YABUUCHI Satoshi
Professor
Conservation Division (Sculpture),
Graduate School of Fine Arts,
Tokyo University of the Arts

DVD Screening

(Introduction)

Good morning ,everybody. My name is YABUUCHI Satoshi.
How was the DVD? I hope you found it interesting.

The title of my speech is, 'An Introduction of the Use of 3D Digital Data of Sculpture Cultural Properties in Education and Research -An Example of its Use in Cultural Property Preservation at Tokyo University of the Arts'.

As a result of the invention and development of photography approximately 160 years ago, the collection and application of two-dimensional data of paintings, etc. underwent great advances during the 20^th century, whereas in the field of three-dimensional forms, the situation remained little changed from the nineteenth century. However, recent advances in digital data processing and measuring devices made it possible to collect and store three-dimensional data for use in a wide range of fields and it can now be said to equal two-dimensional data. In this talk, I would like to report on the way in which three-dimensional data of sculpture cultural properties is utilized in teaching and researching the preservation of cultural properties in the Conservation Division of the Graduate School of the Tokyo University of the Arts.

First there is MRI or 'Magnetic Resonance Imaging'.

MRI utilizes magnetic fields to make measurements and was developed primarily for medical purposes.

Its main advantage is that it makes it possible to rapidly display the internal structure of 3-dimensional objects on a monitor.'

CT Scanning utilizes X-rays to make measurements and developed rapidly in the medical field.

Its main advantage is that it makes it possible to quickly display the internal structure of a 3-dimensional object on a monitor.

Laser scanning projects a laser beam onto the object to be scanned and measures the quantity of reflected light. It was originally developed for use on construction work, to measure large 3-dimensional objects.

Its advantages are that the equipment is relatively cheap, extremely compact and portable, allowing it to be used at any location.This is particularly important in the case of Buddhist statues as they can be measured on-site without being moved. As it is capable of measuring buildings, it can even be used to measure the Great Buddha in Todaiji Temple in Nara, which is approximately 15 meters tall. Another great advantage is that being completely safe and easy to use, no special qualifications are necessary to operate the equipment.

Its disadvantages are that its use is limited to the exterior of the object and cannot be used it to obtain data of its interior.Also, the equipment available today requires a lot of time to process the data.

In our laboratory we use laser scanning equipment as our main object is to obtain data on the external shape of statues and also because it can be used without moving the subject to be scanned. Over the last five years, we have succeeded in collecting 3D data on over 70 Buddhist statues, including some that are designated national treasures or national important cultural properties, focusing on those in the 'Jocho-style', dating from the 11^th century, or the early 'Keiha-style' of the 12^th century. The data we have collected on these is unequalled in both quality and quantity.

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I would now like to talk in greater detail about the way in which the 3D data is utilized for educational research purposes in our laboratory.

First I would like to introduce some reproduction works created by the students.

1) A Reproduction of a Standing Figure of Amida Nyorai (Amitaayus) Belonging to Todaiji Temple by YOSHIMIZU Kaimon

This reproduction was made by YOSHIMIZU Kaimon who is studying the work of the great 12^th century Buddhist sculptor, Kaikei, for his doctorate. The picture shows the wooden sculpture that he completed during his master's course, but which has yet to be colored and have gold lacquer applied. Kaikei perfected an extremely characteristic style for standing figures of Amida Nyorai, that was copied faithfully by his students working in his studio and passed down to successive generations, making it extremely difficult to determine the identity of the sculptor of any particular work. If the work is unsigned, then the only way to determine whether statues of a similar form were the work of Kaikei or his students is to compare subtle differences in style and to this end, 3D data provides an extremely effective tool. The folds in the figure’s robes, the silhouette of the head, the shape of the ears or fingers are areas where the individual artist’s characteristics are revealed and as we enlarge our stock of basic information, it will become increasingly simple to differentiate between work of Kaikei and his students through the comparison of cross-sections of their statues.

2) A Reproduction of a Standing Figure of Tenno（One of Four Heavenly Kings） belonging to the Tokyo National Museum by SUZUKI Atsushi

The head and body of this statue of the standing figure of Tenno have been carved from a single, large block of wood. When reproducing a statue of this type, if it is impossible to work in front of the original, then the work has to be done from a photograph, which is extremely difficult. However, in this case, SUZUKI referred to 3D data on a monitor, allowing him to work smoothly and confidently without coming to grief. He is currently working on a larger reproduction of Tenno belonging to Rokuhara-Mitsuji Temple in Kyoto for his doctorate.

3) A Reproduction of a Standing figure of Ryutoki belonging to Kofukuji Temple by MASUDA Yoshiki

Application in Restoration

Regarding application of 3D digital data in the restoration field, I would like to introduce the example of a statue of Aizen-myo-oh (Raga-Raja) in seated position that belongs to Shoenji Temple in Kamakura Pref.

Over long periods of time, wooden statues may suffer from rot, insect or other forms of damage, resulting in many of them having missing parts. When undertaking a restoration, the main object is to preserve the original parts, preventing further deterioration while adding new wood to the damaged areas. In carrying this out, complicated shapes have to be carved to fill in the missing sections and this can be achieved extremely effectively utilizing the 3D data to produce parts with NC milling machines It is expected that this method will also be effective when seating a statue with a rotten base to its pedestal.

Utilization in the Display of Cultural Objects

There are various other roles in which 3D data can be utilized. One of these is in museum displays. Traditional panel displays are not effective in explaining 3-dimensional objects, but using 3D data, monitors can be used to revolve or present cross-sections of an object with ease. Furthermore, it can be used to display accurate, but easily comprehensible, explanations of the complicated structure of statues made using the yosegi-zukuri or joined-block construction method.

Another application is the production of scale models of large statues. A good example of this can be seen in the statue of Shaka-Nyorai belonging to Shokakuin Temple in Chiba Pref. The original statue is almost 2 meters tall, but a smaller copy was produced for display in a museum using an NC milling machine then applying the coloring and fine kirikane or cut-gold leaf decoration by hand, using traditional techniques.

In this way, in addition to the education and research fields, 3D data also has great potential to provide supplementary material for displays, explanatory material for educational uses, etc., and I believe that its field of application will continue to expand in the future.

This talk demonstrates that although not directly connected with graphic science, 3D digital data can play an important role in the preservation of cultural properties and the education of people connected with this field.