Picture scrolls

[katriona_s]

At the end of 19th century, there were many - about 2,500 or so - Westerners in Japan as the advisors about Western knowledge or technology, hired by Japanese government. Some of them had collected Japanese craftworks or works of art during their stay and brought them to their home country. One of those foreigners, a certain German doctor had purchaced many traditional craft products and pictures in Japan, after he returned to Europe he donated them to the local museum in his hometown later in his life. But in Germany there were not many scholars or specialists who can understand Japanese art thus those traditional artistic works had been just stored in the museun storage for more than 100 years. Then, on 2000's, one Japanese scholar who happened to be studying in German univercity found those cultural treasures, especially a series of picture scrolls attracted his attention. Unfortunately he did not have enough time to study them so he told his successor, who was the specialist about Japanese art in Edo period, that she should check that picture scrolls. Thus, about 6 years ago this woman scholar opened that old picture rolls maybe for the first time during these 100 years, and found it was a quite precious Emakimono, the illustrated handscrolls created in Edo period, telling the legend about the ancestor of famous Samurai and ogres. She studied the handscrolls, cooperated with other scholars and museums, wrote the thesis on it etc. And this year, that picture scrolls returned to Japan for the exhibition in some art museum in Tokyo, for the first time since when the German doctor had brought them to Europe.

That scholar who studied the handscrolls, is my cousin. I imagine how she would have been excited when she opened it in the museum storage in Germany! Must be the wonderful moment for a scholar.

Today after work I’m going to the art museum to see that picture scrolls. Might be very impressive!

I added the photos of the scrolls my cousin had found in Germany. In the museum, taking the photos of the exhibit was prohibited so I took photos of the exhibition catalog.

Comments

[vilakins]

How wonderful! I hope the scrolls stay in Japan. Did your cousin tell you about it?

[katriona_s]

No, I don’t think the scrolls would stay in Japan. They are the possession of the German museum. There are 6 scrolls but just 2 are now coming here. Maybe some day all 6 would come back…

[vera_j]

Thia is awesome! I salute to your cousin and I am sure her work means a great scientific asset to Japanese culture and art! The whole story of forgotten scrolls is fantastic. Thank you for sharing this!

[katriona_s]

My pleasure!
Frankly, I have not known about my cousin’s job well until recently. I and she have kept the good relationship but not very close, for we have not had much opportunity to meet for years. But recently, as we all got older, we try to gather sometimes. So I expect I would be able to ask about her job more in near future.