2001 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

A Study of Medieval and Early Modern Orihon-gajo, or Album Picture, Focusing on its Function as a Medium

Research Project

Project/Area Number	10610065
Research Category	Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Allocation Type	Single-year Grants
Section	一般
Research Field	Fine art history
Research Institution	Musashi University
Principal Investigator	ONISHI Hiroshi Musashi University Humanities Professor, 人文学部, 教授 (30011307)
Project Period (FY)	1998 – 2000
Keywords	Album picture / "Wall-scale" painting / "Book-scale" painting / Comparative Medium Study / Place of Painting / Momoyama Period / Transitional Stage in the History of Painting Medium / Canonization
Research Abstract	The aim of this project is to probe an almost unstudied field in Japanese art history : orihon-gajo, or album picture. Orihon-gajo played a very important historical role in the transitional stage from the time-honored emaki, or scroll painting, through the e-hon, or painted book, to the early modern e'iri-hampon, or printed picture book. The method I adopted is both pratical and theoretical. The investigation was conducted along three work-lines : (1) documentational study, (2) accumulation of photographic materials of extant works, and (3) theoretical analysis. The first two are still on the way, but I am planning to put up on my internet home-page what I have done so far. The major result now, is about the third one. I have completed and published an article, "The Place of Painting : Comprative Study of Painting Media and their Practical Use."(Asahi Shimbun, Kokuho to Rekishi no Tabi, vol.1 〜 vol.12, 1999,2002).