An irreplaceable legacy is now set to be safely passed down to future generations.
After about 12 years, restoration work has been completed for richly colored murals in the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus in Asuka, Nara Prefecture, which is believed to have been built sometime from the late seventh century to the early eighth century. The murals have been designated a national treasure.
Images including a group of women, called "Asuka beauties," which had become blackened by mold, and a white tiger, one of four deities whose outline had almost disappeared, have come back into view on the murals. It is disappointing that the restoration failed to fully recover the vividness that the murals had at the time of their discovery. However, it is a relief that the wall paintings are out of their critical situation for now.
The murals at the Takamatsuzuka tomb were discovered 48 years ago. It was described as "the greatest archaeological discovery" and created a boom in interest in ancient history. In 2004, however, the paintings were found to have deteriorated due to mold and other factors.
The Cultural Affairs Agency dismantled the stone chamber of the tumulus and removed the wall paintings together with stone walls, which had been inside the mound for 1,300 years. The murals were moved to a repair facility where grime was removed with a new technology that uses ultraviolet rays and enzymes. The plaster layer on the base was reinforced with glue and other agents.
It can be said that the skill and perseverance of people involved made it possible to complete this difficult project.
The murals are likely to be provisionally kept and made public at a new facility to be built for them.
There is a principle that historic remains should be preserved at the site. Therefore, concerning the Takamatsuzuka murals, the idea that these paintings should be kept together with the tomb mound and the stone chamber has been persistent.
However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that if the murals are placed back inside the tumulus, they could suffer mold and other biological damage again. Given that there are currently no effective measures to prevent such a situation, it is reasonable to store them at the facility.
Murals at the Kitora Tumulus, also found in Asuka, have been kept in a facility near the tumulus and are open to the public regularly. More than 500,000 people have visited the facility in just over three years since the facility opened.
When the Takamatsuzuka murals were under restoration, the repair facility was open to the public occasionally, drawing many visitors such as history fans. It is hoped that the new facility to preserve the murals will serve as a valuable place for people to come into contact with cultural heritage.
The Nara prefectural government and the Asuka municipal government are aiming to have the murals of these two ancient tombs and other neighboring historic sites registered as a World Heritage site. The central government is also urged to listen to the opinions of local residents and consider better ways to make the murals public.
It should not be forgotten that the deterioration of the Takamatsuzuka murals was caused by human errors due to the negligence of the Cultural Affairs Agency.
After the murals were discovered, their environment changed dramatically because of chemicals used for repair and the influx of numerous people, causing a large amount of mold.
The agency did not take sufficient measures even though people at the site were aware of mold growing and color fading from early on. When an accident that damaged the murals occurred during an inspection, the agency went so far as to hide it.
Lessons must be learned from these mistakes, which will go down in the history of cultural heritage preservation, and they must be used to handle presently unknown murals that could be discovered in the future.
-- The original Japanese article appeared in The Yomiuri Shimbun on April 4, 2020.
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