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CRCAO member - Japan Team

Mechtild Mertz

Researcher, CNRS

Presentation

My research project focuses on the study of religious wooden sculptures, that are important testimonies of Japanese and Chinese culture. In particular, I wish to improve the knowledge of their geographical provenance and their period of manufacture, important but often lost data.

My research is applied to Buddhist, Shintô and Taoist sculpture. I have included in this last category the statues of ancestors for domestic cultic use, as well as Taoist masters and local and national deities.

My project initially focuses on pieces preserved in Western collections, in anticipation of one day having access to Chinese national collections.

Buddhist sculptures preserved in Japan have been the subject of in-depth studies by Japanese researchers, and Shinto statuary, which is still little explored, is given priority.

My approach is multidisciplinary and developed according to four axes. The first is based on an innovative methodology applied on a large scale in Japan; it is based on techniques developed in wood anatomy. The second is based on a classical, stylistic and iconographic analysis of Buddhist sculpture. The wealth of information collected from traditional woodworkers during my doctoral research leads thirdly to extend this fieldwork to sculptors of religious and cultual statuary, as close as possible to the material and technique. In the fourth axis I envisage a cooperation with sinologists to exploit ancient texts that refer to the significance of the wood species in religious sculpture.

My goal is to organize the collected data in a multilingual database to facilitate their exploitation. I will put it online to allow broad and international access to researchers, art historians, archaeologists, curators and conservators.

Research thematics

  • Collaboration in the realization of a microscopic atlas of 1000 Chinese wood species, a project led by an international team of Chinese (Nanjing Forestry University) and Japanese (Kyoto University, RISH) specialists
  • Religious and cultual wood species of Japan and China (Buddhism, Taoism, Shintô)
  • Excavated wooden remains
  • The woods of Chinese and Japanese Buddhist sculpture
  • Material culture
  • Microscopic wood species identification through the cellular microstructure analysis

CRCAO research programmes

Publications (HAL Archive Ouverte)

  • Takao Itoh, Biao Pan, Youzou Sano, Pieter Baas, Jiayan Luo, et al.. Anatomical Database and Atlas of Chinese Woods. Hisashi MIYAUCHI. Kaiseisha Press, 4 vols., pp.2679, 2022, Takao ITOH, 9784860991968. ⟨hal-03768179⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Japanese Wood and Carpentry - Rustic and Refined. Kaiseisha Press, 1, pp.130, 2020, Hisashi MIYAUCHI, 978-4-86099-367-2. ⟨hal-03576731⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Wood and Traditional Woodworking in Japan. Kaiseisha Press, pp.227, 2016, Hisashi MIYAUCHI, 978-4-86099-323-8. ⟨halshs-02986800⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. 日本の木と伝統木工芸 Nihon no ki to dentô mokkôgei. Kaiseisha Press, pp.210, 2016, Hisashi Miyauchi, 978-4-86099-322-1. ⟨halshs-03096518⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Ki 木 le bois. Philippe Bonnin, Nishida Masatsugu 西田雅嗣, Inaga Shigemi 稲賀繁美. Vocabulaire de la spatialité japonaise 日本の生活空間, CNRS Éditions, 2014, 978-2-271-08059-2. ⟨halshs-02996003⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh. Analysis of Wood Species in the Collection. Wisdom Embodied - Chinese Buddhist and Taoist Sculpture in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, , pp.216-225, 2010, 978-1-58839-399-9. ⟨halshs-02986696⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh. A Study of the Wood Species of 73 Deity Sculptures of the Hunan Province, from the Patrice Fava Collection. Religions and local society - Interdisciplinary Studies Hunan Province, Cahiers d’Extrême- Asie 19, pp.183-214, 2010. ⟨halshs-02986891⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. 中国由来の仏像彫刻の用材 Chûgoku yurai no butsuzô chôkoku yôzai. 木の文化と科学 Wood Culture and Science, Kaiseisha, pp.105-120, 2008, 木の文化と科学 Wood Culture and Science, 978-4-86099-225-5. ⟨halshs-03096552⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Identification microscopique du bois, un regard sur l'âme de bois de la sculpture bouddhique chinoise et japonaise. Antoine Parlebas. Les Rencontres de l'ARSET La Conservation - Restauration des oeuvres asiatiques, 2, A.R.S.E.T.; Association des Restaurateurs de Sculptures de l'École de Tours, pp.25-40, 65, 2007, La Conservation - Restauration des oeuvres asiatiques, 978-2-9522528-1-2. ⟨hal-03336227⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh. The Study of Buddhist Sculptures from Japan and China Based on Wood Identification. Janet G. Douglas, Paul Jett, and John Winter. Scientific Research on the Sculptural Arts of Asia Proceedings of the Third Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art, 3, Archetype Publications in association with the Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian Institution, pp.198-204, 2007, Scientific Research on the Sculptural Arts of Asia - Proceedings of the Third Forbes Symposium at the Freer Gallery of Art, 978-1-904982-20-3. ⟨hal-02994701⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Redécouvrir le bois: une approche technique, esthétique et artistique des traditions artisanales. Pascal Griolet et Michael Lucken. Japon pluriel 5 - Actes du cinquième colloque de la Société française des études japonaises, 5, pp.191-197, 2004, Japon pluriel 5 - Actes du cinquième colloque de la Société française des études japonaises, 2-87730-717-4. ⟨hal-03334724⟩
  • Suyako Tazuru, Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh, Junji Sugiyama. Wood identification of Japanese and Chinese wooden statues owned by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, USA. Journal of Wood Science, 2022, 68 (1), pp.11. ⟨10.1186/s10086-022-02020-x⟩. ⟨hal-03596830⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Suyako Tazuru, Shirō Itō, Cynthea J. Bogel. A Group of Twelfth-Century Japanese Kami Statues and Considerations of Material Intentionality: Collaborative Research Among Wood Scientists and Art Historians. Journal of Asian Humanities at Kyushu University, 2022, 7, pp.127-158. ⟨10.5109/4843145⟩. ⟨hal-03778776⟩
  • Suyako Tazuru, Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh, Junji Sugiyama, Hiromi Kinoshita. Wood identification of Chinese Buddhist statues in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. 日本文化財科学 - Scientific studies on cultural properties, 2021, 83, pp.109-119. ⟨hal-03353197⟩
  • Pieter Baas, Tomoyuki Fujii, Nobushige Kato, Mechtild Mertz, Shuichi Noshiro, et al.. Mogami Tokunai’s wood collection from Hokkaido, Japan: an early record of Ainu wood culture. IAWA Journal, 2021, 42 (4), pp.349-364. ⟨10.1163/22941932-bja10057⟩. ⟨halshs-03320588⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Wood Identification of Ancient Temple Structures in Ladakh, Located in the Western Himalayas. International Journal of Wood Culture, 2021, 1 (1), pp.3-27. ⟨10.1163/27723194-20210003⟩. ⟨halshs-03320387⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Publication d’un ouvrage sur la culture du bois au Japon. 2021, pp.21. ⟨hal-03192878⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Teahouse Carpenters. Kyoto Journal, 2021, 100 Views of Kyoto - a tribute, 100, pp.101. ⟨hal-03355133⟩
  • Suyako Tazuru, Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh, Junji Sugiyama. フィラデルフィア美術館蔵の日本の神像における樹種識別調査例 Wood Identification of a Japanese Deity Statue of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. SPring-8: Scientific Research Report, 2017, SPring-8 Section A: Scientific Research Report, 7 (2), ⟨10.18957/rr.7.2.216⟩. ⟨halshs-03607300⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Wood Species used in Traditional Japanese Architecture. Archiv Weltmuseum Wien, 2015, Archiv Weltmuseum Wien, 65, pp.188-195. ⟨hal-02994911⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Sangeeta Gupta, Yutaka Hirako, Pimpim De Azevedo, Junji Sugiyama. WOOD SELECTION OF ANCIENT TEMPLES IN THE SIKKIM HIMALAYAS. IAWA Journal, 2014, 35 (4), pp.444-462. ⟨10.1163/22941932-00000077⟩. ⟨hal-03320982⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh. Identification des bois de huit sculptures chinoises et de deux sculptures japonaises conservées aux MRAH. Bulletin des Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, 2005, Bulletin des Musées royaux d'Art et d'Histoire, 76, pp.148-176 et 217-224. ⟨hal-03088112⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Datation d'une statue d'Amida-nyorai exposée au musée Guimet. Arts Asiatiques, 1995, 50 (1), pp.94-104. ⟨10.3406/arasi.1995.1373⟩. ⟨halshs-02988116⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. How four Types of Japanese Carpenters make Use of the Wealth of their Country’s Wood Species. Interdisciplinary meeting on wood and societies, Paul Bacoup + Juliette Taïeb, Oct 2021, Paris, France, France. pp.308-315, ⟨10.21494/ISTE.OP.2023.1042⟩. ⟨hal-04325684⟩
  • Muriel Bordessoulles, Catherine Lavier, Elsa van Elslande, Laurence de Viguerie, Jean-Sébastien Cluzel, et al.. Archaeometrical contributions in the Japanese architecture in France. 2nd International symposium WoodSciCraft 2016, Sep 2016, Kyoto, Japan. ⟨hal-03447734⟩
  • Muriel Bordessoulles, Catherine Lavier, Elsa van Elslande, Laurence de Viguerie, Jean-Sébastien Cluzel, et al.. Apports de l’archéométrie à l’étude de l’architecture japonaise. XXIe colloque d'Archéométrie du GMPCA, Apr 2017, Rennes, France. . ⟨hal-03447756⟩
  • Muriel Bordessoulles, Catherine Lavier, Elsa van Elslande, Laurence de Viguerie, Jean-Sébastien Cluzel, et al.. Archaeometrical contributions in the Japanese architecture in France: the lodges of Albert Kahn’s gardens (Boulogne-Billancourt, France). 2nd International symposium WoodSciCraft 2016, Sep 2016, Kyoto, Japan. 2nd International symposium WoodSciCraft 2016, 2016. ⟨hal-03447739⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz. Le travail du bois. 69, La lettre de la bibliothèque de la Maison de la culture du Japon à Paris. 2023, pp.3. ⟨halshs-04311008⟩
  • Suyako Tazuru, Mechtild Mertz. Case study of Wood Identification of Japanese Shinto Statues Owned by the Honolulu Museum of Art. [Research Report] 19,6, Spring-8 /SACLA Research report. 2021. ⟨hal-03353184⟩
  • Mechtild Mertz, Takao Itoh. Wood species identification of the sculptures of Anjô-ji temple. [Technical Report] Kyoto University. 2008. ⟨halshs-03096582⟩

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