ISSN 0910-2566*Ji(*~r,t,&liJf~ttitmtig~*~:t4¥R~ ~85%
The University Museum, The University of Tokyo
Material Reports No. 85*Jj! J;:: ~ t{t -8-p}fmtt~ tg rJr ;15I...t;Jt~f&~ 18iljf*~ § fj

CATALOGUE OF THE NAMIO EGAMI COLLECTION

Part 1
Inner Mongolia

byYoshihiro Nishiaki, Hiroko Mikuni, and Yayoi Ogawa-1flnx23 ~*~2011 TOKYOII:!J:.

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i 1: l·.iJJl JdH·lJI I 11~ 1ft f'l-t:-:> 1,. ,-c• IThe Namio Egami Collection· 9/!°£1Xll~i (Plates l-104)
1J,J'~1 1i,~~1t (Expedition to Inner :\Iongolia)l ·Ii[ U&:J:: Jl lh;it1J,J·~ 11i,~1,J1tl½J;i11 1tt:f'I· (Egami's Inner Mongolian Collection)

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The N amio Egami Collection -Part 1: Inner Mongolia!f fYoshihiro Nishiaki
The University Museum
The University of Tokyo[ /·_ 1),f" 7.,) fl'Professor eme ritus Nam io Egami (1906-2002). former director of the University of Tokyo· s

1.fi+l:oInstitute of Oriental Culture has led an eventful life. and has made important contributions to thestudy of both Near- and Far Eastern history and archaeology. As a young man. in the period from: 1J')

1930 to 1944. he organized a series of scientific expeditions to Inner Mongolia. a then little explored

7., 0region. The purpose of the fieldwork was foremost to document the lives of traditional people. butarchaeology and natural history of the area received ample attention as well. The surveys and/}JJ'excavations of Olon Sum. the capi tal of the Onggi.it Nestorians in the Yuan period. in 1935. 1939
an d 1941. are the particularly noteworth y ones among others.

10,These ea rl y exp lora tion s were the basis for at least two of Egami· s main professional
accomplishments. F irst. on the basis of what he saw and learned in Mongolia. he proposed a tobecome infl uential theory regarding J a panese state fo r mation in the so-called Kofun period (ea.
300-700 A.D.). Accordin g to the theory. the first "king" derived from the nomadic horsemen from(T)the Eurasian continent. who would have invaded J apan via the Korean peninsula. Second. throughhis Mongolian adventures he acquired the skills for managing expeditions in isolated and desolateT)

areas. Moreover. he got interested in relations between the east and the west of Eu rasia. Afterthe Second World War. his expertise and new research objectives resulted in the first Japanesearchaeological expeditions to the Near East from 1956 onwar ds.

yThe present catalogue lists a selection of photographs and objects related to Inner Mongolia.
wh ich stems from a recently acquired donation of Egami ' s private collection. While the major
portions of the collection from his research in Inner Mongolia had already been donated in theearlie r years to the University of Tokyo along with to other institutions and museums in J apan.
this private collection reflects the heartland of Egami' s in terest in th is fascinating region. perfectly
supplementi ng those extant materials. The collection consists of 1678 specimens of ethnographic.
archaeological and his toric materials. incl uding sculpture. human figu rin es. a Chinese historicalmap. religious paintings. ancient Mongolian texts. Syriac inscription s. dried plants. weaponry. andan en igmatic mask of a Buddhist deity. A series of unique photographs depicting the life. work andsurrounding lan dscape of Mongolian nomads is also includ ed.

-9 -The Namio Egami Collection - Part 1: Inner Mongolia

Yoshihiro \Tishiaki
The University l\ Iuseum
The University of Tokyo

Professor eme ritus Namio Egami (1 906-2002). former director of th e University of Tokyo· sInstitute of Oriental C ulture has led an eventful life. a nd has made important contributions to thestudy of both ;sear- a nd Far Eastern history and archaeology. As a you ng man. in the period from1930 to 1944. he organized a series of scie ntific expeditions to Inner l\ longolia. a then little explored
region. The purpose of the fieldwork was foremost to document the lives of tradi tional people. buta rchaeology and natural his tory of the a rea received ample atte ntion as well. The surveys andexcavations of Olon Sum. the capital of the Onggut .:--Jestorians in the Yuan period. in 1935. 1939
and 1941. are the particula rl y notewor thy ones among others.

Th ese early ex plor a tions we r e the basis for at leas t two of Egami" s main professional
accomplishments. First. on the basis of w hat he saw a nd learned in \longolia. he proposed a tobecome influential theor·y regarding Japanese state fo r mation in the so-called Kofun period (ea.
300-700 A.D.). According to the theory. the first ··king" derived from the nomadic horse men fromthe Eurasian continent. who would have in vaded J a pan via the Korean peninsula. Second. throughhis \longolian adventures he acquired the skills for man aging expeditions in isolated and desolateareas. i\1oreover. he got interested in r elations be tween the east and the west of Eurasia. i\fterthe Second World \Var. his expert ise and new research objectives resu lted in the first Japanesea rchaeological expeditions to the ;,./ear East from 1956 onwa rds.

Th e p resent catalogue li sts a selection of photographs and objects related to Inner Mongolia.
which stems from a recently acqui red donation of Egami' s private collection. While the majorportions of the collection from his research in Inn er Mongolia had already been donated in theearlier years to the Un iversity of Tokyo alon g with to other institutions and museums in J a pan .
this pri vate collection refl ects the heartla nd of Egami· s interest in this fascinating region. perfectl ysupple me nt ing those extant materials. The collection consists of 1678 specimens of e thnographic.
arc haeolog ical an d historic materials. including sculpture. hum an fi gurines. a Chinese historicalmap. religious paintings. ancient Mongolia n texts. Syriac inscriptions. dried pla nts. weaponry. a nda n en igma tic mask of a Buddhist deity. A series of unique photographs depicting the life. work andsurrounding la ndscape of l\ Iongolian nomads is also included.

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