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.

歌舞伎図屏風
{歌舞伎図屏風 · 菱川師宣筆 · 江戸時代・17世紀 / Edo period, 17th century · Japan Search · 国立国会図書館}
Kabuki Scroll Screen This museum catalog introduces the Kabuki Scroll Screen. This screen, a traditional Japanese artwork, features scenes from the world of Kabuki - the classical Japanese dance-drama. Its intricate design showcases various aspects of Kabuki performances, from actors in elaborate costumes and makeup to the ornate stage settings and the lively interaction between performers and the audience. Each scene is depicted with great detail and artistry, capturing the essence of Kabuki's rich history and cultural significance. The scroll screen's intriguing composition invites the viewer to explore the captivating world of Kabuki, offering a glimpse into the past and preserving its legacy for future generations. · Lotus River, Calligrapher.

To the right is the entrance to the small theater "Nakamura-za" of Kabuki, with its vibrant stage for all the actors and the audience seats, and to the left is the music hall connected to the tea house. The dense description and composition of these elements evoke a sense of being there. It is a representative work of Kobayashi Kiyochika from his late period, with the likenesses of 285 various people skillfully depicted. (20041013_h07 or 20061031_h07)

右に芝居小屋「中村座」の入口と、役者総出の太平楽の華やかな舞台と観客席、左に楽屋とこれに繋がる茶屋が緻密な描写と構成によって、臨場感をもって表現されている。285人のさまざまな人々の姿が、活き活きと描き込まれた師宣最晩年の代表作である。 (20041013_h07 or 20061031_h07)

View the original at Japan Search →
The law
アイヌの人々の誇りが尊重される社会を実現するための施策の推進に関する法律
Act on Promoting Measures to Realise a Society in which the Pride of the Ainu People is Respected
平成三十一年法律第十六号 · Act No. 16 of 2019

Article 1 describes the Ainu as the indigenous people of the northern part of the Japanese archipelago and of Hokkaido in particular, and cites international circumstances concerning indigenous peoples as a reason for acting. It requires the government to set a basic policy, and lets municipalities draw up regional plans for approval by the Prime Minister.

The cool part. The definition in Article 2 is the part to sit with. Ainu culture means the Ainu language, and the ways of living, music, dance, crafts and other cultural products inherited among the Ainu, and cultural products developed from these. That final clause refuses to freeze the culture at a date, and treats what is made next as equally the thing being protected. The Act then reaches into trademark law, reducing or waiving registration fees for regional collective trademarks used by approved projects.

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