Revelation
ヨハネの黙示録
Revelation series
Sadao Watanabe made this series about Revelation chapter 22 around 1955-1957.
Standlee lantern slide collection
The images of this series are from the lantern slide collection of Earle and Mary Walker Standlee (Austin Seminary Archives in Austin, Texas, USA). Earle (1895-1988) and Mary Standlee (1906-1985) were in Japan from 1953 to 1957. During the three years in Japan Mary Walker Standlee had contact with Sadao Watanabe and wrote an article about Watanabe's art: A Talent For God. Presbyterian Survey 47, no. 9 (September 1957): 22-25. The lantern slide collection labels the prints shown on this page as a series about Revelation 22.
The Testament of Sadao Watanabe
In 1957 Andrew Headland jr. wrote an article for the Pacific Stars and stripes (edition April 17th): The Testament of Sadao Watanabe. The article shows a photo of Sadao Watanabe sitting at his desk with behind him four of his prints. According the article the prints are titled: Nature’s cathedral - disciples discoursing beside a stream, Angels in flight, A tree of life and Before Easter. Images of the prints on Headland's photo are also in the Standlee lantern slide collection as part of the Revelation 22 series.
The twelve prints
As in all his early works the prints were made with black ink on washi. The prints show Watanabe’s elaborate style of the mid-1950s. The design of the prints is complex and the stencils are cut detailed. The overall feeling is that of rhythm, movement and action. The prints are not signed nor dated. The size of the sheets is approx. 13 x 18 inches or 32 x 46 cms.
The series gives us some insight into the way Watanabe read and visualized Revelation 22. The designs leave a lot to the imagination, as it is not instantly clear how the prints are connected to the verses of Revelation 22. There is maybe one exception: the print with The tree of life, which could reflect Revelation 22,2: In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month (New King James translation).
The best way to view the prints is with Mary Standlee's citation in mind: “Watanabe-san asserts stoutly that his work is not symbolic, that it is purely his spiritual reaction to favorite Biblical themes, and that it defies analysis.”
Acknowledgements
For the images: Austin Seminary Archives, Stitt Library, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Austin, Texas, USA.
A tree of life.
Nature’s cathedral - disciples discoursing beside a stream.
Angels in flight.
Before easter.
The Testament of Sadao Watanabe
By Andrew Headland jr.
Pacific Stars and Stripes Staff Writer, Photo by the author
Christian forms of art are comparatively rare in Japan, a strongly Buddhist country. But the stencil paper prints of Sadao Watanabe, a Tokyo artist, are an exception.
Watanabe uses batik techniques to make prints based on Biblical subjects. Working in al little home studio in Shinjuku-ku, he turns out paper stencil prints designed in the tradition of Japanese folk art.
The artist tries to make his stencil prints living expressions of spiritual grace. Examples show Moses with the serpent of brass; John the Baptist beside a flowing stream; angelic spirits in flight.
On some prints he includes, in Japanese characters, Biblical quotations related to the subject matter. Most of his depictions are strong looking and serene in quality.
The artist learned his stencil technique while studying under Keisuke Serizawa, whose ability as a textile designer and dyer resulted in his being designated a "living treasure" of Japan.
Unlike Serizawa, Watanabe uses fabric material infrequently. Most of his impressions are made on strong handmade paper. He lays a stencil pattern on the paper, dabs it with rice paste, removes the stencil and later applies permanent type ink or other coloring. When the paste is washed off, only the natural tones of the paper remain, contrasted against darker coloring.
By these methods Watanabe has produced numerous scenes from the Old and New Testaments. He keeps a Japanese translation of the Bible near his work bench, frequently reading the book for inspriation which he interprets in art forms.
His work has attracted favorable attention during recent exhibitions attended by Americans visiting or stationed in Japan.
(...)
in: Pacific Stars and stripes (1957, april 17).
Revelation 22
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
6 The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”
7 “Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”
10 Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”
12 “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”
Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.
The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
ヨハネの黙示録 22
1 天使はまた、神と小羊の玉座から流れ出て、水晶のように輝く命の水の川をわたしに見せた。 2 川は、都の大通りの中央を流れ、その両岸には命の木があって、年に十二回実を結び、毎月実をみのらせる。そして、その木の葉は諸国の民の病を治す。 3 もはや、呪われるものは何一つない。神と小羊の玉座が都にあって、神の僕たちは神を礼拝し、 4 御顔を仰ぎ見る。彼らの額には、神の名が記されている。 5 もはや、夜はなく、ともし火の光も太陽の光も要らない。神である主が僕たちを照らし、彼らは世々限りなく統治するからである。
6 そして、天使はわたしにこう言った。「これらの言葉は、信頼でき、また真実である。預言者たちの霊感の神、主が、その天使を送って、すぐにも起こるはずのことを、御自分の僕たちに示されたのである。 7 見よ、わたしはすぐに来る。この書物の預言の言葉を守る者は、幸いである。」
8 わたしは、これらのことを聞き、また見たヨハネである。聞き、また見たとき、わたしは、このことを示してくれた天使の足もとにひれ伏して、拝もうとした。 9 すると、天使はわたしに言った。「やめよ。わたしは、あなたや、あなたの兄弟である預言者たちや、この書物の言葉を守っている人たちと共に、仕える者である。神を礼拝せよ。」 10 また、わたしにこう言った。「この書物の預言の言葉を、秘密にしておいてはいけない。時が迫っているからである。 11 不正を行う者には、なお不正を行わせ、汚れた者は、なお汚れるままにしておけ。正しい者には、なお正しいことを行わせ、聖なる者は、なお聖なる者とならせよ。
12 見よ、わたしはすぐに来る。わたしは、報いを携えて来て、それぞれの行いに応じて報いる。 13 わたしはアルファであり、オメガである。最初の者にして、最後の者。初めであり、終わりである。
14 命の木に対する権利を与えられ、門を通って都に入れるように、自分の衣を洗い清める者は幸いである。 15 犬のような者、魔術を使う者、みだらなことをする者、人を殺す者、偶像を拝む者、すべて偽りを好み、また行う者は都の外にいる。
16 わたし、イエスは使いを遣わし、諸教会のために以上のことをあなたがたに証しした。わたしは、ダビデのひこばえ、その一族、輝く明けの明星である。」 17 “霊”と花嫁とが言う。「来てください。」これを聞く者も言うがよい、「来てください」と。渇いている者は来るがよい。命の水が欲しい者は、価なしに飲むがよい。
18 この書物の預言の言葉を聞くすべての者に、わたしは証しする。これに付け加える者があれば、神はこの書物に書いてある災いをその者に加えられる。 19 また、この預言の書の言葉から何か取り去る者があれば、神は、この書物に書いてある命の木と聖なる都から、その者が受ける分を取り除かれる。
20 以上すべてを証しする方が、言われる。「然り、わたしはすぐに来る。」アーメン、主イエスよ、来てください。
21 主イエスの恵みが、すべての者と共にあるように。
© Executive Committee of the Common Bible Translation 共同訳聖書実行委員会 1987,1988
© Japan Bible Society 日本聖書協会 1987, 1988