Restoration Study on the Pictures in the Freer Gallery

• Project/Area Number: 03044058
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for international Scientific Research
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: Joint Research
• Research Institution: Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku (Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music)
• Principal Investigator: SUMIKAWA Yoshikazu Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Dean, 美術学部, 学部長 (10015232)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): NAGASAWA Ichiro Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Associate Professor, 美術学部, 助教授 (40172522) ; ONODERA Hisayuki Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Guest Professor, 美術学部, 客員教授 ; OKA Kozo Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Lecturer, 美術学部, 非常勤講師 ; TERAUCHI Hiroshi Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Lecturer, 美術学部, 非常勤講師 ; KOMACHIYA Asao Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (60018629) ; TABUCHI Toshio Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Associate Professor, 美術学部, 助教授 (20179865) ; SAKAMOTO Kazumichi Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (50107330) ; SATO Itiro Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Associate Professor, 美術学部, 助教授 (30143639) ; OHNISHI Nagatoshi Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (70015270) ; MASUMURA Kiichiro Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Associate Professor, 美術学部, 助教授 (00157215) ; INABA Masamitsu Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Assistant Professor, 美術学部, 講師 (50135183) ; MAENO Masaru Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (20015233) ; BEACH Milo C. Freer Gallery.President, 館長 ; FEINBERG Robert Freer Gallery.Trustee, 理事 ; SUGISITA Ryuitiro Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (40015227) ; NIIYAMA Sakae Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (30015242) ; MABUCHI Hisao Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Guest Professor, 美術学部, 客員教授 (30011498) ; NAKAZATO Toshikatsu Tokyo National Research Institute of Cultural Properties.Head, 修復技術部, 室長 (20000458) ; ROSENFIELD John Havard University.Professor, 教授 ; HARA Masaki Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (70107332) ; KOMATSU Taishu Tokyo National Museum.Curator, 工芸課, 漆工室長 (90090927) ; NAKANO Masaki Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (10000332) ; TEZUKA Tokuo Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (90114842) ; ASAI Kazuharu Tokyo Natinal Museum.Curator, 法隆寺宝物室, 主任研究官 (60132700) ; MIZUNO Keizaburo Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (50015228) ; EBINE Toshio Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Associate Professor, 美術学部, 助教授 (30000350) ; TUJI Shigeru Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (20015225) ; YAMAKAWA Takeshi Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (00015223) ; FUKUI Sawato Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.Professor, 美術学部, 教授 (30015284) ; SHIMIZU Yoshiaki Princeton University.Professor, 終身教授 ; HIRAYAMA Ikuo Tokyo Geijutsu Daigaku.President, 学長 (10015224)
• Project Period (FY): 1991 – 1993
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 1993)
• Budget Amount: ¥13,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥13,000,000); Fiscal Year 1993: ¥3,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,000,000); Fiscal Year 1992: ¥5,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,000,000); Fiscal Year 1991: ¥5,000,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,000,000)
• Keywords: Conservation / Conservation Technic / Conservation Science / Training / Museum

Research Abstract

This project was part of a series of efforts in the conservation of Japanese and Asian arts in the Freer Gallery under Mr.Hirayama's Cultural Red Cross project. The purpose of this joint project is to improve our mutual knowledge of conservation methods in the U.S. and in Japan.
The advisory members from Freer Gallery inspected the treatment of the objects from the Freer Collection, and reviewed and discussed about scientific research during the treatment with Japanese conservation specialists.
Japanese members learned practical methods of conservation and supporting systems for conservation in the U.S..
Each museum we visited in the U.S. has an art conservation department. This department collaborates with the museum curators and contributes to the preservation of museum objects. In many of museums, conservation scientists are also working to support the conservators' work. These scientists also examine the materials of the art objects to gain a better understanding of art history.
The Conservation Analytical Laboratory o the Smithsonian Institution and Getty Conservation Institute are examples of two well equipped scientific institutes. They develop new scientific methods for conservation and serve conservators as support centers in this field.
There are three major graduate courses for conservation training in the U.S.. Knowledge of these training courses would be helpful in the planning of the expansion of our graduate course for conservation.
We also studied the activities of University museums with the hope of applying some of these concepts to modification of our museum system.