Shomen Kongo Scroll: A Case Study In Spiritual and Physical Healing
Location
PANEL: Analyzing Healing, Racial Movements, & Oppression Through Art & Architecture
Mudd 113, Terrell Main Library
Document Type
Presentation - Open Access
Start Date
4-26-2024 10:00 AM
End Date
4-26-2024 11:00 AM
Abstract
The focus of my study is the Japanese scroll "Shomen Kongo", and the evolution of its cultural, religious, and historical significance from its original creation in the 18th/19th century, to its current display and conservation as part of the collection at Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum. This study analyzes the intersection of religious studies and art conversation, providing a new perspective to the sociology of art history. My approach to the primary source material draws on traditional resources, such as the scroll itself and the relation of its subject matter to the Koshin religion, as well as contemporary sources including interviews with conservators. The connecting thread between religious studies, art conservation, and art history emphasizes their complex relationship to the greater humanities, and the necessity of a liberal arts approach when considering a case of cultural property.
Keywords:
Japanese religion, Art conservation, Cultural property, Art history
Recommended Citation
Jacob, Alice, "Shomen Kongo Scroll: A Case Study In Spiritual and Physical Healing" (2024). Research Symposium. 12.
https://digitalcommons.oberlin.edu/researchsymp/2024/presentations/12
Major
Art History
Project Mentor(s)
Kevin Greenwood, Allen Memorial Art Museum
Cindy Chapman, Religion
2024
Shomen Kongo Scroll: A Case Study In Spiritual and Physical Healing
PANEL: Analyzing Healing, Racial Movements, & Oppression Through Art & Architecture
Mudd 113, Terrell Main Library
The focus of my study is the Japanese scroll "Shomen Kongo", and the evolution of its cultural, religious, and historical significance from its original creation in the 18th/19th century, to its current display and conservation as part of the collection at Oberlin’s Allen Memorial Art Museum. This study analyzes the intersection of religious studies and art conversation, providing a new perspective to the sociology of art history. My approach to the primary source material draws on traditional resources, such as the scroll itself and the relation of its subject matter to the Koshin religion, as well as contemporary sources including interviews with conservators. The connecting thread between religious studies, art conservation, and art history emphasizes their complex relationship to the greater humanities, and the necessity of a liberal arts approach when considering a case of cultural property.
