The Art of Revealing History

The early 12th century set of illuminated handscrolls known as Kasuga gongen genki e, as a Japanese national treasure, has been widely discussed by researchers from art history and other fields since the beginning of the 20th century. However, little is known about its re-creations, even though making re-creations has been a common and important practice in Japanese art since the beginning. By comparing the authoritative Kasuga gongen genki e with its five complete re-creations in different aspects such as painting, calligraphy and patronage, this book demonstrates that each re-creation is an individual piece of art with its own aesthetic, social and historical meanings and values.

Ya Decoopman is art historian, entrepreneur, conference interpreter, writer and Ikebana teacher. Her research interests include re-creations of artworks in Japan, flower arrangement in East Asia, conservation and restoration of ceramic objects, and the symbolic representation of the Chinese language.