.
Performance of an absorbent is recognized as “good” when the concentration of contaminants decreases. But concentration sometimes increases even with an absorbent in summer because the rate of gas emission from construction materials is dependent on temperature. However,many museums in Japan equipped with air-tight exhibition cases for suppression of humidity variation use chemical absorbents passively by just putting them on the floor of the cases when air is contaminated with outgases from construction materials of these cases. That performance evaluation of such passive use of absorbents has not been yet defined is a problem.
In this study, new performance evaluation method is proposed for the passive use of absorbents and is then applied on measured data for verification.journal articl
Possibility of Direct Analysis of Coloring from Monochrome Photographs
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to investigate the possibility of analyzing apparent color from monochrome photographs directly. For this,the relationship between B/W levels of photographs of colored plates painted with various coloring materials and the values of L, a and b of CIE Lab color space was investigated. As a result,for all colors,correlation between B/W levels and the values of L was observed. Then, for blue and yellow, correlation between B/W lavels and a and/or b and √a2＋b2 was observed. These results mean that direct analysis is possible for blue and yellow.journal articl
Measures against Freeze Degradation of the Shimofuji Christian Cemetery, Usuki City
Get PDFThe Shimofuji Christian Cemetery is a site composed of many Christians’tombs of the 16-17th centuries, designated as a historic site of Oita Prefecture. Because the stones constituting the tombs showed typical freeze degradation during the severe winter of 2011-2012,some countermeasures became necessary. As a countermeasure,sandbags were prepared filled with fallen leaves instead of sand,and the bags were named“thermos bags.” Then, an attempt was made to cover the ruins with these thermos bags and finally with blue sheets during the severe winter of 2012-2013. Measurement of the temperature on the ground with and without the bags revealed the effectiveness of the proposed countermeasure. However, excessively stable environment due to overuse of the thermos bags may have attracted some animals,like moles,which disturbed the ruins. Therefore,moderate application of thermos bags, preventing freezing but providing not excessively warm condition, is required.journal articl