From 17 to 21 February 2025, a five-day digitisation programme took place at the British Museum, focusing on the Japanese sword ornaments collection. This project was supported by the FY 2024 International Joint Research Fund from the Art Research Center at Ritsumeikan University (ARC). It was conducted by Dr Ryoko Matsuba during her time at the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Art and Cultures (SISJAC), supervised by the Japan team at the British Museum, namely Dr Akiko Yano and myself. The programme had two graduate student assistants: Jaime Marcos De Hevia (SOAS University of London) and Charlotte Mang (University College London).
This programme continued the digitisation of the Japanese sword ornaments collection at the British Museum, following a previous workshop in 2023 where Dr Matsuba led the digitisation of the tsuba 鍔 (sword guard) collection. This time, the goal was to digitise the fuchi 縁 and kashira 頭 (hilt collar and pommel cap) collection that had no photographs or snapshots existing in the British Museum’s internal database. The project successfully resulted in the photography of 347 pairs of fuchi and kashira, 11 single fuchi, and 10 single kashira, totalling 715 photographed objects.
Photography of the fuchi and kashira was conducted using two different methods. The first was a flat-view photography setup in a light box, capturing two images per object from above—one with flash and one without. Paired fuchi and kashira were photographed together. The non-flash image documented the object’s overall design, shape, and craftsmanship, while the flash image highlighted inscriptions. This setup effectively showcased intricate details, different metal types, and various techniques.
The second method was multi-angle photography, involving eight shots of each object taken from different angles in a light box illuminated by external LED lights on tripods. This approach enabled us to capture detailed side views of each object.
Photographing the fuchi and kashira proved challenging due to their varied shapes and sizes (the previous tsuba photography was relatively easier as the objects were flatter). Consequently, Dr Matsuba and the student assistants consistently had to adjust white balance, side lighting, object positioning, and focus. Unexpectedly, dust also became a notable challenge, particularly noticeable upon zooming into images. Dr Yano and I were responsible for dust removal; while removing as much dust as possible, it was also crucial to carefully ensure no damage occurred to the objects during cleaning.
Although the timeframe for the programme was limited, we gained valuable experience that will benefit future digitisation efforts. Dr Matsuba suggested improvements for future photography setups, such as utilizing a turntable. Currently, the available turntable was inadequate—too small and difficult to rotate objects without losing focus. She also recommended using gradation grey paper instead of white to reduce reflections (grey is better than white for metal surfaces, as metal objects pose fewer reflection issues than lacquerware). Additional LED lighting was also suggested to enhance efficiency.
The significance of this programme extends notably to the British Museum, marking progress in the Museum’s documentation and digitisation efforts. It enhances public access and benefits future studies on fuchi and kashira, as images will be available through the British Museum’s official public database (Collection online). This experience has laid important groundwork for future digitisation initiatives involving Japanese sword furniture and potentially other three-dimensional objects within the museum’s collection.
You can read more about the digitisation workshop of the tsuba collection at the British Museum here, and also about the digitisation of the Sword Ornament Collection at the National Museum of Scotland here.
Sophie Gong
(Research Assistant: Creative Collaborations, The British Museum.)