Jump to content

Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection

  • Image of "Thirty-three manifestations of Avalokitesvara (detail), Muromachi period, 15th century"

    Thirty-three manifestations of Avalokitesvara (detail), Muromachi period, 15th century

    Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Thematic Exhibition Room
    March 4, 2014 (Tue) - March 30, 2014 (Sun)

    The museum's mission is to maximize public access to cultural properties while preserving them for future generations. To achieve this, we constantly strive to improve exhibition and storage areas as well as methods of transporting and handling cultural properties, actively seek to ensure the longevity of objects through both conservation and restoration projects, and study to reveal the problems posed by materials or technology used in original works. Every day the museum seeks to balance the contradictory goals of display and preservation, which are necessary for passing culture on to the next generation.

    This is the 14th in a series of annual exhibitions, which began in the 2000 fiscal year, introducing conservation and restoration work conducted on objects in the Tokyo National Museum collection. This year's exhibition showcases 25 objects restored in the period from the 2002 fiscal year to the 2012 fiscal year, chosen from various genres as examples for the unique formats or specialized techniques used in their restoration. Genres selected this time include painting, calligraphy, sculpture, decorative arts, archaeological artifacts and historical materials.

    The objects and photo panels in this exhibition offer insight into the wide variety of conservation and restoration techniques used behind the scenes at the museum.

Major works in this exhibition
* Works listed below are in the TNM Collection unless otherwise indicated.
Buddhist Verse, By Beijian Jujian, Southern Song dynasty, dated 1229 (Important Cultural Property)
Thirty-three manifestations of Avalokitesvara, Muromachi period, 15th century
Ban (Buddhist Ritual Banner) "Banner Leg", With arrowhead pattern on yellowish green ground, Asuka - Nara period, 7th - 8th century
Cloth, With alternating checkered pattern in assorted colors, Nara period, 8th century
Tachi Sword By Masatsune, Kamakura period, 13th century (Important Cultural Property, Gift of Mr. Koide Fusatada)
Vase with Phoenix Handles, Celadon glaze, Longquan ware, Southern Song-Yuan dynasty, 13th century (Gift of Mr. Matsunaga Yasuzaemon)

Related Events

Japanese Archaeology and Special Exhibition (Heiseikan) Thematic Exhibition Room  March 4, 2014 (Tue)   14:00 - 14:30   RESERVE_DAY
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) TNM & TOPPAN Museum Theater  March 11, 2014 (Tue)   14:00 - 14:30   RESERVE_DAY
Asian Gallery (Toyokan) TNM & TOPPAN Museum Theater  March 25, 2014 (Tue)   14:00 - 14:30   RESERVE_DAY
March 13, 2014 (Thu)   14:00 - 16:10   RESERVE_FINISH
March 14, 2014 (Fri)   14:00 - 16:10   RESERVE_FINISH

Pamphlet

Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection

Conservation and Restoration of the Tokyo National Museum Collection
(In Japanese)

The pamphlet is distributed in Thematic Exhibition Room, Heiseikan during the thematic exhibition periods

PDFPDF, 2.30MB)