Latest news with #NationalTreasures
Yahoo
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Excitement ahead of Torvill and Dean farewell show
Fans were "excited" and "emotional" ahead of Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean's final ice skating show. The Olympic gold medallists were set to skate together for one final time in Nottingham on Saturday, bringing their 50-year career to an end. A rink at the National Ice Centre was also officially named after them and a blue plaque marking their final performance was revealed on Tuesday. Speaking ahead of their final performance, Laura Affleck, 44, from Nottingham, said: "We have grown up watching them and we wanted to be here before they retire." Jane Derris-Timson, from Nuneaton in Warwickshire, said she could not wait for the "iconic day" to begin. "I'm so excited I can't tell you," said Ms Derris-Timson. The 56-year-old said she had been a "big fan" ever since she watched the pair win gold at the 1984 Winter Olympics. "I've seen them a few times before and I'm quite emotional to be here on the last day," she added. "Their journey started here and they are national treasures. They've done a lot for Nottingham and the wider community." Usha Soni, 74, said she used to watch Torvill and Dean practise when she worked next to an ice rink in London. "The ice rink used to give tickets out to our office and I was lucky enough to see them perform back then," said Ms Soni. "I will be very happy for them and wish them the best of luck in the future." Ann Powell, 77, from West Bridgford, added: "I did see them perform soon after they won the Olympics many years ago, which was amazing. "They've had a really good career and I feel very lucky and special to be here." Ahead of their final performance, Christopher Dean said the pair would "always be a part of Nottingham", adding the city will always have a "special place" in their hearts. Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@ or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210. Torvill and Dean honoured in their home city Torvill and Dean to dance together for final time
Tokyo Weekender
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Tokyo Weekender
Japan's Living National Treasures: The Keepers of Traditional Culture
Japan is a country of National Treasures. From clay figurines dating back thousands of years to intricate lacquerware, mountain pagodas, castle keeps and the largest wooden building in the world, the 'treasures' of Japanese culture are aptly named because there is a wealth of them. There are even National Treasures you can talk to (which admittedly is true for all of them) and expect them to answer back (which admittedly is very rare). They are the Living National Treasures of Japan: masters of highly prized arts, crafts and performing arts who safeguard the country's traditional culture. Here's everything you need to know about them. List of Contents: Guardians, Not Celebrities Living National Treasures Must Live a Life of Creation It's a Very Exclusive Club The Future Related Posts Guardians, Not Celebrities Living National Treasures (Ningen Kokuho) are officially certified as 'Holders of Important Intangible Cultural Properties,' meaning their unique abilities. The LNT recognition by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology names a person but ultimately celebrates a skill that the honoree is preserving for future generations. That's why the LNT certifications also include categories for small and large groups of artisans. The history of the program dates back to the mid-20th century and stems from Nara's Horyu-ji temple, home to the world's oldest surviving wooden structures. After a fire seriously damaged priceless murals in the temple's main hall, the Japanese government realized that there were precious few people out there who could repair or replicate this seventh- and eighth-century art. This, plus the devastation caused by World War II, made Japan start to think that cultural heritage isn't just something you can touch. And so, in 1955, five years after the government passed the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, it recognized the first cohort of people who are living repositories of invaluable knowledge about everything from noh or kabuki theater to imperial court music, ceramics, swordsmithing, bamboo craft and so much more. However, their expertise cannot be purely theoretical. Living National Treasures Must Live a Life of Creation Besides bragging rights about being a National Treasure (and all the free drinks that probably gets you), recipients of the LNT certification are also granted ¥2 million per year by the Japanese government. That's about $13,500 as of June 2025. Possible to live on but far outside luxury's ZIP code. That's fine, though, because these master artists also have day jobs. They're required to. Besides mentoring apprentices and documenting their processes, LNTs must also actively be performing or showcasing their art. The government stipend only aims to cover basic living expenses so that talented people can focus on their important work and keep making contributions to art and history, like by helping restore techniques that were once thought to be lost to time. For example, Hiromichi Osaka, a woodworker and a Living National Treasure, discovered how ancient Nara artisans created intricate patterns on rosewood boxes — it turns out it was tin inlays. It's a Very Exclusive Club The maximum number of Living National Treasures is capped at 116. The only way to get on the list when it's full is to first be amazing at a traditional Japanese craft or performing art and then wait for someone whom you probably deeply admire to, well, die. (As of July 2024, there were 108 Living National Treasures.) Also, you need to be able to teach what you know to the next generation. You're likely familiar with this old saying: 'Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.' But to be an LNT, you have to be able to do both. That's why the vetting process even takes into account a candidate's number of apprentices. National Treasures are to be shared with the whole world, after all. This is the core of a big criticism that some have aimed at the program. If Living National Treasures are so important to the soul of Japan, why is there a limit on their number? This has caused some masters to be overlooked in the past simply because there wasn't room in their LNT category, even if their particular talent had a unique quality to it. Perhaps as a result, not everyone considers being named a National Treasure a great honor. In 1959, Kitaoji Rosanjin, an artist who excelled at ceramics, calligraphy and lacquerware, was named a Living National Treasure but ultimately declined the title. The Future Some may argue that a hyperfocus on tradition and history can lead to a stifling of innovation, but the Living National Treasure program isn't averse to change. In 2026, they will be adding a new category: chefs and sake brewers. There are also talks of recognizing living regional treasures so that more talent can be preserved and transmitted. The Living National Treasure initiative has also inspired programs in China, Korea, the Philippines, Australia and Ireland, so while it may not be perfect, it does seem to be putting a lot of good out into the world. Hopefully, it'll continue to do so for the foreseeable future. Related Posts Mamoru Nakagawa: Metalworker, Artist, Alchemist Nageiredo Temple: Hike to Japan's Most Dangerous National Treasure in Tottori Prefecture 3 Days in Nara: In Search of Prince Shotoku — The Man, The Myth, The Legend
Korea Herald
11-06-2025
- General
- Korea Herald
33 artifacts relocated to National Palace Museum after Tuesday's blaze at Jogyesa complex
Central Buddhist Museum exhibition ends early in wake of fire Thirty-three Buddhist artifacts displayed at the Central Buddhist Museum next to Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in central Seoul, were relocated to the nearby National Palace Museum of Korea late Tuesday, after a blaze broke out at a building within the temple complex earlier that day. The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism on Wednesday issued a statement confirming that it had safely moved 33 artifacts that were on display at the museum in a preventative measure prompted by the fire. The relocated items include nine state-designated National Treasures, nine state-designated Treasures, two Regional Tangible Cultural Heritage and 13 nondesignated artifacts. No damage was reported or found to the artifacts, it added. Other artifacts held at a storage facility located at the museum's third basement level were not part of the transfer. The decision to keep them at the storage facility came after a safety check, a senior official at the largest Buddhist sect in Korea told The Korea Herald. A fire broke out at the international conference hall on the second floor of the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall next to the temple at 10:22 a.m. The Central Buddhist Museum is on the basement level of a building connected to the Korean Buddhism History and Culture Memorial Hall. The fire was extinguished at 11:57 a.m. Following the fire, an exhibition titled "Hoseon Euigyeom: The Buddha Revealed at the Tip of the Brush" at the museum, originally scheduled to run through June 29, ended Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Ven. Jinwoo, president of the Jogye Order, apologized for the lack of safety measures and for causing concern to the public.
![[Interview] Smithsonian will continue to flourish: NMAA director Chase F. Robinson](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F02%2Fnews-p.v1.20250601.5e4b4e8d412a48e5a33de471abde2194_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
[Interview] Smithsonian will continue to flourish: NMAA director Chase F. Robinson
Director says Smithsonian embodies American ideals of curiosity, research, engagement in recent interview amid US administration's crackdown on DEI When Chase F. Robinson, director of Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, visited Seoul in 2022, he expressed his hope to bring the donated works by the late Samsung Chair Lee Kun-hee to the US. Fast-forward to 2025, the exhibition, the first-ever overseas exhibition of Lee's donated work as a collection, will finally arrive at the musueum in Washington. Titled "Korean Treasures: Collected, Cherished, Shared," the exhibition will run from Nov. 8 to Feb. 1, before traveling to Chicago and London. 'The scale of his collecting in the quality and comprehensiveness is really impressive. This juxtaposition of traditional and modern art will be really interesting to people,' the director said during an interview with The Korea Herald on May 23. Among the works to be exhibited in the US will include a dozen works of art designated as Treasures and National Treasures by the Korean government, which Robinson mentioned as the highlight of the exhibition. Lee's collection of some 23,000 pieces, majorly donated to the National Museum of Art and National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in 2020, spans from artifacts to modern and contemporary art. 'Korean art does not have the visibility in the United States, because it is a relatively new field compared to Japanese and Chinese art,' the director said. "But it has started to change." The museum recently acquired two Korean works of art, donated to the museum, at the end of last year: a Buddhist sculpture from the 18th century and a folding screen named 'The Happy Life of Guo Ziyi (Gwak Bunyang Haengnak-do),' also likely painted in the late 18th century by a court artist. The director, who was appointed to head the museum in 2018, said the museum has grown extensively in the past five years in terms of its staff and budget, and fundraising has improved considerably — some of which has come from international engagement. 'It is a time of a lot of political and cultural change,' he said when asked about the US President Donald Trump's administration cracking down on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. 'The Smithsonian was opened in 1846 and NMAA opened in 1923. I am really confident that we are going to continue to flourish.' A few days after the interview, Trump said Friday that he had fired Kim Sajet, the director of the National Portrait Gallery, which is part of the Smithsonian Institute, calling her a 'strong supporter' of diversity, equity and inclusion in a social media post. In March, the US president issued an executive order on the Smithsonian, blaming that it has come under the 'influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology' and 'promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.' Robinson said there are many other parties and delegation — not just the government — involved to run the Smithsonian Institute. 'The Smithsonian, as you may know, has a unique status — we were set up as a trust — so we are governed separately from the US government. So the board of regents is the governing body, and it is a combination of private citizens and government officials. "The vice president is on the board of regents, and the chief justice of the Supreme Court is on the board of the regents, and there are congressmen. On the other hand there are lots of citizens and private citizens," he said. Robinson said the museum has a responsibility to serve American public because much of its funding comes from the government, which is why the museum tries to represent 'all the extraordinary kind of diversity' in art in their exhibitions and programming. 'We try to embody the best American ideals of curiosity, research, openness, respect and engagement,' he said. yunapark@
