An Exhibition of Taiwan-Japan Dialogue on Ancient Artifacts

This exhibition is a cross-national and cross-institutional collaboration between the Shihsanhang Museum of Archaeology in Taiwan and the Miyazaki Prefectural Saitobaru Archaeological Museum in Japan. A total of 82 representative artifacts from Taiwan’s Shihsanhang Culture and Japan’s Kofun Period in Kyushu are showcased, revealing the cultural and spiritual connections between the peoples of the two regions from approximately 1,700 to 1,300 years ago.
The design of this exhibition catalog seeks to embody the poetic notion that “ancient objects lie quietly within time and earth, awaiting to be unearthed and heard.” The concept of “soil layers” and “cultural strata” runs throughout the publication. A series of papers with natural, earthy textures were carefully selected, while the color palette employs muted, warm earth tones to evoke the tactile memory of daily life, the impression of archaeological excavation, and the enduring link between land and history.
The dust jacket represents the first, surface layer of soil, evoking the texture and cracks of earth weathered over time. It highlights iconic ancient artifacts from both Taiwan and Japan. The printing process begins with silkscreening gold pigment, followed by a second layer of special foil stamping, creating a rich, multi-layered metallic reflection. This symbolizes the renewed brilliance of artifacts, their light reborn through the passage of time.
The book cover, akin to the second layer of soil—the gray clay stratum, uses thick gray cardstock. In contrast to the glittering gold of the dust jacket, the cover features only a simple debossed title, inviting a sense of calm and contemplation, echoing the serene atmosphere of artifacts resting within ancient tombs.
The endpapers, representing the third soil layer, are printed on textured Tishan paper with a soft, earthy hue and coarse touch, evoking the joy of unearthing treasures from the ground—an opening to the stories that follow. The catalog features trilingual text in Chinese, English, and Japanese. Each artifact is treated as a symbolic element, emphasizing its form and visual language. The clean, elegant layout allows each object’s story and spirit to be told with clarity and dignity.
People and things fade, but culture endures.