Mar. 13, 2006—Hewlett-Packard (HP) and the Kyoto International Culture Foundation debuted a program to preserve Japan?s heritage through the digital replication of fine art from 3,500 temples and shrines, beginning with artwork created between the 13th and 17th centuries.

The original paintings have been deteriorating because of the effects of time, climate, and air pollution and were in danger of being lost. The foundation chose HP for the Kyoto Digital Archive Project, initiated in 2000, because of the company?s ability to provide a complete fine art replication solution, including high-quality large-format printers and IT resources for long-term, secure storage.

The first digitally created prints were unveiled at a special preview event in New York City at the Japan Society, March 1.

Digital technology is ?finally at a stage where it can be applied to things that are meaningful, [such as our art, culture, and historical documents],? said Pradeep Jotwani, senior vice president, IPG supplies imaging and printing group, HP.

?HP is honored to be working on such a historically significant program with the Kyoto International Culture Foundation,? said Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president, imaging and printing group, HP. ?The technology we have developed enables us to produce reproductions with a depth of detail and color that makes them almost indistinguishable from the originals.?

The digital reproductions will be displayed in place of the originals at the Kyoto shrines while the original artwork will be moved to a more secure and controlled environment for preservation.

Three of the images?rarely seen outside of Japan?were displayed at the reception: ?The Five Great Guardian Gods of Buddhism? from the Daigo-ji Temple, classified as a national treasure in Japan; ?Tigers,? including ?Tiger Drinking Water,? by Tanyu Kano from the Nanzenji Temple, an important cultural property in Japan; and ?Landscape of Katata? by Tosa Mitsunobu from the Zuihouin House, Daitokuji Temple.

These are the first reproductions to be produced as part of a multi-year program. By collaborating with HP, the Kyoto International Culture Foundation will be able to use the fine art reproductions to share their cultural heritage with the approximately 40 million visitors who travel to the city every year. A major center of Japanese culture, Kyoto is home to a third of the country?s national treasures.

The process of replicating and storing artwork leverages HP?s capacity to provide a complete solution, featuring PCs, servers, storage devices, printers, and managed services.

Products used for the project included the xw4300 Workstation; the Compaq nx7200 Notebook; the mp2210 Digital Projector; the Officejet 6210 All-in-One printer; the ProCurve Networking by HP Switch 2724; the ProLiant ML100 server; and the Designjet 5500 UV 60" large-format printer with HP 83 UV ink.

To maintain the look and feel of the original artwork, the images were printed on Japanese Washi paper. A Japanese artist using traditional techniques completed the process with a gold leaf application.

The end result is a fine art replica that withstands the wear and tear of pollution, weather, and other causes of deterioration.