Origine and Rebirth of "Kirikane(cut gold leaf decoretion)"before Christ:A study on Gold-sandowich

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25580031
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Fine art history
• Research Institution: Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
• Principal Investigator: NAMIKI hidetoshi 東京藝術大学, 学内共同利用施設等, 研究員 (00535461)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): SAKODA takeomi 倉敷科学芸術大学, 美術工芸学科, 技術指導員 (90645186)
• Research Collaborator: HUJII yasuko
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 東洋美術史 / 文化財保存 / 伝統技法 / 文化外交

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Starting from the Japanese traditional cut gold leaf technique the “Kirikane” whose origin is unknown and nowadays remains only in Japan, I have researched the world artifacts with this technique to investigate its origin and made a database on them, along with presenting the Kirikane itself to the countries who had already “lost” it or who did not know it.
My research reveals that, the most ancient examples of the Kirikane can be confirmed on the 22 Hellenistic gold-sandwich-glass. I have observed with my own eyes at least eight of them which are now scattered all over the world. As a Kirikane master myself, I could have divided their cut gold leaf applying technique into several groups; overlapping, outlining and bending. Furthermore I found that some of them show also the combination with painting technique. As for the publication of my results, I have presented it both in Japan and in Europa and I keep using the Japanese term the Kirikane and try to awake their interest on it.

Free Research Field

人文学