HP and the Kyoto International Culture Foundation have announced a programme to preserve a critical element of Japan’s heritage through the digital replication of fine art from 3,500 temples and shrines, beginning with artwork created between the 13th and 17th centuries.
The original paintings have been deteriorating due to the effects of time, climate and air pollution and were in danger of being lost forever.
The foundation chose HP for the Kyoto Digital Archive Project, initiated in 2000, because of the company’s ability to provide a complete fine art replication solution, including very high-quality large-format printers and powerful IT resources for long-term, secure storage.
The first digitally created prints were unveiled at special preview events in New York and during the annual ARTExpo trade show in New York’s Jacob K. Javits Centre last month.
“HP is honoured to be working on such a historically significant programme with the Kyoto International Culture Foundation,” said HP Imaging and Printing Group executive vice-president Vyomesh Joshi. “The technology we have developed enables us to produce reproductions with a depth of detail and colour that makes them almost indistinguishable from the originals.”
The new digital reproductions will be displayed in place of the originals at the Kyoto shrines while the original artwork will be moved to a more secure and controlled environment for preservation.
Three of the Kyoto images – rarely seen outside Japan – will be displayed at the New York events:
The Five Great Guardian Gods of Buddhism from the Daigo-ji Temple, classified as a national treasure in Japan;
Tigers, including Tiger Drinking Water, by Tanyu Kano from the Nanzenji Temple, an important cultural property in Japan; and
Landscape of Katata by Tosa Mitsunobu from the Zuihouin House, Daitokuji Temple.
These are the first reproductions to be produced as part of a multi-year programme that will demonstrate how HP technology is aiding in the preservation of the world’s art masterpieces.
By collaborating with HP, the Kyoto International Culture Foundation can use the fine art reproductions to share their rich cultural heritage with the approximately 40 million visitors who travel to this UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site every year. A major centre of Japanese culture, Kyoto is home to a third of the country’s national treasures.
The complex process of replicating and storing intricate artwork leverages HP’s unique capacity to provide a complete solution featuring PCs, servers, storage devices, printers, colour management technologies and managed services.
Among the many HP products used for the project are the HP xw4300 Workstation, the HP Compaq nx7200 Notebook, the HP mp2210 Digital Projector, the HP Officejet 6210 All-in-One printer, the ProCurve Networking by HP Switch 2724, the HP ProLiant ML100 server and – most importantly – the HP Designjet 5500 UV 60-inch large-format printer with HP 83 UV ink supplies.
To maintain the look and feel of the original artwork, the printing process features Japanese washi paper. A Japanese artist using traditional techniques completes the replication process with an application of gold leaf. The end result is a fine art replica that withstands the wear and tear of urban pollution, weather and a host of other causes of deterioration, while allowing the safe preservation of the originals.
“We are committed to the protection of the precious historical and cultural heritage of Kyoto through the digital archive programme,” said Kyoto International Culture Foundation president Tatsushi Kani. “After working with HP and experiencing firsthand their dedication to our vision, we knew we had found the right partner with which we could not only entrust our country’s ancient fine art, but also share it with the world.”