Reseach and Collecting of Research Materials of the Four Stationary Treasures and other Objects Owned by Chinese Literati

1986 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 60450007
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Fine art history
• Research Institution: Tokyo National Museum
• Principal Investigator: NISHIOKA Yasuhiro Chinese Art Section, Department of Eastern Antiquities Curdtorial Board, Tokyo National Museum, Associate Curator, その他, 研究員 (40000351)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KUROKAWA Shuichi Art Section, Department of Eastern Antiquities Curdtorial Board, Tokyo National, 学芸部・東洋課・中国美術室, 中国美術室研究員 (30170103) ; SAOTOME Masahiro Chinese Archaeological Section, Department of Eastern Antiquities Curdtorial Boa, 学芸部・東洋課・中国考古室, 中国考古室研究員 (80150035) ; MINATO Nobuyuki Chinese Art Section, Department of Eastern Antiquities Curdtorial Board, Tokyo N, 学芸部・東洋課・中国美術室, 主任研究官 (80113421) ; TAKAHAMA Shu Chinese Archaeological Section, Department of Eastern Antiquities Curdtorial Boa, 学芸部・東洋課中国考古室, 主任研究官 (60000353)
• Project Period (FY): 1985 – 1986
• Keywords: Stationary / Literati / 中国

Research Abstract

In 1985 and 1986 we researched the collections of Kurokawa Kobunka Kenkyujo and Osaka Municipal Art Museum as well as Nagasaki Municipal Art Museum pieces and private collections in Kyoto, Nagasaki and Tokyo. Kurokawa and Osaka Museum hold the most important collections. Kurokawa collection includes 450 items of not only the Four Stationery treasures (brush, ink cake, ink stone and paper) but also almost everything associated with stationery. Such a large collection of Chinese stationery is rare in the world, so that it may well be the principal collection for the research of this field. We believe our basic research of this collection is significant for the future study of Chinese stationery. Osaka Museum collection includes a large number of examples of rhinoceros horn cup, which is rare in Japan. Dating from Qing Dynasty and being of many different styles, they are important specimens for the study of Qing Dynasty rhinoceros horn cups. The aim of the present project is to research examples of the Four Stationery Treasures and other stationery items, collect data on them and shed light upon the relationship between the artistic activities of Chinese literati and stationery. During the last two years we researched examples in museum and private collections and acquired 2200 black and white photographic prints, 2200 color slides as well as related documents.