Researching and Conserving Artifacts of Early Japanese Christianity
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Image to Trample On (Fumi-e): Christ (Pietà), Previously owned by the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office, Edo period, 17th century (Important Cultural Property)
Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 14
March 25, 2025 (Tue) - May 18, 2025 (Sun)The present exhibition features artifacts related to Christianity in Japan from the early modern period. The religion was introduced to Japan in the mid-1500s by European missionaries, but it was outlawed at the beginning of the Edo period (1603–1868). On display are objects from the 1500s onwards, mainly those that had been stored at the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office in southern Japan. These include items that were confiscated from Christians all around Nagasaki, as well as images known as fumi-e, which were used by the Edo-period government to identify Christians for persecution.
Additionally, this exhibition also introduces the research and conservation efforts that have been carried out on these artifacts in recent years. Along with scientific analyses of fumi-e, we have also improved upon the conservation measures and storage environments for rosaries and labels that display the names of the objects’ previous owners. By considering these religious objects of the time, we hope that you can also understand how we have approached the conservation of these artifacts.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Image to Trample On ("Fumi-e"): Christ (Pietà) | Previously owned by the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office | Edo period, 17th century | C-1013 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Madonna of the Thumb | Italy, Previously owned by the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office | 17th century | C-698 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | The Bodhisattva Kannon as the Virgin Mary | Dehua ware, China, Previously owned by the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office (stored in 1856) | Ming–Qing dynasty, 17th century | C-600 | ||
| Highlight | Important Cultural Property | Rosary | Europe, Previously owned by the Nagasaki Magistrate's Office (stored in Urakami) | 19th century | C-756 |