Agfa Graphics has played a key part in the restoration of The Byodo-in Buddhist temple near Kyoto in Japan. The most famous part of Japanese National Treasure and World Heritage Site, and the only remaining original building, is the Phoenix Hall (Hoo-do) constructed in 1053. It’s the imagery and colours on the west doors to this that Agfa has restored.
As the paint on the original west doors to the Hoo-do was fading, Monsho Kamii, chief priest of the temple, had a special team investigate them and collect remaining small amounts of paint in order to simulate the colors and the image, using the latest digital techniques. This painstaking effort cost the team about ten years. The chief priest then contacted Agfa Graphics Japan with the simulated image file and the request to reconstruct the doors.
Agfa experts tried to match the expected colours using in-house colour management technology and printing techniques. An Anapurna 2050i wide-format inkjet printer was used to
print on the 400-year cold Japanese cypress wood that the two new doors are made of. As the 1.2m by 2.5m doors weren’t flat, a special technique was developed to print on the curved surface of the frames with the help of a special tool that was created with a 3D printer. In addition, a particular kind of white ink was used to imitate the original white parts of the door.
Until the 6 December, the reconstructed doors will be exhibited at the museum of the Byodoin Temple, with explanations about the underlying efforts and processes of the restoration, including the investigation of the material, its structure, and the reproduction techniques. After that date, the doors will be mounted in their new hinges in the temple, where they will stay for an indeterminate period of time.
“The moment I saw the completed door, I couldn’t withhold my tears. To see them reconstructed had been my dearest wish for 20 years,” said Kamii.