After two years of intensive work, the restoration is now in its final phase. Remounting the screen is the stage in which all carefully prepared materials come together.
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This blog documents the restoration of “View of Deshima in Nagasaki Bay" by Kawahara Keiga
Curator East Asia Daan Kok and Research Associate RCMC/Japan Davey Verhoeven regularly share their updates of the restoration process and ongoing research.
Blogpost 011: New materials, final stages of restoration, and a web app!
Blogpost 010: Major steps in restoring the silk and the blue components
During the past half year, enormous progress has been made on the restoration of the Keiga folding screen. Both in Leiden and in Kyoto, many hours have been dedicated to filling in the missing sections of silk and on preparing the new screen.
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During the past half year, enormous progress has been made on the restoration of the Keiga folding screen
Blogpost 009: Restoration update april 2020 (2/2)
The steps elaborated on in blog post 008 related mainly to dismantling and removing of materials. In this blog post 009, part 2 of 2, it is all about repairing, filling in, building up.
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Blogpost 008: Restoration update april 2020 (1/2)
In this blog post, we hear from Sydney Thomson and Andrew Thompson of Conservation Studio Restorient in Leiden, about the progress they are making.
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Blog post 007: The journey of the Dutch trading ship Marij & Hillegonda to Nagasaki in 1836
Looking at various ships in Kawahara Keiga’s folding screen, one ship in particular draws the attention. It is the Dutch trading ship Marij & Hillegonda, at anchor in the bay.
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Blogpost 006: The Chinese compound, Tôjin yashiki
Due to the prominent depiction of Deshima and the Dutch flags on the folding screen, it is easy to overlook the Chinese presence in Nagasaki.
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Blogpost 005: Deshima, the Dutch trading post in Nagasaki
An important location that is depicted on Keiga’s folding screen is Deshima: the artificial, fan-shaped island and location of the Dutch trading post.
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An important location that is depicted on Keiga’s folding screen is Deshima: the artificial, fan-shaped island and location of the Dutch trading post.
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Blog post 004: The unique position of Nagasaki as international port city
Looking at the Keiga folding screen, it soon becomes clear that Nagasaki is a proper port city.
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Blog post 003: Restoration and research - the first results
The research part of the restoration of the folding screen by Keiga has finally started and the first results of the research are in.
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The restoration of the folding screen by Keiga has finally started and the first results of the research are in.
Link
Blog post 002: Kawahara Keiga: Documenting Japan’s nature and culture
For a better understanding of the folding screen’s origins, it helps to know a bit about its painter, Kawahara Keiga (1786-c.1860).
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Blog post 001: Keiga folding screen - behind the scenes
Welcome to this blog where we will be posting all the latest updates on the restoration of the folding screen by Kawahara Keiga over the coming months.
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More information on the folding screen
This unique and previously unknown folding screen was acquired by the museum in 2018. Curators discovered the historically important screen in a private collection. There is no other folding screen known within the oeuvre of the Japanese artist Kawahara Keiga. It is a key piece that ties the entire existing Japan collection together.
The Dutch in Japan
Since 1639, the Dutch were the only Westerners who had permission to trade in Japan. They were required to stay on the tiny island of Deshima in Nagasaki bay. Over two centuries later, in 1854, Japan was opened to trade with other Western countries.
Photographer without a camera
Because of the great detail in his work, Keiga is also known as the ‘photographer without a camera’. He had the exceptional privilege of freely accessing Deshima, which enabled him to visually record the Japanese-Dutch relations. It also gave him the opportunity to learn European painting techniques such as linear perspective, which he masterfully applied in this screen.
This acquisition was made possible with generous support from:
Vereniging Rembrandt, Mondriaan Fund, VSB Fund, the BankGiro Loterij, and the Association of Friends of Wereldmuseum Leiden.
The restauration is funded by the TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund.
