Abstract
This paper outlines events from the discovery of the wall paintings of the Takamatsuzuka and Kitora tumuli to their current conservation and management. It also describes the prospects for their conservation and utilization in the future. The brilliantly colored wall paintings of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus were discovered in 1972. The discovery spurred a booming interest in ancient history and archaeology that continues to this day. During the process of conservation and management that followed the discovery, the wall paintings were found to be damaged. Therefore, the stone chamber was disassembled to allow for fundamental conservation work to be carried out and the wall paintings are now being preserved in a conservation facility. The Kitora Tumulus entered the spotlight in 1983 when wall paintings were discovered during an investigation of the stone chamber using fiberscopes. The wall paintings were removed from the stone chamber and, after 12 years of conservation work, they were put on display in 2016. The paper also describes the state of damage to decorated tumuli caused by large-scale disasters such as the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the Kumamoto earthquakes of 2018.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization: Convention concerning the protection of the world cultural and Natural Heritage World Heritage Committee, Forty-third session, Paris, pp. 249–251, 23 July 2019
Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture (ed.): Hekiga-kofun: Takamatsuzuka Hekiga-kofun Chuukan Houkokusho (Tumuli with Murals: The interim report on Takamatsuzuka Tumulus, a Tumulus with Murals) (1972) (in Japanese)
Takamatsuzuka Tumulus Murals Academic Research Committee (ed.): Takamatsuzuka-kofun Hekiga (Takamatsuzuka Tumulus Murals) (1973) (in Japanese)
The Agency for Cultural Affairs (ed.): Kokuhou Takamatsuzuka-kofun Hekiga –Hozon to Shuuri—(The murals of the national treasure Takamatsuzuka Tumulus—preservation and restoration—) Dai-ichi Hoki Co., Ltd., p. 43 (1987) (in Japanese)
The Agency for Cultural Affairs Website: Investigative commission for lasting measures to protect the Murals of the National Treasure Takamatsuzuka Tumulus. http://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kondankaito/takamatsu_kitora/takamatsukento/index.html. Accessed 10 Dec 2019
The Agency for Cultural Affairs (ed.): Tokubetsu-shiseki Takamatsuzuka-kofun Hakkutsuchousa Houkoku: Takamatsuzuka-kofun Sekishitsu Kaitai-jigyou ni Tomonau Hakkutsuchousa (Report on the excavations of the special historic site Takamatsuzuka Tumulus: excavations at the occasion of the disassembly of the stone chamber of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus). Douseisha Publishing Co., Ltd. (September 2017) (in Japanese)
Hayakawa, Y., Sano, C., Miura, S.: Handi-keikou Ekkususen-bunsekisouchi ni yoru Takamatsuzuka-kofun Hekiga no Ganryo-chousa (Analysis of the pigments used in the murals of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus by a Handheld x-ray fluorescence spectrometer). Hozonkagaku (Science for Conservation) 43, 63–77 (2004) (in Japanese)
Sano, C., Hayakawa, Y., Miura, S.: Kokuhou Takamatsuzuka-kofun Hekiga no Zairyo no Hensen (Review of the scientific analysis on the painting materials of Takamatsuzuka Tumulus. Hozonkagaku (Sci. Conserv.) 48, 119–131 (2009) (in Japanese)
Hayakawa, Y., Kozuma, Y.: Bunkazai-bunseki: Bunseki-kagaku Jitsugi-shiriizu Ouyou-bunsekihen 7 (Cultural Property Analysis: Analytical Chemistry Practical Series Application Analysis 7), pp. 48–58 (2018) (in Japanese)
The Agency for Cultural Affairs Website: Investigative commission for the protection and utilization of tumulus murals. http://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/bunkashingikai/kondankaito/takamatsu_kitora/hekigahozon_kentokai/01/index.html. Accessed 10 Dec 2019
Academic Research Group for Kitora Tumulus (ed.): Kitora-kofun Gakujutsu Chousa Houkokusho (Report on the academic study of Kitora Tumulus). Asukamura Board of Education (1999) (in Japanese)
Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (ed.): Tokubetsu-shiseki Kitora-kofun Hakkutsu-chousa Houkokusho (Report on the excavations of the special historic site Kitora Tumulus). The Agency for Cultural Affairs, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Archaeological Institute of Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, and Asukamura Board of Education (2008) (in Japanese)
Hayakawa, N.: Kitora-kofun Hekiga no Hozon Shuuri Houkoku (Report on the protection and restoration of the murals of Kitora Tumulus). Gekkan Bunkazai (Cult. Prop. Mon.) 649, 7–10, Dai-ichi Hoki Co., Ltd. (2017) (in Japanese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2021 Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Udagawa, S. (2021). The Protection and Utilization of Wall Paintings of Ancient Tumuli in Japan. In: Aoki, S., et al. Conservation and Painting Techniques of Wall Paintings on the Ancient Silk Road. Cultural Heritage Science. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4161-6_17
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-33-4161-6_17
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Singapore
Print ISBN: 978-981-33-4160-9
Online ISBN: 978-981-33-4161-6
eBook Packages: Chemistry and Materials ScienceChemistry and Material Science (R0)