Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 16
July 28, 2009 (Tue) - August 16, 2009 (Sun)
This exhibition is part of a series which introduces the history of cultural properties and their preservation. The series explores the nature of photography since its arrival in Japan at the end of the Edo period as a means of both documentation and artistic expression, with emphasis on its role in the preservation of cultural properties. An early example of this is the use of photography in the treasure surveys of the Meiji period, conducted by the Japanese government in an effort to locate and document objects of significant cultural value held within Japan.
This exhibition showcases photographs taken by Ogawa Kazumasa, a pioneer in the history of photography in Japan, for the Kinki Region (Western Japan) Survey of Treasures. This survey was conducted between 1884 and 1888 and predates the important nationwide survey known as the Temporary National Survey of Treasures.
Ogawa produced his photographs using cutting-edge technologies at the time, which included dry plate negatives, magnesium-powder flash and platinotype prints. While his photographs serve a purpose as practical records of cultural properties, they can also be seen as works of art. Ogawa's photographs are particularly remarkable for how well they have retained their color over the 120 years since they were produced.
Major works in this exhibition
