[Life] US and China Also Wanted to Collect; Japanese Professor Donates 45 Cherished Cultural Relics to Taiwan

Isamu Sakamoto, a Japanese expert in the preservation and rescue of paper-based cultural heritage, donated 45 precious cross-national cultural relics he collected throughout his life to the National Museum of Prehistory in Taiwan today (1st). He said that both the United States and China had expressed interest in collecting them, but "Taiwan is what my heart most desires." The National Museum of Prehistory held a "Professor Isamu Sakamoto Bark Cloth/Paper Artifact Donation Ceremony" today. Isamu Sakamoto, a Japanese expert in the preservation and rescue of paper-based cultural heritage and former professor at Kibi International University, donated 45 cross-national bark cloth/paper artifacts and their production tools, as well as rare Indonesian daluwang (mulberry bark paper books) to the Museum of Prehistory. Sakamoto has been engaged in the research of paper culture and bark paper for over 30 years, and has long collected rare and hard-to-obtain artifacts needed for international research with a professional eye. He stated in his speech that the direct impetus for the donation was his urgent concern about the future ownership of the artifacts. The sudden death of a friend who had long assisted in managing the collection, coupled with his own health issues, made him worry that if his personal collection were not properly cared for, it might be broken up and sold, or even discarded because the outside world did not understand its value. To prevent the interruption of years of preservation and research accumulation, he contacted the Museum of Prehistory in April this year and decided to donate his collection, which is highly valuable for research and located in Tokyo, to the Museum of Prehistory free of charge, hoping that these artifacts could continue to contribute to international investigation and research. He said that both New York in the United States and mainland China had expressed willingness to cooperate or collect, but he ultimately chose Taiwan, stating, "Taiwan is what my heart most desires." Sakamoto, 78, personally introduced this selection of artifacts spanning Sulawesi and Kalimantan in Indonesia, as well as Tahiti in Polynesia and Mexico in Central America, sharing their craftsmanship, history, and material characteristics, adding important resources for Taiwan's Austronesian culture and cross-regional comparative research. Sakamoto explained that the donated items showcase "beaten bark paper," made by stretching bark into thin sheets using specialized beating tools, which differs from the traditional "laid-and-mould papermaking" technique. In the past, scholars often easily defined bark cloth as "primitive cloth from the transitional period before the advent of weaving technology," overlooking the profound spiritual beliefs and cultural significance behind it, making it worthy of contemporary in-depth exploration and attention. This complements the Southeast Asian collection and opens up cross-regional, interdisciplinary research. He mentioned that bark paper and cloth are formed by repeatedly beating bark with hard tools. The oldest stone beating tools discovered in the world were unearthed in the Fujian and Guangdong regions of China over 6,000 years ago. He also noted that the raw material for bark cloth, the mulberry tree, is found everywhere on the streets of Taitung. Taiwan has the richest potential for bark cloth research globally, but its research progress "may also be the most backward." Tsai Cheng-liang, director of the Museum of Prehistory, stated that collection is for cultural assets to be continuously understood, researched, and used on the basis of proper preservation. Sakamoto's donation transforms private guardianship across national borders into public cultural resources, making Taitung an important node connecting Taiwan, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Austronesian world. The museum hopes to continue to deepen international cooperation starting with this collection. He added that the museum's current bark cloth collection is mainly concentrated in Oceania, with relatively insufficient cultural and technical materials from Southeast Asia. This donation can strengthen the Southeast Asian aspect and complement the existing Iwasa collection and the museum's bark cloth collection, establishing a comparative perspective from Taiwan, Southeast Asia, to Oceania. Lin Rong-yi, a bark cloth craft artist invited to attend, expressed her surprise upon learning that Professor Sakamoto's research sites included Sulawesi, as she is planning a field visit to Sulawesi next year. She gratefully mentioned that it is this ancient craft of mulberry bark cloth that leads her to continue exploring deeply into Oceania and Southeast Asia. (Editor: Liu Hsiang-hua)