(iconology/iconography)
図像解釈学 is used as translation both for iconology and iconography. Generally speaking, iconography is "analysis and classificaion of images", on the other hand, iconology is considered as "more deep conceptual and symbolic interpretation", although the distinction between the two is not necessarily strict, in this point.
In historical and allegorical study, the primary and limited meaning of iconography is the documentation of images. Portraits on ancient medals and coins can be documents as much as photographs and films in modern and contemporary times.
In the second half of the 19th century, knowledge about various ancient civilizations was enlarged, thanks to the development of archaeology. Iconography, accompanying the path, developed as a discipline acquiring more historical and scientific preciseness in art history. In the 19th century, especially in the field of early Christian art full of conceptual meaning, iconography did not limit itself to the description and classification of themes, but extended to symbolical and allegorical meaning, so as to include both iconography and iconology in the contemporary world.
In the beginning of the 20th century, there was a movement to develop the study to be more complex as to comprehend not only the aesthetic value but also the contents of art works, considering religious and historical values of the civilization to which the art works belong. This happened as if against the current of formalistic criticism and concept of "pure visibility"(Sichtbarkeit) which became suddenly popular in art history of the period.This is the iconology in modern conception and to the generation of this study, there were big contributions of scholars of German language area.
Warburg, the founder of a private Warburg Library in Hamburg is said to be the first person to use the word "Iconologie" in modern meaning (in a form of adjective). What he aimed at was, to consider images transferring many study fields as folklore, ethnology, anthropology, psychology and so on. The library was succeeded by Saxl, Bing and Wind who are assistants of Warburg, though, in 1933, after the persecution by Nazi, moved to London and now became Warburg Institute annexed to London University, and is center of history of thought and iconological study. Erwin Panofsky, of the second generation of the study tried to raise the study as one independent discipline. He moved into the U.S.A. in 1933. Most scholars of iconology including Warburg were Jews and thus the center of iconological study moved to Anglo-Saxon countries such as the U.S.A. and the U.K.Ernst Gombrich who belonged to the third generation was director of Warburg Institute until he passed away in 2001. In Princeton University, where Panofsky taught in last years of his life, is situated the Index of Christian Art for the study of iconographical study for Christian Art. Another vast classification system of iconography, Iconclass, was edited in Amsterdam.
Also from the field of history, a movement of approaching actively to iconographical study treating images not as mere documents. First of all,scholars of Annales School in France, accomplished many studies treating the world of mentalité and immaginaire. Italian historians such as Carlo Ginzburg and Chiara Frugoni, through their close relationships with Annales School scholars and Warburg Institute, adopts actively iconological study. In Japan, historians of mediaeval Japan, around Kuroda Hideo made trial of iconological approach. Taki Koji, also, from the field of history of thoughts, makes very avanguard and analytic study of images,mostly in Modern and Contemporary periods.
(Iconological approach of the Society for Okinawan Iconography)
The society, first of all, aimed at letting know images to vast public, which were almost ignored in studies of Okinawa, and to study them from the viewpoint of art history. Most of those images are not masterpieces executed by court artist, and thus, more than the research on its artistic value of stylistic analysis, the reseach on its functions and meanings and their vicissitudes will be the main, and so the iconological and interpretational approach are to be taken.
Images until now researched are, as mentioned before, Buddhist images like Kannon (Abalokitesvara)（観音）, images derived from Taoism or Confucianism such as Guan Yu（関羽）, others associated with cults from mainland Japan, and various auspicious images. We still should consider some points in analysing and interpreting those images. Can we apply so-called iconological approach as it is? It may be frequent in popular cults, but especially in the cases in Okinawa, images in the places of ancestral worship are not necessarily understood and worshiped in its real meaning.
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