63-SL-2006_Turin, Museum of Oriental Art, Kongo Rikishi, inv. Js/7.D

Facilitated description:

 

The Kongo Rikishi (1185-1333 AD) is a Japanese wooden painted statue and represents the guardian of the Buddhist temple. Kongo Rikishi was placed at the entrance of Buddhist monasteries.

The Kongo Rikishi is kept at the Museum of Oriental Art in Turin.

The La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Centre restored the Kongo Rikishi in 2006.

Scientists from the La Venaria Reale Conservation and Restoration Center have done numerous analyses to study the internal structure of the work and understand how the pieces were assembled.

The restorers cleaned the sculpture of dust.

They eliminated grouting (plaster and glue added to cover wood shortages) unsuitable.
They kept the non-original colors red and green as evidence of interventions made on the statue in later times.

During the restoration they found an opening on the chest, created in later times and used as an opening to insert the offers. In fact, thanks to scientific analysis they saw that inside the small opening there were some coins.

 

 

 

 

Abstract of the intervention:

 

The wooden sculpture Kongo Rikishi represents the guardian of the temple and Buddhist doctrine, placed to protect the entrance of the monasteries. The statue was purchased by the Compagnia di San Paolo on the American market. The restoration, funded by the Fondazione per l'Arte della Compagnia di San Paolo, was aimed at the exhibition of the work at the Museum of Oriental Art (MAO) in Turin, opened to the public in 2008. The work is in permanent storage at the MAO.

 

Restoration

The restoration was accompanied by a comprehensive diagnostic plan that included, for the first time at the JRC, a computed tomography, carried out thanks to the apparatus developed in collaboration with the scientific laboratories of the physics department of the University of Turin and the National Institute of Nuclear Physics. Among the main results of the analysis, the CT scan made it possible to know the internal composition and the construction technique of the work, while the X-ray made evident the previous restoration interventions (nails, metal staples and screws used to heal the cracks in the wood). The results of the analysis were illustrated in a series of scientific articles and in the graphic return of a 3D model of the wooden sculpture, made available for the multimedia apparatus of the museum. 
The restoration mainly concerned the surface cleaning and the treatment of unsuitable grouting dating back to previous interventions, replaced with wooden threads. In addition, in agreement with the Superintendence and with the managers of the museum, it was decided to keep the red and green colors even if not original as evidence of previous interventions. 
Finally, the opening on the sternum was dammed, dating back to a later adaptation of the work. Inside, the endoscopic investigation revealed the presence of fragments of a bag for the collection of offerings and prayers not attributable to the devotional customs of the period of construction of the statue. This was confirmed by the discovery of U.S. dollars in 1955. 

 

Bibliography 

- P. Brambilla Barcilon, Execution technique, state of conservation, previous restorations, restoration work, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 14-27;
- M. Ravera, Analysis of the structure, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 28-30;
- N. Macchioni, Woody species identification data sheet, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 31-32;
- M. Nervo, T. Poli, Scientific analysis, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 33-37;
- F. Casali, M. P. Morigi, M. Bettuzzi, A. Berdondini, R. Brancaccio, V. D'Errico, Computed tomography, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 38-43;
E. Biondi, A. Bovero, Multimedia model for data integration, in "Restoring the East. Japanese wooden sculptures for the MAO in Turin", edited by P. Brambilla Barcilon, E. Mello, Firenze, Nardini, 2008, pp. 44-47;
- Proceedings of the Kongo Rikishi International Study Day. Study, restoration and museumization of Japanese statuary, edited by S. De Blasi, Pinin Brambilla Barcilon (scientific coordination), Florence, Nardini, 2010.