Japanese collections of traditional Japanese musical instruments: Presentation and representation

Abstract

Musical instruments are displayed or collected in a range of contexts for a variety of reasons. This study examines major Japanese collections of traditional Japanese musical instruments. Two main areas underlie the discussion: firstly, the collections are considered with regard to how their instruments are presented for display, including analysis of methods of grouping or classifying the instruments; and secondly, the collections are discussed in terms of what they might represent, whether explicitly or implicitly, in particular because the main objects for display are organized outside their more usual context of musical performance.