Paper Folding Lanterns: Cultural Importance and Preservation of an Art
By Stephanie Haugan
Abstract
Katsuhika Hokusai’s work is renowned yet his culture and the world he lived in remain a
mystery. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts restored two chochin, paper lanterns, attributed to
Hokusai as part of their “Allure of Edo” exhibition. This paper seeks to inform readers of Japan’s
past, Hokusai’s significance to the Ukiyo-e movement, and the restoration of these seemingly
simple lanterns.
Keywords: Ukiyo-e, Allure of Edo, Boston’s Museum of fine arts, preservation, paper lanterns,
chochin, Katsuhika Hokusai
Japan 1690-1850
The Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts holds one of the largest collection of Ukiyo-e art and
the culture it represents. Ukiyo-e is often mistranslated as “Japanese woodblock art”, rather than
its literal translation of “the floating world”. Most Ukiyo-e art exists as woodblock prints
attributed to the artist. While an artist designs the images, a carver and a printer complete the
work. The blocks are cut out of cherry wood, carved, and the finished product is printed on
paper. A wealthy publisher (often times a merchant) would fund the endeavor.1
1
For more on how Japanese woodblocks were created see Tschichold, J. (Winter 1971). Chinese and Japanese
Colour Wood-Block Printing. Leonardo, 4(1), 75-79.
Ukiyo-e is a movement of art during the Edo period in Japan (the dates of which roughly
approximate to the 17th through the 19th centuries). Most art prior to the 17th century mirrored the
Chinese principles, religion, and aesthetics. The artists of the 17th century turned away from
looking at the courtly life and famous tales of warriors and monks that dominated the earlier
centuries of art. The movement aimed to popularize art by painting everyday people doing
various everyday tasks and social activities. Early works of Ukiyo-e were painted or printed in
simple black ink, but the movement caught full force when the adoption of the woodblock
printing with multiple colors were introduced. Already in use for picture books, the technique of
using a series of color woodblocks, one for each color, and vivid color palettes transformed the
art of Ukiyo-e.
With the use of color and a new medium, Ukiyo-e art began to span across all genres.
From religious scenes to women bathing, no subject matter was off limits much to the ire of
government officials and the delight of merchants. Ukiyo-e were created primarily with
woodblocks, but rare paintings, scrolls, banners, lanterns, and signs have also been collected by
the Boston’s Museum of Fine Art from this time period. The movement was noted to come to an
end with the death of Katsuhika Hokusai in 1849 as the government shifted and the Meji
restoration opened the country to Western influence and photography.
Hokusai
Katsuhika Hokusai, while most famously known for The Great Wave off Kanagawa
which is part of his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji collection, had a deep involvement in the
Ukiyo-e. Hokusai started as a young man working in a shop cutting wood blocks. Later, he
began drawing and completely adopted his master’s style. It was only in his later years that he
began to discover his own technique. He claims that anything he worked on before the age of
sixty five was meaningless and it was only in his old age that he painted ruthlessly.
Hokusai style differs from those of his time. While Ukiyo-e changed the aim of art, the
more popular images tended to be of famous actors and “silky courtesans” portrayed by his
contemporaries. Hokusai traveled throughout the country, drawing what he saw —animals,
landscapes, people, anything that struck him. He spent his time drawing what he observed out his
window as well as what he noticed while visiting the slums of the city. He was a whirlwind of
energy, moving over ninety times and changing his name almost as often. His most famous
works are woodblock prints and comics, but his lesser known works include banners, lanterns,
and festival floats.2
The Great Wave at Kanagawa (from a Series of Thirty–Six Views of Mount Fuji), Edo period (1615–1868), ca. 1831–
33 Katsushika Hokusai; Published by Eijudo. Polychrome ink and color on paper; 10 1/8 x 14 15/16 in.
Hokusai’s Lanterns
2
Drama and Desire: Japanese Paintings from the Floating World, 1690–1850.
At the Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts there are two chochin —paper folding lanterns—
believed to be painted by Hokusai. Lanterns from this time period are rare, as their function was
for practical or festival use and they were often damaged, lost, or destroyed. Lanterns are used as
a part of many Japanese and Chinese festivals and events. The lights are often guides for the
spirits and placed at shrines and doorways of the home to welcome loved ones back.3 The two
lanterns now housed in the museum were most likely from a New Year’s festival, as the motifs
on the lanterns display a dragon and snake, and a tiger and dragon that not only match the
Chinese zodiac but also symbolize the clash of opposing forces.
Hokusai’s work appears different on these lanterns than it does on his landscape prints.
While Hokusai was traveling throughout the country painting and drawing whatever caught his
interest to develop his own style, he also created numerous works for shrines and festivals.
However, unlike the work he was creating for shrines in his developing style, these lanterns are
styled after traditional Chinese art aesthetics which can be seen with the dragon’s long whiskers
and claws. The lanterns date around 1804-1818, around the time Hokusai was beginning to make
a name for himself was seen painting religious idols around this time as well.4
These lanterns were designed as many lanterns during this period. They were made from
paper and bamboo and designed to be collapsible as well as to withstand the heat from the flame
within. Kozo paper was used as it was durable but thin enough to allow ample light through. The
structural design of the bamboo supports is crafted in a spiral form so that could be easily
collapsed with little force and stored without significant vertical strain. The cut of the paper
panels determined the shape of the lantern. Panels could result in a pear shaped lantern or one
3
See references for articles on Chinese and Japanese festivals for significance on lanterns.
It is around this time in 1804 he created a portrait of the Buddhist priest Daruma said to be 600 feet long using a
broom and buckets full of ink.
4
that was long and skinny depending on whether the edges of the panels were rounded or tapered.
It appears that the Dragon and Tiger was a rounder lantern while the Dragon and Snake was
taller and thin.
Dragon and Tiger, ca. 1804-18, ink and pigment on paper, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Attributed to Katsushika
Hokusai. Before treatment.
Dragon and Snake, ca. 1804-18, ink and pigment on paper, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Attributed to Katsushika
Hokusai. Before treatment.
Preserving the Lanterns
While the lanterns housed at the museum have lasted through the test of time because
they were dismantled and pasted onto scroll paper, they have also suffer from this preservation
technique. When the lanterns were cut apart and mounted onto scrolls, significant portions of the
top and bottom of the lanterns were lost. Additionally, creases and cracks formed from mounting
the lanterns on the scroll which was later rolled for storage. Time has discolored the images and
the paper lining has caused structural damage to the lantern.
The museum believed the best way to restore the lanterns and convey their original
aesthetic integrity was to restore it to its three-dimensional shape. Ideally the lanterns would
have been reconstructed and illuminated from within, to recreate their original function and to
view the brushstrokes and subtleties of the images. However, preservation was the highest
priority and instead the lanterns were reconstructed on a solid mount without lighting. This was
done to prevent any further light damage to the faded images that would showcase the extensive
restoration work that would be done. The preservation team decided the best way to treat the
images was to remove the harmful lining and replace it with one that would give the lanterns
structural support as well as increase the contrast of the images. The lanterns were to be
reconstructed onto mounts specifically so that the art could be seen from all sides and the viewer
would be able to appreciate the full design of the lanterns.
The pigments on the lanterns were tested and appeared to be sensitive to water. As a
result, ionized water mixed with gelatin was used when moisture was needed to remove the
lining. Large areas of loss were filled with kozo fiber paper which had been toned to match the
surrounding pigments. The practice of toning fill paper to complement the section is the
preferred to painting them in. The use of overpainting has been done throughout history in order
to recreate missing gaps. This practice has fallen out of favor because it results in the loss of the
original hues and brushstrokes present in the original piece.5
5
See Stanley-Baker, J. (1991). The Problem of Retouching in Ancient Chinese Paintngs or Trying to See through
Centuries. Artibus Asiae, 51(3/4), 257-274 for more information on the practices and damage caused by
overpainting.
Recreating the shape of the mount proved to be tricky but was remedied by creating a
pattern for each lantern to allow the preservation team to experiment with different mount shapes
and determine the best mount which would result in as little damage to the original as possible.
The lanterns were carefully aligned onto their mounts with diluted wheat starch paste and
brushed to allow full contact. Once the lanterns were dried, the toned paper was examined and
further toned with watercolor in certain areas to achieve better color matching. The finished
lanterns were completed with acid free mat-board end caps to complete the look.
The tools used in preservation closely mirror the materials used during the 19th century.
They are acid free and safe for removing the print for any reason in the future. The preservation
team also created a rig for the safe transportation and storage of the lanterns. Following the
restoration, the collection toured a total of seven museums in Japan as well as in North America.
Dragon and Snake (left), Dragon and Tiger (right)
ca. 1804-18, ink and pigment on paper, after treatment photograph. Attributed to Katsushika Hokusai, Photograph © 2007,
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Conclusion
The beautiful world of Ukiyo-e is one that has remained hidden for long enough. Before
this collection was catalogued, the world was unaware of the astounding works such famous
artists had created. The Dragon and Snake and Dragon and Tiger lanterns attributed to Hokusai
provide a glimpse into the art of the “floating world” and its relationship with the festivals of
Japan. Hokusai’s work differs from traditional artists during his time, yet these lanterns display
iconic imagery and are believed to his based of his lesser known work done for festivals. The
images display opposing forces marries traditional New Year beliefs and myths with the iconic
style of Hokusai. The careful preservation of rare items such as these lanterns lets us begin to
look back into the past and understand more deeply how Ukiyo-e permeated everyday life.
References
Ashikaga, E. (1950). The Festival for the Spirits of the Dead in Japan. Western Folklore, 9(3),
217-228.
Hyatt Mayor, A., & Betchaku, Y. (Summer 1985). Hokusai. The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Bulletin, 43(1), 1-48.
J. E. L. An Introduction to the Special Exhibition of Japanese Art of the Ukiyo-é School. (Feb.
1914). Museum of Fine Arts Bulletin, 12(68), 1-4.
Morgan, A. (Jul- Sept. 1897). The Feast of Lanterns and the Feast of the Star Weaver in Japan.
The Journal of American Folklore, 10(38), 244-246.
Nichols, K., Elgar, J., & Gausch, K. (Summer 2007). Illuminating the Way: Conservation of
Two Japanese Paper Lanterns. Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 46(2), 123136.
Splitter, H. (Oct.-Dec. 1950). The Chinese Feast of Lanterns. The Journal of American Folklore,
63(250), 438-443.