1The picture of the background is Mt. Miwayama The picture of the background is Mt. Miwayama

Near Infrared Digital Images of

Nara Women’s University Library

Historical Resources of the Nara Region

Asia-Pacific Advanced Network 20th APAN Meeting: Advanced Network Conference in Taipei

April 24th 2005

Katsuya Watari and Saori DonkaiKatsuya Watari and Saori Donkai

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Digital Archives of Nara Women’s University Library

Ikomayama Houzanji engi （生駒山宝山寺縁起）

Gangouji Gokurakubou engi emaki（元興寺極楽坊縁起絵巻）

Miwayama engi （三輪山縁起）

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What is the Chikou Mandala?

3. In the Gangouji Temple

( 元興寺） in Nara

4. Originally Created 1200 years ago

5. Drawn Gokuraku Joudo

　（極楽浄土） = Amida’s Pure Land

1. One of the Important Cultural Property in Japan

2. A historical heritage of folk beliefs in medieval times

Gangouji Temple

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Research in 1960’s on the Chikou Mandala

• Repaired with the purpose of preventing the abruption of the pigments and getting rid of the dirt.

• Photographed in wet condition.• X-ray photographs• Fluorescent X-ray analysis of • the pigments

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Basis of the Chikou Mandala

195cm

217cm

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Basecoat of the Chikou Mandala

Cypress board

Iron nail

Linen clothJapanese lacquer

Polishing powder

Yellow ocher

Black Japanese lacquer

Green

VermillionSumi inkGold paint

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Pigments and the chemical nameColor Pigments Chemical name

Yellow

Lead oxide PbO

Yellow arsenic As2S3

Yellow ocher Fe2O3・ nH2O

RedMinium Pb3O4

Vermillion HgS

Green Aerugo CuCO3・Cu(OH)2

Blue Mountain blue 2CuCO3・Cu(OH)2

WhiteLead white 2PbCO3・

Pb(OH)2White Cley

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Infrared wavelength region

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Near-infrared absorption spectrum

• By the overtone or combination tone of stretching and bending vibrations of interatomic bond in infrared range.

• Absorption intensity is lower.

↓

Suit for nondestructive inspection

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Image formation by near-infrared reflection and absorption

restore an image

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Digital Still Cameras

• Store images digitally• CCD（ Charge-coupled device） → Sensitive to near-infrared light• LCD screen

→ Preview the resulting image in

real-time

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HORIUCHI COLOR LTD.

• A Professional Photo-processing laboratory in Japan

• Launched a division specializing in digital archiving in 1999

http://www.horiuchi-color.co.jp/

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iPallet / Lime

• Image Viewing Software• Compared and synchronized viewing between

two huge images.• Developed as a web plug-in version of iPallet

nexus.• Jointly developed by the University of Tokyo,

Horiuchi Color and iPallet

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Demonstration

• Portal of the digital archives• Chikou Mandala• Normal• Near-infrared• Comparing two images• Glass view

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Benefit from the near-infrared images

To identify the term of the creation

Almond eye

Arched eyebrow

Ample cheek

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Digital Archives of the Nara Women’s University

1. Visualization by near-infrared light

2. Preservation of cultural properties

3. High-quality presentation

4. Advancement of the accessibility

5. Coordination with the local community

6. Supporting research

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http://mahoroba.lib.nara-wu.ac.jp/

Uniform Resource Locator

Image Database of Historical ResourcesImage Database of Historical Resourcesofof

the Nara Regionthe Nara Region

Nara Women’s University LibraryNara Women’s University Library

http://lib.nara-wu.ac.jp/Nara Women’s University Library

Image Database of Historical Resources of the Nara Region