Huang Goodman · Art Forgotten

Art Forgotten

Art from public museum collections. A mismatched real Japanese law, and some other factoids.

Every object, image and description comes from the museum's own catalogue record, and every object links to its original. Japanese records are machine-translated into English; the museum's Japanese is kept beside the translation because it is the authoritative form. Each law carries its official number and links to e-Gov 法令検索, the Japanese government's statute database.

[関東大震災救援活動 絵巻 地震発生/着物・布団製作/ミルク配給 1924年頃 6回生制作 ]
{[関東大震災救援活動 絵巻 地震発生/着物・布団製作/ミルク配給 1924年頃 6回生制作 ] · Maker unrecorded · 1924年頃ヵ · Japan Search · 国立国会図書館}
Relief Activities during the Great Kanto Earthquake, Scroll of Pictures, Earthquake Occurrence/Production of Clothing and Quilts/Milk Distribution, Around 1924, Sixth Edition.

After the Great Kantō Earthquake on September 1, 1923, the Jiyūgakuen (Free School) undertook relief activities. This is recorded in a diary-style text and illustrations. It was written by a student named "Sixth-year Student" (at that time in the third year of college). The handwriting is clear, with the paper and pen impression remaining.

1923年9月1日関東大震災発生後の、自由学園が行った救援活動の様子を日記風の文章と絵でまとめたもの。「6回生(当時本科3年)が書かれたもの。」との筆字で説明あり(台紙付き、画鋲跡あり)。

View the original at Japan Search →
The law
銃砲刀剣類所持等取締法
Firearms and Swords Control Act
昭和三十三年法律第六号 · Act No. 6 of 1958

A weapons statute that contains the most important art registry in the country. Article 2 defines a sword by measurement: a blade of fifteen centimetres or more for a sword, spear or naginata, five and a half for a dagger. Article 14 then carves out an exception. The prefectural board of education registers old firearms of value as art or antiques, and swords of value as art, on the basis of an appraisal by registration examiners appointed for their scholarly knowledge.

The cool part. A Japanese sword is lawful to own because it has been certified as art. Not because it was disarmed, not because it was licensed as a weapon. The judgement is made by the board of education, and Article 14 then requires the board to notify the prefectural public safety commission of what it has decided. The culture side rules, and the police are informed afterwards. Fail the appraisal and the same object becomes contraband.

Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →

Use it A motif small enough to blind-deboss, which is where restraint actually shows.

Description source: museum curator text, translated — not generated