unknown early 16th century <p>Japanese wakizashi, the hilt of the wakizashi consists of a wooden grip, which is covered with white ray-skin and is secured to the tang near the top by a short bamboo rod. The bamboo rod is bound with a piece of flat black silk tape. The hilt of the wakizashi is decorated with ornaments (menuki) made entirely of gilt. The obverse of the hilt is decorated with a lion passing in front of a clump of peony. Whilst the reverse of the hilt is decorated with another lion seated behind and partly hidden by a clump of peony. The ferrule (fuchi) at the top of the grip is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and has a copper top pierced to admit the tang. It is heavily decorated with embossed gilt and depicts a stream with reeds and other marsh and water plants growing from its banks. From one of two outcrops of rock, both covered with lichens, grows a willow tree bearing fruit; above the tree fly two egrets and on a bridge sits a third egret. The pommel (kashirm/kashire) fits over the end of the grip and is secured by binding tape. It, too, is made of shakudo (gold alloy) and is decorated with a similar scene to that on the ferrule. The guard consists of three parts. The slightly curved steel blade has a flat back and groove. The back and the groove are brightly burnished and this has revealed slight flaws in the metal. A double collar (niju-habaki) is decorated with diagonal scratching and sewn pellets. The wooden scabbard is covered with black lacquer. The tape used to secure the sword to the waistband is made of cord in two colours - mid-brown and fawn.</p> <p>The Imperial Japanese Naval Attaché, Rear-Admiral K. Oguri (active 1914) at Christmas in 1914, presented this wakizashi to Admiral of the Fleet Lord John Arbuthnot Fisher, Baron Fisher of Kilverstone (1841-1920) and his wife. The sword has been provisionally identified as having been made in the Bizen Province, Japan in the early part of the 16th century.</p> WPN1141 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Wakizashi (WPN1141) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1194.jpg Bizen Province, Japan wood; ray-skin; bamboo; silk tape; gilt; gold alloy (shakudo); copper; steel; lacquer; cord unknown 18th century <p>Scaphe dial. This dial has a hinged lid and contains a compass. The outer case is silver with brass rims and a brass push-button clasp. The outside is chased with decorative patterns and a dragon is set in relief on the underside. There is a small silver carrying loop on the top. The compass is set into the lid of the instrument. It has a blacked ring around it, in which are engraved 12 characters (these are the 12 Chinese characters for the hours). The compass itself is silver and has four characters marking the cardinal points. The blued needle is rusty and surmounted by a brass pivot. The glass plate is broken at one edge and held in place by a brass ring. The dial itself is of silvered brass and has a central depression surrounded by 12 Chinese hour characters (marking the directions, not the hours). The hour-lines are engraved in the bowl of the dial and are marked by five Japanese characters. A small vertical brass pin gnomon is set in the centre of the dial.</p> <p>The dial is marked, as normal for a Japanese instrument, with the unequal double hours of the Japanese time system. There are two dials of this type in the MHS, Oxford (new inventory nos 40627 and 48528), the latter being slightly larger than the present instrument.</p> <p>For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.</p> AST0527 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Georges Prin Collection Sundials Scaphe dial (AST0527) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/D/38/D3868.jpg Japan brass; silver; glass Miyagawa Kozan, born 1842 - died 1916 ca. 1900-1910 C.244-1910 Dingwall Gift Height 22.2 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL3860.jpg Japan Porcelain, with decoration in underglaze turquoise and brown Unknown 1937 In the 1930s kimono for young boys, such as this example, were often patterned with highly graphic propaganda images. Unusually, this kimono commemorates an actual event, the first aeroplane flight from Japan to Europe. The plane, called the 'kamikaze-go' flew from Tokyo to London, landing at Croydon airport on April 9th 1937 making its pilot, Masaaki Iinuma, a hero. The kimono is decorated with images of the plane and, in circles, Mount Fuji, Tower Bridge and the route of the flight, together with the British and French flags. The design also features block letters, in white on grey, which read '1937 Aorenraku 15000'. Aorenraku roughly translates to 'connections across the blue' and 15000 is the distance of the journey in kilometres. FE.2-2005 Width 78 cm (across shoulders) Length 72.5 cm (neck to hem at back) Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BK5211.jpg Japan Printed wool Unknown 18th century This is an unusually mounted Japanese companion sword, known as a wakizashi. The blade is unsigned and very worn. The scabbard is covered with lacquered rayskin and decorated with what appear to be miscellaneous pieces of sword-fittings (mostly of iron and patinated copper) which have no coherent theme and seem randomly applied. It is possible that they were added to the scabbard after manufacture. After 1876 when the samurai were abolished as a class and the wearing of swords was prohibited there was very little further demand for swords and sword-fittings. Many craftsmen turned their hands to the newly arrived market of foreigners who avidly collected anything Japanese. Daggers were worn both by samurai and non-samurai including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades so the unusual decoration of this wakizashi would indicate that it was not for a samurai, but it is so oddly decorated that we must assume it was intended for sale to a western visitor to Japan in the late 19th century. 685 to B-1908 (Scabbard) Length 45.1 cm (overall) (Sword) Length 28.1 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9347.jpg Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, covered in ray skin, with metal fittings of iron and patinated copper Toyokazu ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a dragon in a Chinese lantern plant. The great skill of this netsuke carver lay in contrasting the shape and texture of this apparently unlikely combination of subjects. The dragon is one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac in Chinese cosmology. In a recurring cycle of 12, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order. The traditional order is the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with New Year festivities of the appropriate year, but could also be used any time during that particular year. It could also be used again in 12 years time in accordance with the cycle. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed by the craftsman. This example is signed ‘Toyokazu’. Toyokazu was a carver of Tanba province, who was active from the mid- to late 19th century. He is thought to have been a pupil of Naito Toyomasa (1773-1856), who was largely responsible for the fame of netsuke in Tanba province. A.54-1952 Shipman Gift Height 4.0 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0447.jpg Japan Carved and stained wood Arai, Junichi (maker) NUNO Corporation (manufacturer) 1979 Junichi Arai was born in Kiryu in 1932 in the centre of Japan's traditional weaving area. Arai is an acknowledged leader in the field of experimental weaving technology, combining traditional and futuristic, often with unexpected qualities. He worked closely with the fashion designer Issey Miyake in the 1980s. This piece is a multi-textured monochrome patchwork quilt, in which threads of different weights and tensions create a pucker and warp effect. It is a successful combination of synthetic and natural materials, with elasticity and soft textures. The fabric is a simple plain weave with a variation in the individual squares deriving from the subtly different personalities of the yarns used. T.148-1990 Given by the manufacturer Length 332 cm Width 68 cm Loom-width http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1248.jpg Japan Woven cotton and polyester Unknown 1860-1880 This decorative cloisonné vase is one of a pair (Museum no.1273A-1886). The eggshell blue enamel ground is decorated with copper wires within which coloured enamels have been inlaid. The naturalistic decoration depicts the Japanese crane among bamboo, together with summer flowers such as peonies and convolvulus. By the 1880s, these types of motifs, so evocative in the Western mind of Japan, were combined with earlier styles of geometric patterns. The abstract border motifs are inspired by earlier Chinese styles and the rim and foot-ring of the vase have been gilded. Before the early 1800s Japanese enamelling on metal had been restricted to small decorative pieces. By about 1860 larger-scale wares were being produced with designs based on Chinese prototypes. These were increasingly decorated with naturalistic scenes including animals, insects and plants. Objects such as this vase were exported to the West, where they in turn influenced manufacturers such as Elkingtons. This vase was part of an enormous group of objects (although only a few of them were Japanese) bequeathed to the V&A in 1885 by Joshua Dixon, a successful cotton merchant. Born in Dalston, north-east London, Dixon died on his estate of Winslade Park in Somerset and left his collection initially to the Bethnal Green Museum, which is part of the V&A, for the 'benefit of the people of East London.' 1273-1886 Bequeathed by Joshua Dixon Height 26.8 cm Width 11.2 cm (base) Diameter 16.9 cm (maximum) Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5777.jpg Japan Nagoya, Japan Cloisonné enamels on copper, with gilded copper rims Yukinaka, born active by about 1725 1700-1750 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also balances the weight of the blade and protects the hand from an opponent's blade. The pierced style of iron tsuba like this dates back to the late 15th century and has its origins in the schools of Kyoto metalworkers. The decoration of gourds and leaves entwined around bamboo has been carefully executed to include the leaves of the pauwlonia tree. People The tsuba was made by Kaneko Jurobei of Hagi in Choshu Province using the art name 'Yukinaka'. In 1888, when the V&A bought the collection of 92 tsuba of H. Virtue Tebbs, it more than doubled the Museum's holdings of these items. Time This tsuba was made around the middle of the 17th century at a time when the tsuba had become an expressive medium for metalworkers. Tsuba also reflected their owners' social standing and personal taste. By the late 19th century tsuba had become redundant in Japan, but were avidly collected by westerners fascinated by a new art form and which lent itself to the Victorian passion for collecting and cataloguing objects of interest. 1410-1888 Height 8.2 cm Depth 0.4 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6403.jpg Hagi, Japan Iron, with shakudo (patinated alloy of copper and gold) and copper Unknown 1750-1820 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also balances the weight of the blade and protects the hand from an opponent's blade. This tsuba is of patinated copper with a nanako (fish-roe) type of ground with a design in relief of flowers and grasses, some of which are gilt-decorated. People This tsuba is in the style of the Goto school of metalworkers, the official makers of sword-fittings for the shogun's court. Following the dissolution of the samurai in 1876 and the prohibition of the wearing of swords, many former samurai sold their swords and sword fittings. Many of these objects reached Europe, where they were eagerly collected. This piece formed part of a group of 92 tsuba sold to the V&A in 1888 by H. Virtue Tebbs.This purchase more than doubled the Museum's collection of such items. Time This unsigned tsuba was made in the early 19th century. By the late 19th century tsuba had become redundant in Japan, but were avidly collected by westerners fascinated by a new art form that lent itself to the Victorian passion for collecting and cataloguing objects of interest. 1457-1888 Height 7.4 cm Width 6.6 cm Depth 0.5 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6396.jpg Japan Patinated copper, with nanako ground and relief decoration in gilt, shakudo and copper Michitoshi, born active by 1825 1800-1850 Object Type The main function of the tsuba is to prevent the warrior's hand from sliding up on to the blade of the sword during combat. It also serves to balance the weight of the blade and, to some extent, protect the hand from an opponent's blade. This tsuba is made of brass in the form of a bell and is inlaid with gold, silver and shakudo with raised decoration of a snake with gold and shakudo eyes and a copper tongue. People The tsuba is signed 'made by Michitoshi' and is of a type worn on swords carried by rich merchants or by samurai when away from the shogun's court. It formed part of a group of 92 tsuba sold to the V&A in 1888 by H. Virtue Tebbs. This purchase more than doubled the Museum's collection of such objects. Time Following the dissolution of the samurai in 1876 and the prohibition of the wearing of swords, many former samurai sold their swords and sword fittings. Many of these objects reached Europe, where they were eagerly collected. In typical Victorian fashion, British collectors became obsessed with collecting and cataloguing this new art form. 1461-1888 Height 7.6 cm Width 7 cm Depth 1 cm Sword guard Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6398.jpg Japan Brass, inlaid with gold and silver, with relief decoration of a snake with gold and shakudo eyes and a copper tongue Unknown 1590-1630 Object Type This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving. Place Bizen is located near the coast of Japan's Inland Sea a little over 100 kilometres west of Osaka. It has long been known for its deposits of high quality iron-bearing clay. This turns a distinctive reddish brown colour when fired. Natural ash glazing and irregular scorching of the clay surface are achieved by the use of a wood-firing kiln. Historical Associations This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 189&A-1877 Height 7.8 cm Diameter 5.7 cm Tea caddy http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7754.jpg Bizen, Japan Stoneware, with a natural ash glaze and ivory lid Unknown 1650-1800 Object Type This tea caddy was made to contain the finely powdered green tea used in the making of so-called thick tea in the Japanese tea ceremony. This involves scooping and pouring the powdered tea from the caddy into a ceramic bowl. Hot water is added and the mixture is worked into a viscous suspension with a bamboo whisk. The one bowlful of tea is usually shared by four or five guests. Japanese ceramic tea caddies are small because they are required to hold tea for only one serving. Place The Takatori kilns are located in the northern part Kyushu, the westernmost of Japan's four main islands. They were founded at the beginning of the 17th century and have long been known for their elegant and finely potted tea ceramics. Historical Associations This tea caddy was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some, like this piece, were old, but the majority were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 216-1877 Height 5.6 cm Diameter 6.7 cm Tea canister http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7753.jpg Japan Stoneware, with ash and iron glazes, and ivory lid Unknown 1850-1870 Object Type Late 19th-century Japanese export fans were made in a wide variety of materials and forms. This fan has a double leaf painted with a different design on either side. Although it has relatively simple bamboo sticks, the guards, which would have been visible even when the fan was closed, are very ornate. The use of ivory encrusted with hardstones and other materials was a style of workmanship especially popular in the West. The high level of ornamentation on export fans is very different from what is found on fans for the native Japanese market. The use of subject matter such as women wearing kimono is also more typical of export than domestic products. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods in various media. These were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. 2279-1876 Given by Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt and Lady Wyatt Height 27.2 cm Width 42.2 cm (maximum, open) Depth 2.4 cm (maximum, open) Length 13 cm (tassel) Fan http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6387.jpg Japan Bamboo, painted silk, ivory encrusted with hardstones, horn and coloured ivory Unknown 1800-1850 Object Type The distinctive colour scheme of this dish is characteristic of one of several important varieties of ceramics made at the Kutani kilns from the early 19th century onwards. The Kutani kilns are located to the southwest of Kanazawa on the Japan Sea side of Japan's central island of Honshu. The styles of this piece, as well as of other kinds of Kutani ware are based on 17th-century originals produced in the western Japanese porcelain kilns of Arita. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods, together with a lively trade in older works of art. These were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. At the Paris International Exhibition of 1878, the French designer Joseph-Théodore Deck (1823-1891) showed ceramics based directly on Kutani wares. Historical Associations This dish was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 310-1877 Height 24.3 cm Width 24.5 cm Depth 4.2 cm Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9230.jpg Japan Porcelain, decorated in overglaze enamels Unknown 1860-1880 Object Type This decorative dish was made using many of the techniques found in the manufacture of traditional Japanese sword fittings. Silver was always regarded as a luxury commodity in Japan and was generally used only for inlay, so the use of silver for a single large object is significant. The rim of the dish is modelled as a piece of bamboo and the surface decoration is a naturalistic depiction of birds and wisteria (in various patinated alloys of copper and gold, some applied in relief) together with bamboo (executed in chisel cuts in imitation of brushstrokes, in a technique known as katakiri-bori). People Although we do not know the maker or manufacturer of this piece, it was part of a larger group of Japanese objects acquired from Londos & Co., with whom the designer Christopher Dresser (1834-1904) had close links. Many of the objects offered were rejected by the V&A as the acquisition of these objects raised questions about 'purchasing novelties in manufacture.' Time This dish is typical of the types of Japanese objects with naturalistic designs (which inspired contemporary British designers) being exported to the West around 1880 . The V&A paid what at that time was the considerable sum of £18.00 for the dish. 354-1880 Depth 2.5 cm Diameter 20 cm Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6976.jpg Japan Silver, with incised and applied decoration in patinated copper, silver and gilt, with shibuichi foot ring Kanzan workshop ca. 1875 Object Type This vase is a good example of late19th-century Japanese export porcelain. It was made in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital, which had grown into an important centre of ceramic manufacture during the 17th century. It is one of a pair of vases decorated with an astonishing degree of skill, with naturalistic bird and flower studies framed within a stylized border. The subject matter and treatment of the painted panels is similar to that found in Japanese illustrated books of the kind that were arousing much interest in the West at the time. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge expansion in the manufacture of export goods in ceramics and other media. These were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a central role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. Historical Associations This vase was one of over 200 Japanese ceramics bought by the V&A after they had been shown at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in the United States in 1876. Some were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The collection was assembled by the Japanese with funds sent from Britain. 369A-1877 Height 37 cm Width 18 cm Diameter 13.5 cm (base) Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5318.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Porcelain, decorated in overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case lacquered wood. The design of the moon behind a tree cleverly continues around the back, encouraging the viewer to turn it over. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something useful for actually combing the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hair-dos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of the wearer and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by Western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or from shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. 38-1888 Height 4.5 cm Width 12.1 cm Depth 0.3 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8018.jpg Japan Lacquer on a wood base, decorated with gold and silver hiramaki-e and togidashi-e lacquer Unknown 1800-1850 Object Type Writing boxes of this kind were not used in Japan. They were made especially for export to the West, where Japanese lacquer had been admired since the end of the 16th century. The coloured mother-of-pearl design of birds and foliage is typical of early 19th-century lacquer objects made for foreign customers. Time During the late 17th century Dutch merchants were the only Europeans allowed to trade in Japan. Rising prices meant that no Japanese lacquer was officially exported after 1693. As a substitute, merchants turned to cheaper and inferior products made in China. However, during the 18th and 19th centuries, Dutch merchants were able to use their privileged position to place private orders for objects like this box. Places Japanese export wares were shipped abroad from Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour. By the late 18th century a new type of export work, called 'Nagasaki lacquer', had developed there. It is characterised by extremely thin and strikingly coloured pieces of pearl shell inlaid into black lacquer. The main parts of the design were also often underpainted. 51:1 to 3-1852 Height 14.8 cm Width 42.2 cm Depth 25.4 cm Writing box http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9070.jpg Nagasaki (city), Japan Wood, covered with black lacquer and inlaid with under-painted mother-of-pearl Unknown 1850-1867 Object Type This Japanese textile is a fukusa or gift cover. In the Edo period (1615-1868) the exchange of gifts was an important social ritual. Gifts were usually presented in a box on a tray over which the fukusa would be placed. The choice of a fukusa appropriate to the occasion was an important part of the gift-giving ceremony. The richness of the decoration was an indication of the donor's wealth and the design showed evidence of their taste and cultural sensitivity Materials & Making Many fukusa are embroidered. Much of the design in this example has been executed in gold thread, which looks dazzling against the black velvet ground. The thread consists of a silk core wrapped in paper and gold leaf. It has been laid on the surface of the fabric and attached with tiny stitches, a technique called couching. The three-dimensional effect was achieved by padding out various parts of the design with cotton prior to embroidering. Subjects Depicted This fukusa depicts the legend of Jo and Uba. They were an old couple who lived a long and happy life together. When they died their spirits occupied the old pine tree on the island where they had lived. On moonlit nights they returned in human form to clear the forest floor, Jo raking in the good and Uba sweeping out the bad. The story symbolises conjugal harmony and long life. 701-1868 Height 76 cm Width 67.1 cm Depth 1.5 cm Gift cover Fukusa http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7764.jpg Japan Velvet, embroidered with coloured silk and gold-wrapped thread Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type In Japan, where this length of silk crepe was made, the material would have been used to make a kimono. It contains enough cloth to make one garment. Both sexes wore kimono, but the design of this particular length of fabric suggests that it would have been used for a woman's clothing. Materials & Making The pattern of bamboo and flowering trees was created using a resist-dyeing technique. Rice paste was applied to certain parts of the cloth to form a protective coating that prevented penetration of the dye. Once the dye was dry the paste was washed away. Different areas were protected at various stages of the patterning process. Time Japanese objects were imported into Britain in large numbers in the second half of the 19th century. Japanese dyed textiles were very different from those made in Britain. The bold design and bright colours of this length of cloth would have been highly appealing. Fabrics like this would have been used to make exotic garments or used for interior decoration. Historical Associations Japan was keen to show off its textile skills at the big exhibitions that took place in Europe in the 19th century. This length was shown at the Paris International Exhibition of 1867 where it was bought by the Museum. 842-1869 Length 1800 cm Width 47 cm Kimono fabric http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1240.jpg Japan Silk crepe, with resist-dyed decoration Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type The small size of this chest of drawers suggests that it was designed as a decorative rather than a functional item. It was made specifically for export to the West and is typical of the kind of object made in response to the growing overseas demand for Japanese products. Time In the 1850s Japan opened its ports to foreign trade. As a mass of goods and information about the country reached the West, a craze for all things Japanese swept across Britain, Europe and the United States. In the second half of the19th century craftsmen in Japan made large numbers of objects that catered for this taste. Many of these, like this chest of drawers, were relatively cheap and affordable. Historical Associations Japan was eager to take advantage of the western fascination for its products and exhibited many objects at the big exhibitions that took place in Europe and the United States in the 19th century. Japan organised its first display for the Paris International Exhibition of 1867. This chest of drawers was one of the objects exhibited on that occasion. The Japanese display was very successful and the V&A bought a number of objects, including nine straw-work boxes and cabinets. 847:1 to 6-1869 Height 13.1 cm Width 14 cm Depth 7.6 cm Miniature chest of drawers http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT8587.jpg Japan Straw-work on a wood base Gensaiken, born active 1858 (decorator) 1850-1865 Object Type In Japan tea is traditionally drunk from small bowls such as this. This example was made in Satsuma in Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan's four main islands. The ceramics first made in Satsuma in the 17th century were usually plain. By the second half of the 19th century, when this bowl was made, Satsuma potters were decorating their works in enamels and gilt. Subjects Depicted This bowl is decorated with two carp. The carp is highly prized in Japan and is associated with a Chinese legend in which any fish able to leap over the famous longmen waterfall was transformed into a dragon. The story, known as 'Climbing the Dragon Gate', was a metaphor for success and advancement. Time After Japan opened its ports to foreign trade in the 1850s, a craze for all things Japanese swept across Britain, Europe and the United States. Japan was eager to exploit this enthusiasm and discovered that the big international exhibitions that took place in Europe and America in the second half of the 19th century were an ideal opportunity to promote its products. Japan organised its first display for the Paris Exhibition of 1867. Satsuma had its own section at the show and exhibited many works by its potters, including this bowl. The success of the 1867 display initiated a great vogue in the West for highly decorated Satsuma ceramics. They became so popular that other potteries in Japan began to copy them. 866-1869 Height 4.9 cm Diameter 9.5 cm Tea bowl http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5954.jpg Satsuma, Japan Earthenware, with a crackled cream glaze and decoration in overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1850-1867 Object Type This stacking cabinet is a variation on a cabinet for the incense game. It contains small boxes within boxes to hold incense woods, and an outer tray in the form of a table with legs. Time The opening up of Japan in the mid-1850s after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world triggered a huge interest in Japanese art and design. Western collectors, artists and designers particularly admired lacquer, for which they had no equivalent. But while they appreciated such objects for their craftsmanship and design, they would not have understood their original function. Historical Associations This stacking cabinet was one of a group of objects displayed by the Japanese at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. This and subsequent international exhibitions were largely responsible for introducing Japanese art to the Western public. Lacquerwork formed a central part of the Japanese displays at these exhibitions. Some examples were old, but the majority, like this piece, were new or nearly new. The V&A acquired 20 items of Japanese lacquerwork from the Paris Exhibition. 875 to J-1869 Height 12.4 cm Width 13 cm Depth 8.9 cm Stacking cabinet http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU5841.jpg Japan Wood, covered with black lacquer, with gold hiramaki-e, togidashi-e and takamaki-e lacquer decoration Unknown 1860-1867 Object Type This dish is typical of objects manufactured for export to the West at the end of the 19th century. It has no real function and was made for purely decorative purposes. The combination of tortoiseshell and lacquer decorated with peacocks embodied the exoticism that the West associated with Japan. Places Since the early 17th century trade with Europe had only been permitted through the Dutch base on the island of Deshima in Nagasaki harbour. Apart from very high-quality items that were made to order in Kyoto, Nagasaki was the source of most Japanese export lacquerware. With the opening up of Japan in the 1850s, Nagasaki was nominated as one of three official ports through which trade with the West could be conducted. In the late 19th century it also became a major centre for the production of gold lacquer applied to an ivory or tortoiseshell ground. Historical Associations This dish was one of a group of objects displayed by the Japanese at the Paris Exhibition of 1867. The Japanese exhibits were enormously popular. This and subsequent international exhibitions were largely responsible for introducing Japanese art to the Western public. The V&A bought 20 items of Japanese lacquerwork from the Paris Exhibition. 887-1869 Height 6 cm Diameter 30.5 cm (maximum) Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU5822.jpg Nagasaki (city), Japan (probably) Tortoiseshell, with gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e lacquer, inlaid with mother-of-pearl Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials such as lacquer or ivory, as in this case. The decoration of cranes symbolises long life. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed Japonisme. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 91-1888 Height 6.1 cm Width 14.5 cm Depth 0.4 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8019.jpg Japan Carved and incised ivory, with openwork Unknown 1800-1880 Object type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case ivory decorated in gold lacquer with a pattern of maple leaves. This motif is found in the work of British architects and designers such as Edward W. Godwin (1833-1886). Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 92-1888 Height 4.5 cm Width 9.2 cm Depth 0.5 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6837.jpg Japan Ivory, painted with gold lacquer and pigments Unknown 1800-1880 Object Type This is a typical 19th-century Japanese ornamental comb. Combs were often made of luxurious and eye-catching materials, in this case blond tortoiseshell decorated with gold lacquer. Ownership & Use This type of comb was meant to be used as a decorative hair ornament rather than as something with which to actually comb the hair. Combs became popular with the emergence of elaborate hairdos during the 17th century. They complemented the elegant kimono of their wearers and were usually used in combination with ornate hairpins and bodkins. Time In the mid-1850s Japan was opened up after more than two centuries of seclusion from the rest of the world. The passion for all things Japanese that this triggered in the West was termed 'Japonisme'. Japanese art objects were avidly bought by western collectors, artists and designers from specialist dealers or shops such as Liberty's. Kimono and dress accessories were regarded as the embodiment of Japanese femininity. Combs were pretty items that could be bought relatively cheaply. 94-1888 Height 3.5 cm Width 10.1 cm Depth 0.4 cm Comb http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8017.jpg Japan Blond tortoiseshell, with gold hiramaki-e and takamaki-e decoration Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This cup and saucer is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain that was made in connection with the growing European interest in tea drinking in the early 18th century. Japanese export cups of this early period did not have handles. The blue, red and gold colour scheme is typical of the so-called Imari style, which was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place The Imari style is named after the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 to the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.112&A-1912 Marie Adeline Dumergue Bequest (Cup) Height 4 cm (Cup) Diameter 7.6 cm (maximum) (Saucer) Diameter 12.5 cm (Saucer) Depth 2.6 cm Cup and saucer http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM3287.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This bottle, of a type made solely for export, is one of a pair (C.1518-1910) previously in the collection of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace. The small chrysanthemum-shaped stopper echoes the chrysanthemum design that appears on one of the four sides. The designs on the three other sides feature the peony, prunus and squirrel-and-vine. The blue, red and gold Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1517-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 24 cm (including inserted stopper) Width 10.8 cm Depth 10.8 cm Bottle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9019-1.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue and overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1700-1725 Object Type This large covered jar is one of a set of five (C.1520&A to 1525&A-1910) and is a splendid example of the type of porcelain made in early-18th-century Japan for export to Europe. Wares of this shape and size would not have been marketed in Japan. The areas of dark blue were achieved by painting with cobalt oxide under a clear glaze and firing to a high temperature in a reducing atmosphere. The gold, red and other enamel colours were applied and fused on in subsequent, low-temperature firings. The distinctive so-called Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time During the 18th century, when this vase was made, merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced from 1639 until the mid-1850s. European hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1521&A-1910 Salting Bequest Height 72.6 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AK4925.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels and gilding Unknown 1680-1700 Object Type This teapot is typical of the kind of Japanese porcelain made in connection with the growing interest in tea-drinking in late 17th-century Europe. The use of bright enamel colours on a fine white body is characteristic of the so-called Kakiemon style. This takes its name from the family of decorators reputed to have introduced the techniques of overglaze enamelling to Arita in western Japan in the 1640s. Kakiemon-style wares were the costliest and most sought after of all Japanese export ceramics. They were widely copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Kakiemon-style wares were transported by sea from Imari, the port nearest to Arita. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s, merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced during this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.413&A-1909 Height 9.5 cm Width 14.3 cm (including handle and spout) Depth 8.2 cm Teapot http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU8417.jpg Arita, Japan (teapot) Europe (mounts) Porcelain, with Kakiemon-style decoration, and silver-gilt mounts Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 Tsutaya Juzaburo, born active by 1804 (publisher) 1858 Object Type Japanese woodblock prints were commercial productions made for popular consumption. They were made by artists, block cutters and printers working independently to the instructions of specialist publishers. The popularity of landscape prints in 19th-century Japan was a reflection of the growth of travel and the associated demand for depictions of famous beauty spots. Place The Satta Pass and the wild sea below it was a well-known location on the Tokaido highway. This main route along the eastern seaboard of Japan connected Edo (modern Tokyo) and Kyoto. The pass was created in 1655 to improve the road at this point. Mount Fuji can be seen rising majestically in the background. Time This print was published in Edo just at the time that commercial and diplomatic ties were being established between Japan and western nations in the mid to late 1850s. During the second half of the 19th century large numbers of prints were exported to Europe and the United States. They were avidly sought out by western collectors, artists and designers, and played a major role in the development of 'Japonisme' and then art nouveau. E.1275-1922 Height 38 cm (unframed) Width 25.5 cm (unframed) The Sea at Satta in Suruga Province Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7637.jpg Japan Block print on paper Konoike (of Yokohama) 1890-1895 Object Type This silver teapot was made in Japan at the end of the 19th century specifically for export to Britain.The design of chrysanthemums is a traditional Japanese one, but the form of the vessel is western. Time By the time that this teapot was made in the 1890s Japanese crafts had undergone three decades of dramatic change. Revolution in Japan in 1868 had brought an end to feudal rule and the start of a period of modernisation along western lines. Old systems of patronage disappeared and traditional objects became obsolete. Craftsmen turned their skills to the making of decorative objects for the expanding export market. The silversmith Konoike, who made the body of this teapot, was one such craftsman. He was based in the great trading port of Yokohama near Tokyo. People Konoike was specially commissioned to make this teapot by Liberty and Company. This famous London shop was founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Liberty's specialised in selling goods imported from Asia and played an important part in fostering the late 19th-century craze for all things Japanese. From the 1880s Liberty also began to commission works from British designers, particularly those whose work was influenced by Japanese art. M.32-1973 Height 10.2 cm Width 15 cm (including spout and handle) Depth 9.2 cm Diameter 6.4 cm (base) Teapot http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM7948.jpg Yokohama, Japan Silver repoussé Unknown ca. 1800-1880 Object Type In Japan, ravelling tea sets of this kind are associated with the cult of the tea ceremony. The tea ceremony usually takes place in a specially-built tea room, but there are times when it is practised in the open air as part of an outing to view cherry blossoms, the moon or maple leaves. It is on these occasions that tea sets like this are used. Time By the 19th century, when this set was made, the tea ceremony was practised by large numbers of Japanese. It was an elegant pastime, but no longer an elitist one, as it had been during the 16th and 17th centuries. Many 19th-century western collectors of Japanese art were dismissive of the often austere utensils used in the tea ceremony. This set, however, would have been appealing for its compactness of design and relatively ornate qualities. Christopher Dresser (1834-1904), who visited Japan in 1876, is known to have designed a travelling tea service influenced by Japanese prototypes. Use The contents of this tea set are different from what you would find in a western equivalent. This is because the Japanese tea ceremony involves the preparation and drinking not of steeped tea, but of finely powdered green tea and hot water whipped up in a tea bowl with a bamboo whisk. M.39:1 to 21-1965 Given by Miss J. F. Newcombe (Box) Height 11.2 cm (Box) Width 19.3 cm (Box) Depth 11.5 cm (Kettle) Height 9.5 cm (Kettle) Width 11.4 cm (including spout) (Kettle) Depth 10 cm (excluding spout) (Saucepan) Height 5.6 cm (Saucepan) Width 11.5 cm (including handle) (Saucepan) Depth 9 cm (including spout) (Tea bowl) Height 5.3 cm (Tea bowl) Diameter 10.4 cm (Whisk) Length 8.9 cm (Whisk) Diameter 3 cm (Container) Height 9.6 cm (Container) Diameter 3.9 cm (Bag) Height 7.1 cm (Bag) Diameter 2.5 cm (Cloth) Height 28 cm (Cloth) Width 26.7 cm (Tea caddy) Height 5.5 cm (Tea caddy) Diameter 3.5 cm (Stand) Height 11.1 cm (assembled) (Stand) Width 9.5 cm (assembled) (Stand) Depth 9.5 cm (assembled) Travelling tea service http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL8244.jpg Japan (Box) Wood, gold lacquer and gold and silver kirikane (Kettle) Patinated copper (Saucepan) Silver gilt (Tea bowl) Stoneware, with grey glaze, incised (Whisk) Bamboo (Container) Cloisonné, with silk cloth (Tea caddy) Pewter (Stand) Iron (Scoop) Wood From Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara) was one of the principal bodhisattvas of Mahayana Buddhism in east Asia. In Jōdo ('Pure Land') Buddhism he often appears with the bodhisattva Seishi (Sanskrit: Mahasthamaprapta) flanking the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) in a triad welcoming the souls of the dead into the Western Paradise. In this statue, Kannon is shown in traditional welcoming posture and originally held a lotus flower which had the power to carry the faithful to paradise. The structural technique used is yosegi zukuri, which means that the statue is made of hollow components fitted together. The decoration on the robes, consisting of leaves, waves, hatching and linked swastikas, is all of gold foil typical of sculpture of the Kamakura period (1185-1333). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1886.3-22.7 Height: 87.000 cm The bodhisattva Kannon http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154909_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Kamakura period, late 12th century - 13th century AD The central figure is the three-faced, four-armed bodhisattva Kannon (Sanskrit: Avalokiteshvara). In Japanese Buddhism Kannon is shown in may different forms. Here, he is shown as Fukūkensaku ('with the Never-empty Noose'), carrying in one hand the rope with which he captures the hearts and minds of the faithful. He sits on a white lotus on a high rock which together suggest the 'Great Womb Mandala', the central image of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Bottom right stands Bishamon-ten (Vaishravana), Guardian King of the North, sword in hand. Bottom left stands the bodhisattva Shu Kongō (Vajrapani) on an earthen mound grasping a vajra (thunderbolt). These two figures appear to be based on ninth-century clay sculptures in Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara. The painting has some interesting technical details. The artist has applied white paint through from the back of the silk (urahaku) to represent the skin of the central figure, which he has then shaded rose-colour on the surface and outlined with vermilion. The lotus petals are brightened with lines of silver paint, and in many cases the coloured outlines are drawn first then filled in. The brushwork of the rocks is particularly skilful. The back of the silk is painted with gold to strengthen the colours. The painting is a fine example of an artist of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) adapting the earlier styles of the Nara period (710-94). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Brooke Sewell Bequest Fund Height: 1230.000 mm Width: 874.000 mm Fukūkensaku Kannon with two Guardian Deities, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps150553_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, late 12th century - 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD389 (1967.2-13.02) Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD, or later Following his victory in the civil wars between his own Minamoto clan and the Taira clan in 1185, Yoritomo (1147-99) founded a new system of warrior rule in Kamakura. This ended a period of some 600 years of centralized authority of the imperial court at Kyoto. Yoritomo is here shown seated on a tatami dais, wearing sokutai formal court costume and cap, and carrying a ceremonial board (shaku). The decorated hilt of a long sword (efu no tachi) juts forward from his waist. The inscription above in coloured cartouches celebrates his military prowess and political authority. This is a copy of one of a set of three hanging scrolls (designated in Japan as 'National Treasures') preserved at Jingōji Temple in Kyoto. The three scrolls are traditionally said to depict Minamoto no Yoritomo, Taira no Shigemori and Fujiwara no Mitsuyoshi. According to tradition, they were painted by the court portraitist Fujiwara no Takanobu (1142-1205) or, alternatively, they may have been dedicated at the new Sentō'in sub-temple of Jingō-ji, founded about 1230. However, there has recently been a lively debate in Japan about the Jingō-ji scrolls. A new theory suggests that they may depict members of the succeeding Ashikaga dynasty: Ashikaga Tadayoshi, Ashikaga Takauji and Ashikaga Yoshiakira respectively. The theory also suggests that the paintings were donated to the temple by Tadayoshi in 1345. The inscription on this copy, clearly identifying the sitter as Yoritomo, has been used to support the traditional attribution. However, recent conservation and analysis of this scroll in the Oka Studio at the Kyoto National Museum have revealed physical characteristics which suggest that the copy may have been made as late as the Edo period (1600-1868). The original identity of the sitter is still hotly debated. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Purchased with the assistance of G. Eumorphopolous and the National Art Collections Fund Height: 1450.000 mm Width: 885.000 mm Minamoto no Yoritomo in court dress, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344485_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, 14th century AD, or later British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD10 (1920.7-13.01) Unknown 1600-1630 Object Type Most Japanese export lacquer was made to order in forms suited to Western interiors and lifestyles. This object corresponds to the basin of a European metalwork basin and ewer set, which would be used for washing hands after dinner. Time Japanese lacquerware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything that had been seen there before. It became extremely sought after and was imported in large numbers throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Design & Designing Up until the 1620s export lacquer was produced in a distinctive style known as Namban. This was a manner of decoration that combined elements of Chinese, Korean and Gujurati work from India. It made extensive use of inlaid mother-of-pearl with gold and black lacquer. The decoration covered the entire surface and included the use of ornate borders, characteristics not found on lacquerware made for the home market in Japan. The Namban style is found both on objects for the foreign market and on religious paraphernalia used by Japanese Christians. W.13-1957 Presented by The Art Fund Depth 8.7 cm Diameter 49.3 cm Basin http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9021.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold hiramaki-e lacquer and mother-of-pearl inlay Unknown 1630-1690 Object Type This panel is thought to have originally been part of a cabinet or screen made in Japan for the European market. Since lacquer had no natural equivalent in the West, Japanese lacquerware was always much in demand. This resulted in objects being cut up and reused when sections became damaged or when fashion changed. Although lacquerwork for the Japanese home market rarely depicted detailed figures, men and women dressed in kimono are often found on export products designed to appeal to Westerners. Time Japanese lacquerware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything seen before. It was much admired and was imported in large quantities throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Places High quality export lacquer was made to special order in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital. It was then transported to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch merchants. W.181-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 22 cm Width 65 cm Depth 1.5 cm Panel http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5338.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold, black and red hiramaki-e and takamaki-e, inlaid with silver and gold foil and mother-of-pearl Unknown ca. 1630 (Stand) 1680-1700 Object Type Most Japanese export lacquer was made in forms suited to Western interiors and lifestyles. This object is in the form of a cabinet with internal drawers that has no equivalent in Japan. To make it more practical, stands were frequently added in the West. Materials & Making The sap from the lacquer tree could be processed to produce a glossy, durable and highly attractive decorative surface. Japanese lacquer-ware was first shipped to Europe during the late 16th century and was quite unlike anything seen before. It was much admired and was imported in large quantities throughout the 17th century. Most European country houses and palaces possessed examples of Japanese export lacquer. Places High-quality export lacquer was made to special order in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital. It was then transported to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch merchants. From the early 17th century onwards, the Dutch were the only Europeans allowed to trade in Japan, which they did through the Dutch East India Company. FE.38:1 to 13-1978 Height 107.5 cm (on stand) Width 67 cm Depth 36 cm Cabinet on stand http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL3068.jpg (Cabinet) Japan (Stand) Netherlands (probably) Cabinet of lacquer on wood; stand of painted pine Liberty & Co. Ltd. (retailers) ca. 1890-1900 Decorative schemes in the Aesthetic style often included imitation leather wallpapers. Some arbiters of taste, such as the writer Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), preferred them to conventional wallpapers because of the rich and luxurious effect they created. He recommended their use in his series of lectures on interior decoration. He also hung a Japanese leather paper in the drawing room of his ‘house beautiful’ at 16 Tite Street, London. This paper was one of several made for Liberty & Co., the London department store. Liberty’s specialised in Aesthetic style and oriental furnishings. The paper may have been made in Japan, where there were a number of workshops specialising in the production of imitation leather papers in the later 19th century. They manufactured them for the European market. E.436-1999 Given by Mr Paul Reeves Height 28.7 cm Width 16.8 cm Wallpaper http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL7147.jpg Japan (possibly) Embossed paper with bronze metallic pigment Unknown 1670-1700 Object Type Figures of animals, which are often found in pairs, are especially common among early Japanese export porcelain. Lions in Japan are often found as guardian figures, but this symbolism is unlikely to have been known in the West. The use of bright enamel colours on a fine white body is characteristic of the so-called Kakiemon style. The family of decorators who worked in the Kakiemon kiln are reputed to have introduced the techniques of overglaze enamelling to Arita in the 1640s. Kakiemon-style wares were the costliest and most sought after of all Japanese export ceramics. They were widely copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Kakiemon-style wares were transported by sea from Imari, the port nearest to Arita in western Japan. Porcelain for export was sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.35-1958 Height 12 cm Width 14.2 cm (head to tail) Depth 11 cm (maximum, front to back) Figure http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM5314.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Kakiemon-style decoration in overglaze enamels Unknown 1700-1720 Object Type This bottle, of a type made solely for export, is one of a pair (C.1517-1910) previously in the collection of the Duke of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace. The small chrysanthemum-shaped stopper echoes the chrysanthemum design that appears on one of the four sides. The designs on the three other sides feature the peony, prunus and squirrel-and-vine. The blue, red and gold Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. Place Imari was the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch and Chinese merchants. Time From 1639 until the mid-1850s merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. This was due to the Japanese government's seclusion policy, which was enforced in this period. Hard-paste porcelain comparable in quality to Chinese and Japanese imports was first made at Meissen in Germany in the early years of the 18th century. Porcelain was made in Britain from the late 1740s onwards. C.1518-1910 The Salting Bequest Height 24 cm (including inserted stopper) Width 10.8 cm Depth 10.8 cm Bottle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9019.jpg Arita, Japan Porcelain, with Imari-style decoration in underglaze blue, and overglaze enamels and gilt Miyake, Issey, born 1938 (designer) 1990s In the early 1990s, small bags with designer logos swung all over London, New York and Paris, and only the trained eye could distinguish the real articles from the counterfeit. Stalwarts such as Jane Shilton continued to provide quality for many women with their affordable and well-made range of handbags. Shoe shops and boutique groups produced accessories that perfectly complemented their styles. Meanwhile, fashion designers featured more and more accessories at their catwalk shows, with hats, bags and shoes supplying the fizz, and the sale, for many collections. This black leather bust-shaped handbag by Issey Miyake plays on the idea of the femininity of the handbag--formed into a hollow torso it is subtle and disconcerting. T.149-1991 Given by Francesca Galloway Height 52.5 cm (including handle) Width 40 cm Depth 21 cm Handbag http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN9206.jpg Japan Shaped leather Kiyomitsu 18th century-19th century The blade of this Japanese guardless dagger (‘aiguchi’) is signed Kiyomitsu. It probably dates from the 18th or 19th century. The hilt and scabbard are of a hard dark wood with the grain emphasised, inlaid with insects and snails in ivory and pearl-shell in low relief. The mounts are of silver engraved with ‘karakusa’ scrolls. There is a small utility knife (‘kogai’) in the side of the scabbard. The blade and mounting are contemporary with each other. Daggers were worn both by samurai and by non-samurai, including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades, so the restrained colours of the lacquer and metal fittings on this dagger would indicate that it was probably made for a samurai, perhaps an older gentleman. 65 to C-1907 (Scabbard) Length 32.1 cm (Dagger) Length 20.7 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9344.jpg Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with ivory, mother-of-pearl and silver decoration Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD Jion Daishi (AD 632-82) was the Chinese patriarch of the Hossō (Chinese: Faxiang) sect, which he brought to Japan from China and which became one of the main six sects of Nara Buddhism. His original Chinese name was Guiji. His portrait was kept for veneration in Hossō temples throughout Japan, especially the great temples of Kōfukuji, Yakushiji and Hōryūji. Special 'Jion Daishi meetings' were held from the tenth century onwards when his portrait was displayed. This accounts for the relatively large number of surviving paintings from this time. The patriarch is portrayed here as a tall, imposing figure with bushy eyebrows and strong features. The inscription at the top gives a brief account of his life. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 1675.000 mm Width: 855.000 mm Height: 1675.000 mm Width: 855.000 mm Hanging scroll painting with a portrait of the monk Jion Daishi http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps120774_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD377 (1964.7-11.01) From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD Gyōdō was a ceremony derived originally from China in the Tang dynasty (AD 618-906). Priests wearing bodhisattva masks paraded outside temples. Bodhisattva masks are particularly associated with the raigō forms of these ceremonies, which enacted the welcome of the dead into Paradise by the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha). This example is made of lacquered, painted and gilded wood. The procession was led by dancers carrying a shishi mask to exorcise the route. Gift of Lady Francis Oppenheimer Height: 23.000 cm Width: 20.030 cm Bodhisattva mask for Gyōdō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339677_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1963.7-22.1 From Japan Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD Aizen is one of the five Myō-ō (Sanskrit: Vidyarajas), 'Kings of Light', personified spells and protectors of the esoteric Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism, whose principal deity, Dainichi Nyōrai (Mahavairacana), is the Buddha from whom boundless light emanates. Aizen is usually portrayed wearing a lion-skin hat or wearing a shishi head-dress and he sits on a lotus throne. He has six arms, each holding one of his attributes: bow, arrow, vajras (thunderbolts), some missing from this figure. The figure is made of lacquered and pigmented wood, with crystal inlaid eyes and some metal fittings. The crystal eyes inset from the back of the head, the hollowed base and the treatment of the flesh suggest that it was made by a later artist of the thirteenth-century Kei school of sculpture centred around Unkei, the natural son of the sculptor Kōkei who revived the energetic style of the Tempyō era (AD 729-49). The pigment was probably reapplied in the nineteenth century when the dais was also restored. Asia JA 1885.12-27.27 Figure of Aizen Myō-ō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339877_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura or Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Kamakura / Muromachi period, 14th century AD The Buddhist deity Benzaiten (Sanskrit: Sarasvati), is depicted playing a biwa, a kind of four-stringed lute. She is seated on a rocky dais covered in lotus leaves which is lapped by frothing waves. Beyond in the distance a waterfall cascades down from a mountainous valley. Benzaiten derived from the ancient Indian river goddess Sarasvati, who in Japan went on to be associated with water, the harvest, speech, learning and the arts. From the Kamakura period (1185-1333) onwards she was also widely venerated as a deity of good fortune. The combination of a highly detailed and brightly coloured figure with an ink-wash landscape is typical of many Buddhist paintings from the Kamakura and Muromachi (1333-1568) periods. Particular stylistic and technical features suggest that this painting was made in the era of the Northern and Southern Courts (1336-92): the leaping gold flames on the halo - executed in raised shell-white gesso (mori-age) covered in gold paint - and the combination of blue hair tresses edged at the forehead in pale green. Most other paintings of Benzaiten from this period depict her as a beauty in Chinese costume and her appearance here, as a bodhisattva with jewelled crown and necklace, is unusual. From 1999 to 2000, the painting was repaired and remounted in the Oka Studio at the Kyoto National Museum with assistance from agencies of the Government of Japan. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 1355.000 mm Width: 574.000 mm Height: 1355.000 mm Width: 574.000 mm Benzaiten, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344484_m.jpg Japan Kamakura / Muromachi period, 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD28 (1924.7-14.02) Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD The bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha) was widely worshipped in Japan from the late Heian period (794-1185) as the deity who would save the faithful should they be reborn into one of the hells of the Six Realms. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333) he is generally portrayed as a compassionate young monk dressed in monastic robes and stole (kesa) and carrying a ringed travelling staff and a sacred jewel. He is most often shown, as here, floating down to greet the believer on a cloud (raigō-zu). The delicate sensitivity of the facial features and detailed and elaborate lotus and hemp leaf patterning on gold that covers the robes indicate a date in the late Kamakura period (early fourteenth century). At the top of the hanging scroll are the outlines of Mt. Kasuga and Mt. Mikasa, under which hover five seated Buddhist deities regarded as the 'original state' (honji) of the native Shintō deities of the Kasuga Shrine, Nara. Jizō was regarded specifically as the Buddhist counterpart of the Shintō deity Ame-no-koyane-no-mikoto, enshrined in the Third Hall of the Kasuga Shrine. The painting therefore reflects the honji suijaku ('manifestation from the original state') doctrines of the medieval period (twelfth to sixteenth centuries), which sought to unify the two religions of Buddhism and Shintō, and is a regarded as a kind of mandala of the Kasuga Shrine. The painting is said to derive from the Jizō-in Temple in Itano District, Tokushima Prefecture. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 1349.000 mm Width: 404.000 mm Mandala of the Kasuga Shrine Deity in the form of the bodhisattva Jizō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps157092_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD390 (1967.6-19.05) Japan Kamakura period, late 13th century AD With the spread of faith in the Jōdo (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the bodhisattva Jizō (Sanskrit: Ksitigarbha) was widely worshipped by the general populace as a salutary deity: Jizō would rescue them if they were reborn into one of the many hells vividly described in the doctrines of the sect. He is shown in the guise of a travelling monk with ringed staff and sacred jewel, who intercedes in the Six Realms of Birth to save the faithful and take them to the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida (Amitabha). The bodhisattva directs a calm, benevolent gaze down towards the distressed believer, and his delicate fingers gesture with great sensitivity. The halo is outlined in simple cut gold-leaf (kiri-kane). It is more common for Jizō to be shown coming towards us from a distance on a cloud (raigō-zu). The pose here, therefore, with the large figure standing statically on a pair of lotus-flower pedestals, is unusual. Certain technical and stylistic features suggest a date in the later thirteenth century, which is relatively early for Jizō imagery. These include the generally subdued colouring of the robe and the monk's stole held with a metal ring at the shoulder (kan-kesa), as well as the strong, modulating ink outlines of the drapery. The ancient silk support is damaged in many places, particularly the area of Jizō's right arm and shoulder. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 948.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm The bodhisattva Jizō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps101717_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, late 13th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 18 (1913.5-1.055) From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD The Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) was the principal deity in temples of the True Pure Land or Jōdo Shinshū sect. It often formed the central element of a triad, flanked by two bodhisattvas. Here, Amida holds his hands in a gesture that welcomes the souls of the dead faithful to the Pure Land (Sukhavati). As with many statues of this period, the figure is made using the yosegi zukuri technique, with a number of pieces of wood hollowed out and fixed together. The realistic eyes are made of crystal and inserted from the inside of the head before the statue was finished. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JS 1945.4-19.1 Height: 96.000 cm Wooden figure of the Buddha Amida http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154509_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 13th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, AD 1796 The Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha) is shown in a standard iconography, descending on a cloud accompanied by the bodhisattvas Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta). However, the entire painting - outlines, drapery and areas of colour - is composed of tens of thousands of spidery written characters quoting text from the three great sūtras of the Jodō (Pure Land) sect of Japanese Buddhism. This tour de force of fanatical piety was the work of an otherwise obscure official named Katō Nobukiyo (1734-1810). His most ambitious project was a set of fifty such scrolls showing the five hundred arhats done for the Zen sect temple Ryūkō-ji in Edo, which took five years from 1788 to 1792 to complete. The signature reads 'Tōbu Shiragane Tamagawa jō Enjinsai kōnen rokujū-san ju kin shoga, ('Respectfully written and painted by Enjinsai at the old age of 63 years, at the upper reaches of the Tamagawa River at Shiragane in Eastern Musashi Province') and the seals read 'Enjinsai' and (?) 'Nobukiyo in'. William Anderson Collection Height: 1323.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Katō Nobukiyo, Descent of the Buddha Amida with two attendant bodhisattvas, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338414_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1796 British Museum: Asia JA JP 3453 (1881.12-10.04) From Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD This head of the Buddha Amida (Sanskrit: Amitabha), ruler of the Western Paradise, is one metre tall, and must have come from a statue many times life size, possibly seated. This may have been the central figure of a triad, with the bodhisattvas Kannon (Avalokiteshvara) and Seishi (Mahasthamaprapta) on either side. The face has the marked expression of compassion, which characterizes Buddhas. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1950.10-25.1 Height: 1.000 m Wooden head of the Buddha Amida http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204098_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th-15th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD Although this bowl must have been preserved as a teabowl for the Tea Ceremony, it was originally one of a set of five vessels for everyday use. It is an early form of Kiseto or ‘Yellow Seto' ware, made at Mino in the latter part of the sixteenth century. It developed from early attempts at imitating Chinese celadon. Another type was Setoguro, or 'Black Seto', one of a variety of newly fashionable developments of the old Seto traditions. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Diameter: 9.000 cm Height: 9.100 cm Kiseto ware bowl http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339388_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.31 From Japan Muromachi period, early 16th century AD The sujibachi-type helmet was constructed from a number of vertical plates rivetted together. Each plate was turned up along the long edge to form a strengthening ridge, or suji. The iron was 'russetted', that is, deliberately rusted to a deep patina which prevented further rusting. The shikoro, or neck protector is articulated to allow the arms to be raised above the head. The crossed hawks' feathers are a mon, or clan badge. Other types of helmet from the Sengoku jidai ('Period of Warring States' from the mid-fourteenth century to 1600) include the hoshibashi which is covered with short protruding spikes and which originated during the Heian period (AD 794-1185). The helmet is signed by the armourer Katsuyoshi of the Myochin school. Gift of Brigadier W. G. Lang-Anderson Iron helmet http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339470_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, early 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1953.4-17.1 Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD In the right-hand image we see a multi-storeyed building in Chinese style rising above three other roofs, and a solitary figure in a boat on the lake. Two tall pine trees dominate the foreground. In the left-hand image two men approach a pavilion by a lake, on the waters of which sails another boat. The square seal on each, reading 'Kantei', has been found on a dozen or so paintings - they all exhibit sharp brushwork and economical composition, as seen in the present works. The mountains, cliffs, buildings, and trees here are done using long, thick, 'axe-cut' strokes, with washes fading away to suggest the mist at the base of distant mountains. Kantei is thought to have been a priest attached to the Tōshōdai-ji temple in Nara during the late Muromachi period (1333-1568), and possibly to have been a disciple of the famous monochrome landscape artist Shūbun (worked about 1414-63). The landscapes here certainly demonstrate the same style, derived from Chinese ink painting. The records of a temple in Nara mention an order for folding screens from 'Kantei' in the sixth month of 1543, and there is a strong possibility these two works were also originally mounted on screens. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 500.000 mm Width: 317.000 mm Kantei, Landscapes, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps251301_m.jpg Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 358-9 (1881.12-10.01135-6) Japan Muromachi period, 15th century AD For the haboku ('broken ink') style, the artist uses no outlines, but instead relies on areas of splashed ink wash and layers of ink shading to create the three-dimensional impression of mountains, trees, and rocks in a landscape. The technique involves a remarkable economy of brushwork, and it is because of this shorthand nature that it is described as haboku (broken ink) or hatsuboku (flung ink). This work has affinities in its composition and technique with a landscape by Shūbun (flourished 1414-63), with an inscription by Kōsai Ryūha (1375-1446) (Private Collection, Tokyo). However, that work has a larger and more confident scale, a more coherent relationship of foreground to middle-ground and is stylistically more advanced. There are stronger resemblances to a painting with a square seal reading 'Sessō' in the Masaki Art Gallery, Osaka Prefecture - in the shape of the trees and mountains, the very dark ink tones, and even the paper. The similarities are such that the two works appear to have been painted by the same artist. 'Sessō Tōyō' is now generally held to have been the name used by the greatest ink painter of the Muromachi period (1333-1568), Sesshū Tōyō (1420-1506), during the first half of his career. before he went to China. Although the seal here reads 'Shūbun', the surrounding paper is very rough and scratched, suggesting it has perhaps been tampered with. If this is indeed a painting by Sesshū, it represents an very significant example of this master's early work. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Asia JA JP 352 (1913.5-1.097) Height: 635.000 mm Width: 317.000 mm Sessō Tōyō, Haboku-style landscape, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps265346_m.jpg Japan Muromachi period, 15th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Late Muromachi period, second half of the 16th century AD This scroll depicts the story of how, when the Japanese capital was at Nara (710-794), the emperor paid a visit to the Tōgū Palace in the fourth month and was struck by the beauty of the blossoming cherry trees and lakeside willows at the Nanden (Southern Hall). He began to compose verses inspired by pairs - comparing, for example, spring and autumn, a moonlit night and a snowy morning, passing showers and wind in the pines - and judged which of each pair was the superior. The night was passed with his courtiers, making music and developing a total of forty-two poetic themes. In the scene illustrated, the emperor sits within the room, a koto (lateral harp) beside him. On the veranda are several courtiers wearing black eboshi (court hats), and holding fans, with two court women also in attendance. An ox-cart is drawn up on the right, and to the left can be seen the blossoming cherry trees. Mono-awase ('pairing things') was a popular aristocratic pastime from the Heian period (794-1185) onwards, with participants demonstrating their refinement by passing judgement on the relative merits of poetic imagery. The stylized clouds used here as a compositional feature suggest that this painting was produced at the end of the Muromachi period (1392-1568). It appears to be an example of ko-e ('small pictures'), miniature scrolls produced for the amusement of younger members of the court. The scroll bears false seals, applied later, which read 'Tosa' and 'Kikusui'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Asia JA JP ADD369 (1960.4-9.03) Height: 158.000 mm Length: 11665.000 mm Poetry Contest of Forty-two Matches, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339594_m.jpg Japan Late Muromachi period, second half of the 16th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Muromachi period, late 15th century AD Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) an outstanding cultural figure of the Heian period (794 -1185), is still widely regarded in Japan as the patron of scholarship. He was a scholar of Chinese and also a politician who rose to be Minister of the Right, one of the highest ranks in the government of the time. However, he was exiled to Kyūshū as the result of a conspiracy of the Fujiwara family. After his death in exile there were several disasters in the capital of Kyoto which people believed were caused by his angry spirit. He was therefore reinstated and raised to the rank of a Shintō deity (renamed Karai Tenjin) and the Kitano Shrine was founded in his memory. In the Muromachi period (1333-1568) there was a revival of interest in kambun (Chinese-style writing) and Michizane's reputation was re-established as the greatest Japanese poet who had written in the Chinese language. This Muromachi-period painting shows Michizane in pure Chinese dress holding a small branch of plum blossom, the badge of a Chinese scholar-gentleman. His Chinese appearance may be a reference to the legend that he studied Zen in China after his death. One of his poems is inscribed at the top of the painting. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 710.000 mm Width: 293.000 mm Sugawara no Michizane in Chinese dress, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps181135_m.jpg Japan Muromachi period, late 15th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1 (1913.5-1.038) Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th century AD The sixteen arhats (Japanese: rakan) were disciples of Shaka (Sanskrit: Shakyamuni), the historical Buddha. At his request they remained in the world after attaining nirvana in order to help others. Paintings of the arhats, often in sets of sixteen hanging scrolls, became popular in China during the Five Dynasties (907-60) and Song dynasty (960-1279). Many of these were imported to Japan during the Heian and Kamakura periods (together 794-1333), where they were revered and copied. The Japanese artists took up the Chinese practice of a combination of painting styles. Here, the figure and lion are expressed in an older line-and-colour technique, with sweeping outlines for the arhat's robe and some fine detailed work in the lion's face and mane. The background is in the newer ink-painting style using a relatively dry brush. Altogether the effect is more informal than representations of Buddhas and bodhisattvas, emphasizing the humanity of the arhats so as to appeal to the popular imagination. In general, arhats are shown with Indian-looking features and the wasted limbs of aesthetes. The artist is unknown, though this painting is similar in style to sets of arhats by the suiboku monk-painter Ryōzen who was active in Kyoto from about 1348 to 1355. Almost all his paintings are of Buddhist subjects. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) William Anderson Collection Height: 944.000 mm Width: 392.000 mm Angaja (Ingada), a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203563_m.jpg Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 347 (1881.12-10.03) Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD The artist of this painting is not known, though comparison with other signed paintings suggest it is the work of the Zen monk-painters, Kei Shōkei, who had a characteristically crisp style. Shōkei was one of the most important painters in Kamakura during the Muromachi period (1185-1333). The painting shows the influence of Chinese painting of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), as interpreted in Japan by the priest-painter Shūbun. Regarded as one of the leading painters of his time, Shūbun perfected fifteenth-century Japanese Zen ink-painting. Following the Southern Song tradition, the space is divided into three planes. In the foreground, figures move along a embankment lined with willow trees. Across the river, a zigzag path leads to the middle plane with a temple gate, and higher still, the temple itself with its five-storey pagoda. This echoes the pines and finally the mountain peaks in the distant third plane with its pale blue wash. The eye is led through the space not only by the paths but also by the strong diagonal lines of the composition. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 1310.000 mm Width: 533.000 mm Kei Shōkei (attributed to), Mountain landscape, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203558_m.jpg Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD387 (1966.7-25.013) From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD Shigaraki was one of the ancient centres of pottery producing domestic wares, in the area which now forms Shiga Prefecture. Robust, thick-walled Shigaraki ware has been made since the Kamakura period (1185-1333). It is made with a sandy clay containing felspar which is distinctly visible through the ash glaze. This jar is typical of the ware, with characteristic incised circles around the shoulder. Height: 33.000 cm Height: 33.000 cm Shigaraki ware tea storage jar http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps313664_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD British Museum: Asia 1958.10-21.2 From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD According to tradition there were six major centres in the Kamakura period (1185-1333) with kilns producing pottery with a natural glaze (resulting from the glassification of ash falling from the walls of the kilns): Seto, Tokoname, Echizen, Shigaraki, Bizen and Tamba. They were all in provinces in Honshū. Only Seto developed a deliberate glaze in imitation of Chinese wares. The remaining kilns have continued to produce ash-glazed wares like this piece, with its typically rough, gritty body, which is stamped, incised and partially glazed. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Height: 25.300 cm Tamba ware mizusashi (water jar) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339379_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.93 From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD The container bears an ink inscription, 'Itto', which is the mark of the eighth Teamaster of the Urasenke tradition of the Tea Ceremony, whose life spanned the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The Urasenke tradition originated with Sen no Rikyū (1522-1591) who revised the etiquette of the Tea Ceremony at the request of the military leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/7-98). Sen no Rikyū's rules survive today much as he remodelled them.   Kōgō ('incense container') in the form of a dove http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339387_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.2-26.101 From Kyoto, Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Such spouted vessels were originally for domestic use, but were ideal for use as kensui, or waste water vessels, for the Tea Ceremony. Fine pieces such as this were probably made for that function. The mark 'Akahadayama' stamped on the base is that of a studio active in Kyoto from the end of the sixteenth century. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Diameter: 14.000 cm (major diameter including spout) Kataguchi (spouted vessel) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339381_m.jpg From Kyoto, Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.26 Probably from ōfuke, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This fresh water container has spiralling fronds painted under the white glaze much in the Ezetō ('Illustrated Seto') style. Such wares were made in the Mino kilns working in the Seto tradition, and also at nearby ōfuke (near modern Nagoya) where this piece was probably made. Among the major kiln groups established by the Kamakura period (1185-1333), only those at Seto developed the deliberately applied glaze instead of the old natural ash glaze. Early pieces imitated wares from the Chinese Song dynasty (AD 960-1279). The rich Seto glaze was perfected during the fifteenth century, and later adopted by potters of Mino Province (modern Gifu Prefecture). Schmidtt-Meade Collection Height: 19.000 cm Seto ware mizusashi (water jar) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339380_m.jpg Probably from ōfuke, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.89 From Japan Edo period, 17th -18th century AD Such eccentrically shaped teabowls became popular around the end of the sixteenth century, when the Japanese Tea Ceremony had become widely influenced by the lavish fashions of the growing urban society. The bowl is also striking because of the hakeme, or brushed marks, resulting from the brushed application of the glaze mixture, after the original Korean technique. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Diameter: 7.700 cm (min.) Diameter: 7.700 cm (min.) Teabowl with hakeme http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339671_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th -18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.27 From Japan Edo period, 19th century This Raku-style teabowl was made by the versatile Kyoto potter Takahashi D&omacrhachi II (1795-1854). Dōhachi's father moved to Kyoto from Ise in about 1750 and opened a china-store. He was also a netsuke carver and potter. His son, Dōhachi II is usually regarded as the most skilful of the line of five generations which worked through the nineteenth century. He was patronized by temples and the nobility, and earned the Buddhist rank Hokkyō ('Bridge of the Law'). He is also known by the name Ninami, formed by a combination of the character 'nin' of the Ninnaji Temple and the name Anami given to him by the Daigōji Temple in Kyoto. He worked for a time for the Lord of Kishi and visited Satsuma. Towards the end of his life, from 1842, he built a kiln at Momoyama, Fushimi, on the outskirts of Kyoto. Dōhachi's Raku-style wares have more varied forms than true Raku pieces as he made free use of the spatula. He also imitated Korean, Chinese and Anamese (Vietnamese) wares, and was competent in the styles of the great Kyoto potters, Kenzan and Ninsei. In particular, he revived the colour-painted pieces of Ninsei for use with powdered tea in the Tea Ceremony. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Diameter: 12.200 cm Raku-style teabowl, by Takahashi Dōhachi&nbsp;II http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339362_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.91 From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD This bluish-green glazed variant of the Temmoku style imitates the 'hare's fur' type of Chinese wares of the Song dynasty (960-1279) and Yuan dynasty (1279-1368), with its vertical fur-like lines within the glaze. Temmoku wares were orignally brown and black iron glazed pieces said to have been brought from the place of manufacture at the Tianmu (Temmoku) Zen Buddhist temple at Zhejiang (Koshu) in China. This bowl was fired upside-down resting on the rim. The metal edging was added because the glaze had not sufficiently adhered to the thin mouth of the bowl. The Schmidtt-Meade Gift Diameter: 11.900 cm Temmoku type teabowl http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339367_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.80 From Japan, Edo period, 17th century AD Ichinyū was the fourth generation of the Raku line of potters. He died in 1696, aged 59. He took the name Ichinyū when he became a lay Buddhist in 1691 and went to live at the Baiko temple at Yamada near Kyoto. He typically uses a black glaze with an underlying slight reddish tinge. His teabowls characteristically have a small foot compared with this of the other Raku masters. The Schmitt-Meade Gift Diameter: 12.500 cm Teabowl, by Raku Ichinyū http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339363_m.jpg From Japan, Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1992.5-25.60 Possibly from Kaga Province, Japan Edo period, probably 18th century AD Raku wares were first made in Kyoto during the Momoyama period (1568-1600) by a tilemaker called Chōjirō, the son of a Korean immigrant. His tiles caught the eye of the renowned Teamaster, Sen no Rikyū who some time between 1577 and 1580 asked him to make teabowls and other utensils for his use. Sen's patron, the military leader, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/7-98) also appreciated Chōjirō's work and gave him the name Raku, meaning 'pleasure'. The Raku line of potters has continued to the present day. Raku pots are hand-made from strong iron-bearing clay, thick-walled and light-bodied. they are then low-fired at 800-1000°C in single-chamber kilns. A lead glaze is used and the resulting colours are normally red, black or white. Raku teabowls are prized by Teamasters for their sturdiness and individuality. This teabowl was made in a Raku tradition which developed at ōhi, some distance from Kyoto. ōhi ware was discovered by the Kyoto Teamaster, Sensō in the mid-seventeenth century. The colour and shape of this teabowl make it a pleasure to the eye and to the touch, and a perfect foil to the pale green foam of the whisked tea. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by Oscar Raphael Diameter: 11.600 cm (across mouth) ōhi ware teabowl http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204848_m.jpg Possibly from Kaga Province, Japan Edo period, probably 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1945.10-17.490 Probably from the Imbe district, Bizen Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD The kilns of Bizen had been established in the Middle Ages. One type of pottery produced was very practical, and favoured by Teamasters for Tea Ceremony wares. It was almost metallically hard and highly glazed , often with interesting natural glaze effects, produced by the ash in the kiln. The Bizen potters produced many fine large pieces, which were particularly suitable for use as jars, carrying water to the hearth of the tea-room. The wide mouth was necessary so that water could be ladled into the metal kettle. This piece is almost sculptural in its effect; the surface is enlivened with random slashes cut into the clay. The hollow cylindrical handles would allow it to be hung by cords. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) From the collection of the late 19th-century dealer and pottery specialist Noritani Ninagawa Gift of Sir A.W. Franks Diameter: 232.000 cm Mizusashi (water jar) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204837_m.jpg Probably from the Imbe district, Bizen Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA F1891 From Japan Edo period, late 17th century AD This elegant teapot is made of porcelain decorated in overglaze red, blue and green enamels in a formal Kakiemon style. Its larger size suggests that it was made at a time when tea was becoming gradually cheaper. This shape was the prototype for later European wares. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 15.000 cm Height: 15.000 cm Porcelain teapot http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203425_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1954.7-16.1.a,b From Japan Edo period, 17th-18th century AD Tea Ceremonies were often held outside, especially when combined with the viewing of cherry blossoms or the colours of autumn. Sets of tea utensils were chosen to enhance the feeling of the season. This group of objects is a fine example of how the Tea Ceremony brought into harmony a number of objects of varying style, material and origin The teabowl is E-Karatsu ('picture Karatsu') type pottery from Hizen Province, painted with simple motifs in underglaze iron brown. The rim has been repaired with gold and silver lacquer which has in turn been incised with a wave motif. The caddy (second from right) is probably of Takatori pottery from Chikuzen Province and has a turned ivory lid. The tea-whisk is made from a single node of bamboo. It has been split and split again. The two sets of tines are separated by steaming, curving and by threading at the base. The whisk-holder is made of woven bamboo. The paper napkin-holder is porcelain decorated in underglaze blue. The lacquer container was made later to fit the teabowl. It is richly decorated in gold makie and nashiji with a design of an ivy-covered fence. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Mr. And Mrs. D. Hewett Height: 12.000 cm (container) Portable set for outdoor Tea Ceremony http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204841_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th-18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1955.2-21.1.a-h From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD There were two kinds of kettles used for the Japanese Tea Ceremony - the massive cast iron chagama used for formal events, and the more decorative type with an up-and-over handle, used for less formal or outdoor Tea Ceremonies. The body of the kettle is cast in two halves. The lower half is roughly textured like the true chagama, while the upper half is burnished and inlaid with a grapevine pattern in gold and silver. This technique was more often used for armour, sword fittings and firearms. The copper lid is impressed Ryūbundō. This was a firm of nineteenth-century iron-casters who seem to have made the lids for fitting to kettles made by other makers. The lid has a gilt-copper knob. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Height: 12.200 cm (excluding handle) Height: 12.200 cm (excluding handle) Kettle for informal tea http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204973_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1969.9.25.1 From Sanage, Owari Province (modern Aichi prefecture), Japan Heian period, 9th-10th century AD Sanage was one of the main centres for high-quality ceramic production in the Nara period (AD 710-94) and early Heian period (AD 794-1185). It is close to present-day Nagoya. Sanage wares continued the tradition of high-fired ceremonial Sue wares of the late Kofun period (sixth-seventh century AD), which were thrown on the wheel. The Sue potters recognized the decorative potential of the deposit of ash from the kiln on the body of the pots, producing natural glazes. This jar was probably among the finest available at the time in Japan, when all-over Chinese-style glazing was rarely attempted. It was probably made for use in a temple, a shrine or at court. A chip out of the rim has been repaired with lacquer and this suggests that it was deliberately spoiled, perhaps to prevent its being stolen for later use as a funerary jar. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1987.6.2.1 Height: 24.600 cm Sanage ware ceremonial jar http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps190467_m.jpg From Sanage, Owari Province (modern Aichi prefecture), Japan Heian period, 9th-10th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Ise Province (modern Mie prefecture) Japan, late 18th - early 19th century AD In Japan, the appreciation of incense was an art in itself, associated both with the Tea Ceremony and flower arrangement (ikebana). Incense burners and containers consequently had to conform to the general concepts of 'tea taste', though other styles of burner could be used on different occasions. This box is made to look like a stone on which maple leaves, a Japanese symbol of Autumn, have fallen. The texture and colour scheme would also have produced an autumnal mood fitting for the occasion. The Banko kilns were founded by the potter Nunami Rōzan (1718-77) who often imitated the work of Kenzan (1663-1743) the potter brother of the great Rimpa artist Kōrin. Certainly the freedom and boldness of the design, combined with the poetic sentiment, suggests the artistic line of Kenzan. The inside of the lid is inscribed with a poem but it has become illegible during firing. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of E.S. de Beer Diameter: 45.000 mm Incense box http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204972_m.jpg From Ise Province (modern Mie prefecture) Japan, late 18th - early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1954.4-18.15 From Mino Province, Japan Edo period , early 17th century AD This kind of pottery, with geometric patterns or freely dipped glaze in copper greens and iron browns, was made according to the taste of the military man and Tea enthusiast, Furuta Oribe (1545-1615), and is named after him. Oribe favoured sharp square shapes and smart, semi-abstract designs based on textile motifs. They were among the most stylish wares of the Momoyama period (1568-1600). The practice of dividing the surface into two completely different halves was a characteristic feature of the Momoyama style, one that continued well into the Edo period in Oribe pottery. The most formal Tea Ceremony ended with the serving of a formal meal (kaiseki) and this dish could well have been used for one of the courses. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) J.W. Peer Groves Collection Diameter: 22.300 cm Oribe ware food dish http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204971_m.jpg From Mino Province, Japan Edo period , early 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1955.4-29.1 From Mino Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD During the Tea Ceremony a small very elegant cake is eaten before drinking the tea. The sweetness of the cake contrasts pleasantly with the bitterness of the tea. The Teamaster chooses an appropriate cake dish which in turn is admired by the guest as part of the ceremony. This cake dish is of Shino ware, a name possibly derived from the name of the sixteenth century tea enthusiast, Shinosōshin. Shino ware was almost as highly prized by Teamasters as Raku ware. They admired the simple hand-made shapes and the unpredictable results produced by the thick glaze and the low-temperature firing, which produced uneven effects of texture and colouring. Shino differed from Raku in its light palette and the use of simple stylized decorative motifs. Here the decoration consists of a single reed and a roughly sketched border design. Compare this cake dish with an Ofuke ware water pitcher, where the glaze has been painted on: here the dish was dipped into the glaze, producing a less predictable result. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Sir A.W. Franks Diameter: 20.000 cm Shino ware cake dish http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204970_m.jpg From Mino Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA F1825 From Karatsu, Hizen Province (modern Saga prefecture), Japan Edo period, 17th century AD Several styles of pottery and porcelain were introduced into the island of Kyūshū and south-western Honshū by immigrants from nearby Korea in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Much of the pottery was simple and unobtrusive, but it was particularly favoured by Teamasters. This crackled white-ware was one of the types made at the kilns of Karatsu to the north of the famous porcelain centre of Arita. Interesting glaze effects were produced by the near-random way in which it was dipped in the glaze, leaving an unglazed area on the base where it was held. It is not quite clear what the function of this piece was, but it is likely that it was used as a kensui (slop-jar). It was certainly admired and loved, as witnessed by the gold and silver lacquer repairs to the rim. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA F1804+ Height: 150.000 mm Bulbous Karatsu ware jar http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204838_m.jpg From Karatsu, Hizen Province (modern Saga prefecture), Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Caddy: Edo period, 17th century AD The pottery tea caddy (second from the left) was probably made in a kiln in the Seto area (Owari Province), a famous pottery producing region. The glaze is reminiscent of the bark, faded by time, of the yamazakura (mountain cherry). It seems that a Teamaster gave the caddy this name, which has been inscribed on the lid of the brown and red lacquered container on the left. Evidently, the caddy was loved so much that a set of containers was gathered in which to keep it, perhaps in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. It was first placed in the small inner bag of gold silk brocade on a cream ground. This was placed in the lacquered box, which was in turn encased in the outer bag of gold silk brocade on a dark blue ground. Finally, this was placed in the cherry-wood box, which would have been carefully tied. The box is also inscribed with the name yamazakura. Part of the ceremony itself would be the careful undoing of each successive layer, an indication of the respect in which the object was held. After use considerable time would be spent packing everything away with equal attention. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Arthur Morrison Collection Height: 85.000 mm ((container)) Tea-caddy, with its set of bags and containers http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps205560_m.jpg From Japan Caddy: Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1947.4-18.5.a-c From Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD This inrō is made of black lacquer with a coloured shell inlay, gold foil and makie in Somada style. The Somada school was active throughout the Edo period (1600-1868), producing lacquer of extreme delicacy. This unusually colourful design of chrysanthemums (and bush clovers) behind a fence uses a wide range of materials and techniques with outstanding skill; many of the flowers are 'two-tone' pink and greenish-white, and at least two shades of gold are used. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1945.10-17.419 Length: 6.400 cm Lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204847c_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD The technique of tsuishū originated in Song dynasty China (AD 960-1279). It was developed in Japan during the Muromachi period (1333-1568), mainly for use on large dishes and nests of boxes. To create a lacquer surface of sufficient thickness for carving was a long and painstaking process. Lacquer will only harden when the surface comes into contact with a humid atmosphere. Therefore a large number of thin layers must be built up one on top of the other. During the Edo period (1600-1868), this technique was sometimes used for inrō such as this one. Its design is of the 'Three Friends of Winter' (plum, pine and bamboo).The inrō forms a complete set with its ojime (bead clasp) and netsuke (decorative toggle). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Height: 8.500 cm Height: 8.500 cm Red lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204847b_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA OA+340 From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD This inrō is an exceptionally fine example of the makie technique, which imitates sumie (ink-painting). The design was made by carefully polishing away the top gold layer to reveal the black lacquer underneath. It is signed by the lacquerer Kanshōsai and it is also inscribed with the name of the painter, Tosa Mitsusada, who created the design of shellfish and seaweed. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by Oscar Raphael Length: 7.700 cm Lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204123a_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1945.10-17.405 From the Ryūkyū Islands, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This nest of boxes is a good example of how Chinese techniques of decoration were probably introduced directly to the Ryūkyū Islands, south-west of the main islands of Japan, in the East China Sea. The main decoration is painted using the litharge technique: a small amount of oil is added to the paint so that it covers the lacquer surface. The Japanese rarely painted directly over lacquer in this way. The designs are outlined with gold foil and there are also shallow patches of nashiji. The design of birds and butterflies among camellias is very Chinese, but its freshness owes much to the mature Ryūkyū style. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1974.2-26.81 Height: 38.000 cm Octagonal nest of boxes for food http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps179368_m.jpg From the Ryūkyū Islands, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Chinese legend provided endless material for Japanese artists and craftsmen. Kanyū was a Chinese general whose exploits are described in the classic 'Tale of Three Kingdoms'. He came to be regarded as the God of War. Even this small figure conveys the power of the god-general with his fierce expression, impressive beard and ornate Chinese-style robes. He carries a glaive with a long curved blade in his right hand. Netsuke of this type appear in the Sōken Kishō, the only early guide to the subject (and also to inrō, purses and sword furniture), published in woodblock-printed book form in Osaka, 1781. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) R. Barker and L. Smith, Netsuke: the miniature sculptu (London, The British Museum Press, 1976) Gift of Sir A.W. Franks Height: 9.300 cm Ivory netsuke, Kanyū http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204653e_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA F690 From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD The shishi or 'lion dog' was a mythical leonine creature originating in China where it was a common subject of decorative arts. In Japan, pairs of stone-carved shishi often guard the entrance to Shintō shrines. Large numbers of ivory netsuke were made in Japan in the first half of the Edo period (1600-1868) in imitation of imported Chinese seals. Netsuke of this type appear in the Sōken Kishō, the earliest authoritative guide to the subject (and also to inrō, purses and sword furniture), published in woodblock-printed book form in Osaka, 1781. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 5.200 cm Height: 5.200 cm Netsuke, shishi on a seal base http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204653a_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1891.9-5.24 Japan Edo period, around AD 1844 Princess Takiyasha was the daughter of the provincial warlord Taira no Masakado who tried to set up an 'Eastern Court' in Shimōsa Province in competition with the emperor in Kyoto. However, his rebellion was put down in AD 939 and Masakado was killed. After his death, Princess Takiyasha continued living in the ruined palace of Sōma. This print shows the episode from the legend when the emperor's official, ōya no Mitsukuni, comes to search for surviving conspirators. The princess is reciting a spell written on a handscroll. She summons up a giant skeleton which comes rearing out of a terrifying black void, crashing its way through the tattered palace blinds with its bony fingers to menace Mitsukuni and his companion. Kuniyoshi, the artist, probably referred to an illustration in his collection of western prints to produce this grinning skeleton in all its accuracy of detail. The legend was also the theme of a Kabuki play. At the time that this print was made the Tempō Reforms had made it illegal to depict Kabuki actors and theatre scenes in woodblock prints, so Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) may have produced this 'historical' version of the story in order to get round the law. Kuniyoshi often used the triptych format (three prints forming a single composition) to dramatic effect, spreading large forms across all three sheets. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 370.000 mm (each) Width: 250.000 mm (each) Height: 370.000 mm (each) Width: 250.000 mm (each) Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Princess Takiyasha summons a skeleton spectre to frighten Mitsukuni, a triptych of colour woodblock prints http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps207836_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1844 British Museum: Asia JA 1915.8-23.0915-16 Japan Edo period, AD 1820s The young woman depicted here is probably the teenage daughter of a rich merchant. In her gorgeously coloured and patterned kimono, she adopts an awkward girlish pose with her legs crossed in her lap. She curls her little finger elegantly as she adjusts her hair in her small hand mirror. This painting is outstanding for Eisen's treatment of the girl's dress. Particularly skilful is the combination of gauze over-kimono painted with flowering pinks, with the cherry blossoms and wicker fence of the under-kimono showing through. In addition, the elaborate obi (sash) tied in a large bow at her back has florid blue and white peony-like blooms against a background worked with gold thread. Eisen's painting has little of the balance and restraint of earlier artists such as Harunobu and Kiyonaga, and in the past critics have tended to dismiss his work as 'decadent'. But even though urban culture in the late Edo period certainly had its florid aspects, witness this painting and the fashions it depicts, the art still maintained considerable vigour. The neat clear-cut characters of this signature suggest an early date in the career of Eisen (1790-1848), in the early-mid Bunsei era (1818-30). The signature reads 'Eisen sha' ('painted by Eisen'). The seals read 'Keisai, Eisen no in'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Ralph Harari Collection Height: 850.000 mm Width: 340.000 mm Keisai Eisen, Young woman arranging her hair, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202937_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1820s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD703 (1982.7-1.018) Japan Edo period, around AD 1834 The 'Eight Views of Lake Biwa' (near Kyoto) were first established in the medieval period as Japanese equivalents of Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers, long celebrated in Chinese literature and painting. Following the enormous success of his first great landscape series 'Fifty-Three Stations along the Tōkaidō Highway' (Tōkaidō gojūsan-tsugi no uchi), Hiroshige (1797-1858) designed this series for the same publishers, Takenouchi Magohachi and Yamamoto Heikichi. The feeling of the ōmi series is quite different. Appropriate to the 'classical' subject, the designs have an austere grandeur, with human interest, such an important feature of Hiroshige's work, kept to a minimum. In 1500 when the ōmi theme was first adopted by Japanese artists, Prince Konoe Masaie and his son chose a classical poem to match each scene. To complete his work, Hiroshige has included the poems. This one reads: Omou mono Akatsuki chigiru Hajime zo to Mazu kiku Mii no Iri-ai no kane Lovers think 'So begin our dawn vows' When first they hear The evening bell of Mii Temple L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Samuel Tuke Collection Height: 252.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Utagawa Hiroshige, 'Evening bell at Mii Temple' (Mii banshō), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202699_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1834 British Museum: Asia JA 1907.5-31.591 Japan Meiji era, AD 1879 The scene features Empress Jingū, a legendary regent of Japan of the late fourth to early fifth century, who is said to have led an invasion of Korea. She is seen here about to carve with her bow on the rock-face the belligerent declaration, 'The emperor of Korea is my dog'. Many Japanese of the Meiji era adopted Western dress, and Jingu's costume appears to feature a bustle, although these were not introduced to the imperial court until the 1880s. The finished print is no. 15 in the series Dai-Nippon shi ryaku zue ('Concise Illustrated History of Great Japan'), issued in April 1879. Among the group of fifty-two preparatory drawings by Yoshitoshi (1839-92), originally pasted into one album, this falls into the subject category of valiant emperors and historical figures loyal to the imperial cause. The emperor had been newly 'restored' to power in 1868, and works were being produced as propaganda for the imperial institution. Yoshitoshi's prints can also be seen as a precursor to the flourishing of history painting of the later Meiji era (1868-1912), which Japanese artists knew was regarded as the highest form of painting in the West. The basic outlines of the drawings were done in pale red ink, which was overlaid with black as the lines took a more definite shape. Where alterations were needed paper was pasted over. The collection of drawings fully demonstrates the force and emotive power of Yoshitoshi's art, and allow a glimpse into the fascinating process of his artistic creativity over a period of more than a decade. Height: 350.000 mm (drawing) Width: 738.000 mm (drawing) Height: 350.000 mm (drawing) Width: 738.000 mm (drawing) Height: 350.000 mm (drawing) Width: 738.000 mm (drawing) Height: 350.000 mm (drawing) Width: 738.000 mm (drawing) Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Empress Jingū leading the invasion of Korea, a preparatory drawing and colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps297332_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, AD 1879 British Museum: Asia JP ADD943 (1990.6-14.01(4)) (painting);Asia JA 1990.10-12.01 (1-3) (print) Japan Meiji era, August AD 1890 The priest Iwakura no Sōgen became infatuated with Irokotōhime, a beautiful courtesan of the ōtomo family. He broke his vow of chastity, even though he knew it would mean expulsion from his temple. But tragedy struck when Irokotōhime died and he was left alone. This triptych shows the actor Onoe Baikō V (Onoe Kikugorō V, 1844-1905) in the role of Sōgen in the play Hanafubuki. The story was first adapted to the Kabuki theatre during the 1670s, and it developed into several different versions, sometimes incorporating elements from other tales. This work is one of a series showing half-length portraits of actors depicted across all three sheets of the triptych format, a genre which was popular at the time. Yoshitoshi (1839-92) had met and become friends with the subjects of these works, Onoe Baikō V and Ichikawa Danjurō IX (1839-1903), about thirty years previously: the two actors dominated the Kabuki stage during the Meiji era (1868-1912). The draughtsmanship on the triptych is outstanding, with bold but simple compositions and an intensity of emotional expression. The printing, too, is done to a very high quality. Yoshitoshi is regarded as one of the last true woodblock artists in Japan at a time when this art was dying out, and his works are renowned for their imagination and drama. The cartouches detail the title, the actor, and the character portrayed. The signature beneath reads 'Yoshitoshi ga' ('Picture by Yoshitoshi') and the seal reads 'Yoshitoshi'. Height: 371.000 mm Width: 251.000 mm Height: 371.000 mm Width: 251.000 mm Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Yuki ('Snow'), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339010_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, August AD 1890 British Museum: Asia JA 1989.11-1.01.1-3 Japan Meiji era, AD 1885 This print shows the journalist Fukuchi Gen'ichirō (1841-1906) reporting on the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. It is taken from the series Kyōdō risshi ki ('Self-made Men Worthy of Emulation'). Several artists participated, and the publisher, Matsuki Heikichi, was commended by the government for its noble theme. The print's accompanying text outlines Fukuchi's inspirational life. The domain of Satsuma in the south-west of Japan was a wealthy one, and had remained largely independent during the Tokugawa period (1600-1868). Samurai of the domain had been prominent in the fall of the shogunate and the establishment of the Meiji government in 1868. However, when their leader Saigō Takamori (1827-77) was discredited they mounted an armed uprising in 1877, which was finally suppressed in September of the same year. Fukuchi was born in Nagasaki, where he learnt Dutch, and at eighteen went to Edo (modern Tokyo) to learn English. He worked as an interpreter and translator for the shogunate, but his allegiance then changed towards support of the new regime. He was an essayist and playwright as well as journalist. Fukuchi's activities as a war correspondent gained respect for the profession of journalist, and he was granted an audience with the emperor, where he gave a first-hand report of the Satsuma rebellion. Kiyochika specialized in prints showing the changing appearance of Edo as it was industrialized and Westernized. His works often followed older Ukiyo-e prints in their subject matter, but stylistically he often used Western techniques of perspective and shading. The signature in the bottom-right reads 'Shinsei Kiyochika' and the seal reads 'Shinsei.' J. Meech-Pekarik, The world of the Meiji print: (New York, Weatherhill, 1986) Height: 368.000 mm Width: 250.000 mm Height: 368.000 mm Width: 250.000 mm Kobayashi Kiyochika, The journalist Fukuchi Gen'ichirō, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps263092_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, AD 1885 British Museum: Asia JA 1989.8-8.01 Japan Edo period, AD 1860 A toy-stall has been decked out with a display of toys - dolls, stick horses, a toy axe, horns, and drums. The stall-holder is showing off a doll to a young girl and she turns excitedly to her mother, who has obviously agreed to the purchase. The scene is one of many produced during the Edo period depicting the appearance and customs of foreigners. From 1858, foreigners were allowed to reside in Yokohama and other designated treaty ports, and there was much curiosity about their ways. Sadahide (1807-73) was a prolific but minor printmaker, who had trained under Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864). He produced theatrical prints, contemporary scenes, and pictures of foreigners, such as this one. He was one of eleven Japanese print artists who showed their works at the Paris Exposition of 1866, for which he received the Légion d'Honneur. Sadahide's works incorporated the Western technique of shading, seen here on the barrel and the folds of the clothing. The composition is made to appear as an unfurled scroll. In the cartouche is written 'Dōban e-jō saishiki' ('Hand-coloured copperplate print'), in emulation of the European prints being imported at the time. The inscription beneath reads 'Go'untei Sadahide ga' ('Picture by Go'untei Sadahide'). The print was formerly in the Jack and Mary Hillier collection of Japanese prints featuring toys that was recently acquired by The British Museum. Purchased with the assistance of The British Museum Friends Utagawa Sadahide, European Toy Stall, a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339288_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1860 British Museum: Asia JA 1998.2-18.019 Japan Edo period, AD 1860 Yoshitora (worked about 1850-80) was an artist of Edo (modern Tokyo) who produced many pictures of foreigners living in the nearby coastal town of Yokohama, one of the limited number of ports that the shogunal government agreed to open to foreign trade in 1858. These works were often produced rather quickly and with little care, in an attempt to meet the high demand from the general public for works showing the exotic visitors. Yoshitora produced more of this type of print, known as 'Yokohama pictures' (Yokohama-e) than any other artist of the time. Compositions were often copied from other works, with only minor changes made or with the simple addition of a title, as is the case with this print. The characters around the umbrella read 'Gaikoku jimbutsu-zukushi' ('Scenes of Foreigners') and those to the left are to be read 'Igirisu' ('England'). The woman's dress here is largely imaginary, as artists themselves were seldom able to see the foreigners in real life. They used Western illustrations and earlier Nagasaki school prints for reference and made up a semi-fictional appearance. Sometimes a short explanatory text would be added. The supply of Yokohama prints came to out-strip demand, and their production peaked in about 1861. After this, printmakers attempted to revive the public's interest by switching to topographical views of foreign lands. The bottom-left inscription reads 'Yoshitora ga' ('Picture by Yoshitora') and the censorship seal above indicates the twelfth month of the monkey year (1860). M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1988) Height: 360.000 mm Width: 243.000 mm Height: 360.000 mm Width: 243.000 mm Scenes of Foreigners: England, a colour woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshitora http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339007_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1860 British Museum: Asia JA 1946.4-13.07 Japan Edo period, AD 1787 Shiba Kōkan (1747-1818) was the first Japanese to produce a copperplate print in 1783, a technique he learnt by studying a manual purchased from Dutch traders in Nagasaki. At this time Chinese and Dutch traders provided the main contact with the world beyond Japan. Kōkan was a skilled woodblock artist, but he became fascinated by Western approaches to visual representation, and wrote a treatise praising the accuracy and usefulness of Western pictures. Many European topographical prints were entering Japan at the time which he could study. Here Kōkan presents a native Japanese view of Ryōgoku Bridge over the Sumida River in Edo (modern Tokyo), in which he maximizes the effects of vanishing-point perspective. Ideally such perspective prints (uki-e) were designed to be seen through a viewing machine known as an 'optique', with a lens and mirror. Because the viewer sees a reflection of the print, the image itself has to be produced in reverse and the restricted vision makes the image seem more vivid. These devices were known in England as 'diagonal viewing machines' or 'zograscopes', and in Japan as Oranda-megane ('Dutch glasses') or nozoki-megane ('peeping glass'). The title, Tweelandbruk, is a literal translation into Dutch (the standard language of foreign studies in Japan at the time) of the bridges name, 'Bridge between Two Provinces' (Ryōgoku-bashi) The inscription tells us that the print was produced in the ninth month of 1787 and that Kōkan etched the plates himself. L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) Height: 285.000 mm Width: 418.000 mm Height: 285.000 mm Width: 418.000 mm Shiba Kōkan, 'Tweelandbruk', a hand-coloured copperplate etching http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps155415_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1787 British Museum: Asia JA 1949.11-12.010 Japan Edo period, about AD 1795-1810 Almost all Ukiyo-e artists produced substantial quantities of explicitly erotic works. Erotic prints and paintings were usually in the more discreet formats of albums, printed books and handscrolls, such as here. Normally each work consisted of a sequence of twelve scenes, but this scroll only has ten, suggesting that two - perhaps one that included the artists's signature - have been trimmed from the work. The firm attribution to Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762-1819) is based on certain key elements of the style, such as the dry brushwork and mannerisms of the facial features, particularly the sensuously long eye-lashes. The similarities with the painting style of Shun'ei's teacher, Shunshō, suggests a date for this scroll not long after Shunshō's death in 1792. Shun'ei consciously avoided conventional poses in his shunga ('spring' pictures, that is, erotica) and the incidental detail gives many of them a strongly anecdotal feel. Here, the black-robed man leans back slightly dishevelled among the cushions, drawing on his pipe. The woman dozes across his knee, one hand inside her kimono sleeve pulling it up to slightly cover her face; only her eyebrows and a tightly closed eye are visible. In another scene, a husband surprises his wife as she is washing her hair. Combs and hairpins are left discarded on the floor beside the bowl and their mutual pleasure is evident in their rapt expressions. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 280.000 mm Width: 6373.000 mm Height: 280.000 mm Width: 6373.000 mm Katsukawa Shun'ei (attributed to), Ten scenes of lovemaking, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203277_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1795-1810 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD615 (1980.3-25.04) Japan Edo period, around AD 1803 This painting shows the Kabuki female impersonator, Segawa Ronosuke, probably in the role of Princess Shizuka in the play Yoshitsune sembon-sakura ('Yoshitsune and the Yoshino Cherry Trees'). Clear clues are offered by the background of cherry blossoms and the haiku poem, probably composed and written by the actor himself. It reads: Sakura saku Koro wa shizuka in Hōkō kana (In the season of / Blossoming cherry / Why not proceed more slowly?) In the play, Shizuka is forced to flee to Mt. Yoshino, famous for its cherry trees. Here she is seen dressed for the journey, carrying a large black lacquered hat and walking stick with a bundle on her back. One sleeve of her kimono has been slipped off, and the white under-kimono contrasts strikingly with the brilliant primary colours of her outer robe, with its pattern of yellow kerria flowers scattered over a stream. Segawa Ronosuke is recorded as having played the role of Shizuka once, at the Ichimura theatre in the eighth month of the year 1803, and it is likely that this is the performance that Toyokuni (1769-1825) has recorded. The signature reads 'Ichiyōsai Toyokuni ga' ('painted by Ichiyōsai Toyokuni'). The seals read 'Ichiyōsai, Toyokuni'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 938.000 mm Width: 255.000 mm Utagawa Toyokuni, The Kabuki actor Segawa Ronosuke as Shizuka Gozen, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202939_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1803 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1439 (1913.5-1.0399) Japan Edo period, published AD 1859 This print is one of the series 'Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji' (Fuji sanjūrokkei), Hiroshige's last major series in the upright format typical of his later landscape prints. The design is reminiscent of Hokusai's 'Under the Wave, off Kanagawa' of about 1830, and is almost certainly Hiroshige's tribute to the earlier master. Hiroshige died on the 6th day of the 9th month of 1858, before the series was published. He may have been a victim of the cholera epidemic which swept through Edo that summer and autumn. At Satta the old Tōkaidō Highway followed the rocky coastline, which was often washed by stormy seas. Pine trees cling to the steep cliff and, as in Hokusai's print, the wild waves contrast with the serene form of Mount Fuji in the background. Hiroshige has added a flock of plovers which give the impression of flecks of foam tossed up by the waves. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Ernest Hart Collection Height: 354.000 mm Width: 243.000 mm Utagawa Hiroshige, 'The Sea at Satta, Suruga Province' (Suruga Satta kaijō), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202961_m.jpg Japan Edo period, published AD 1859 British Museum: Asia JA 1902.2-12.0396 (25) Japan Edo period, AD 1788 The album 'Poem of the Pillow' is a masterpiece among the erotic works by Utamaro (died 1806), and indeed, among the entire erotica of the Ukiyo-e school. Utamaro has avoided the stereotypical scenes of love-making that were often produced at the time, and instead created an innovative and powerfully sensual design. He uses a very low viewpoint and places the unusually large figures so that they seem to expand beyond the frame of the picture. The eye is shocked by the white of the woman's skin against the bright scarlet under-kimono, and the transparency of the gauze fabric that covers the couple's entwined legs only heightens the sensuousness. Finally, however, the viewer focuses on the heads and shoulders. The details emphasise the emotion of the moment: the man's eye as he gazes intently at his lover, the tender touch of their delicate fingers and the exquisite nape of the woman's neck. Written on the fan is a suggestive verse by the comic poet Yadoya no Meshimori: Hamaguri ni Hashi o shikka to Hasamarete Shigi tachikanuru Aki no yūgure Its beak caught firmly In the clam shell, The snipe cannot Fly away Of an autumn evening The 'Poem of the Pillow' is the first of a series of de luxe printed books produced by Utamaro in partnership with the publisher Tsutaya Jūsaburō. The variety of themes - birds, shells, snow, moon and flowers - widened the range of subject-matter and styles in Ukiyo-e of the time. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) J. Hillier, The art of the Japanese book, (London, Philip Wilson Publishers, 1987) S. Asano and T. Clark, The passionate art of Kitagawa (London, 1995) Height: 255.000 mm Length: 369.000 cm Height: 255.000 mm Length: 369.000 cm Kitagawa Utamaro, Lovers in an upstairs room, from Uta makura ('Poem of the Pillow'), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps293268_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1788 British Museum: Asia JA OA+133.06 Japan, about AD 1797-98 This is probably intended as a 'parody picture' (mitate-e) which reworks an episode from Epsiode 9 of Ise monogatari (Tales of Ise), 'Journey to the East' (Azuma-kudari). The question is, who is actually performing the parody? The two upper figures on the centre and right sheets clearly impersonate, respectively, the courtier-poet Ariwara no Narihira, the main protagonist of the Tales, and a standard-bearing retainer. Otherwise, however, the hairstyles of the figures are clearly feminine, though each either wears or carries some kind of man's court head-gear. The scene may simply be an imagined parody of the famous scene from classical literature, populated by Utamaro's habitually idealized young men and women. More specifically, though, it is possible that the scene records one of the costume parades perfomed each autumn in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter as part of the Niwaka Festival. Male and female geisha in fanciful costumes would process around the quarter on floats or with other elaborate props. Female geisha would sometimes dress as men for these events. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 369.000 mm (approx.) Width: 249.000 mm (approx.) Height: 369.000 mm (approx.) Width: 249.000 mm (approx.) Kitagawa Utamaro, Parody of Narihira's Journey to the East, a triptych of colour woodblock prints http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps347799_m.jpg Japan, about AD 1797-98 British Museum: Asia JA 1906.12-10.0364(1-3) Japan Edo period, around AD 1800 Utamaro (died AD 1806) was a master at catching the moods of his female subjects, often in the more private moments of their lives. Here a married woman is engaged in her morning toilette. Her gaze is caught by the beauty of a potted morning glory: perhaps it has come into bloom overnight for the first time. Her straight back, placed almost in the centre of the horizontal space and topped by the rounded marumage hairdo, forms a strong triangular composition with the potted plant on the left, and the copper water bowl and porcelain dish with toothbrush and mouthwash to the right. Utamaro used a similar triangular composition in other paintings of the period. Utamaro was particularly skilled at using the patterns of textiles to indicate the shapes of bodies beneath, and here the lines of the checked blue outer-kimono suggest convincingly the woman's bended knee. Even without much shading, the knee appears to project towards the viewer; folds of cloth bunched at the elbow create a similarly naturalistic effect. The rougher blue and white checks of the under-kimono and towel give variety to the range of textures. The touches of red, especially around the naked knee, give a sensuality that is rarely missing from Utamaro's works. The signature reads 'Utamaro hitsu' ('the brush of Utamaro'). The seal reads 'Utamaro'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) S. Asano and T. Clark, The passionate art of Kitagawa (London, 1995) Bequeathed by C. Maresco Pearce Height: 394.000 mm Width: 549.000 mm Kitagawa Utamaro, Woman at her morning toilette, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202925_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1800 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD380 (1965.7-24.04) Japan Edo period, about AD 1818-20 In the middle of the night, a courtesan gets up to trim the wick of a standing lantern. She is clad only in her light silk under-kimono. The shadow of her arm is thrown on to the paper lamp-shade. The black lacquer tray with two tea-cups suggests the presence of a client behind the screen, and the array of scattered hairpins and accessories and the outer kimono and obi flung over the screen further suggest their intimacy. The slender figure is emphasized by the soft red silk kimono decorated in tie-dyed starfish pattern. Her collar is hand-painted with a design of a cuckoo signed Gototei (one of Kunisada's art-names). Perhaps he would like us to think that he is the unseen visitor. Kunisada (1786-1864) makes original use of the screen to create a sense of space. Together with the unusual lighting effects and informal, intimate pose of the woman, he produces a feeling of immediacy drawing the viewer into the scene. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Narazaki Muneshige, and Yamaguchi Keisaburo (eds.), Ukiyo-e shÅ«ka, vol. 2 (Tokyo, shu eisha, 1979) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1988) J.J. O'Brien Sexton Collection Purchased with the assistance of the National Art Collections Fund Height: 380.000 mm Width: 251.000 mm Utagawa Kunisada, Beauty beside a standing lantern, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202696_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1818-20 British Museum: Asia JA 1942.1-24.015 Published in Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1796 Kikō zui ('Illustrated Compendium of Clever Machines') was the first publication in Japan to give sufficiently precise instructions to enable the construction of clocks and automata. The author, Hosokawa Hanzō Yorinao (died 1796?) was an inventor, mathematician and, finally, government calendar expert. In making this valuable information public he was responding to the growing interest in Edo in the later eighteenth century in 'Dutch Studies' (Rangaku) (meaning here, 'European' - the Dutch were the only Europeans permitted to trade with Japan until the 1850s). The mechanisms of European clocks had to be converted to the more elastic Japanese system of telling the time, whereby daylight and darkness were each always divided into six units, which therefore differed in length according to the season. Particular attention was also paid in Japan to developing the clockwork mechanisms for automata toys, which became a fashionable parlour toy among the wealthy. The 'tea-serving doll' (cha-hakobi ningyō) shown here is the most famous. The doll moved forwards towards the guest when a cup of tea was placed in his doll hands, waited respectfully while it was drunk and then turned around and trundled back with the empty cup. T. Clark, 'Acquisitions: Japanese Compendium of Clever Machines', British Museum Magazine: Th-21, 34 (Summer 1999), p. 34 Purchased with the assistance of The British Museum Friends Height: 225.000 mm (covers) Width: 159.000 mm (covers) Hosokawa Honzō Yorinao, a woodblock print from Karakuri zui ('Illustrated Compendium of Clever Machines') http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps333310_m.jpg Published in Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1796 British Museum: Asia JA 1998.2-18.055 (JIB 932) Japan Edo period, around AD 1710 Printing blocks for Japanese colour woodblock prints were usually cut from mountain cherry trees, which have a hard wood that can be cut with fine detail, and withstand the wear of taking hundreds, even thousands of impressions. They are cut vertically from the trunk, following the grain. Chisels and mallets, and gouges were used to clear away background areas of wood. Knives were used to cut the fine detail, leaving narrow ridges of wood in relief to print each of the lines. From the 1740s onwards a simple registration system, called the kentō, was used to print colours and patterns inside the black outlines. This consisted of one right-angled cut in a corner and one straight cut near one long edge of each block. Each different colour generally required a separate printing block. Full-colour printing using from ten to twenty blocks became standard after 1765. This block is a rare early survival from around 1710, the period when only the black outlines of a design were printed, and any colouring was added by hand afterwards. Both sides of the block are carved with two separate designs of courtesans and immortals by the ukiyo-e artist Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764), but inexplicably the artist's signature has been cut out of the block after printing. The block is relatively thick and the cutting deep compared to later examples. One side shows three types of prostitute - a bikuni entertainer, a Yoshiwara courtesan and a young male prostitute - drinking sake from a large tub, a parody of the 'Three Vinegar Tasters'. The other side shows a courtesan with the Immortal Gama Sennin, whose attribute is a toad, and has the title Yūkun Gama sennin ('Courtesans' version of Gama Sennin'). A copy of the completed album is also in The British Museum's collection. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Harold Yates Height: 245.000 mm (approx.) Width: 490.000 mm (approx.) Okumura Masanobu (after), a wooden printing block for two illustrations from the album Yūkun Sennin ('Courtesans - Immortals') http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps296583_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1710 British Museum: JA JA 1938.11-12.53 Published in Osaka, Japan Edo period, 6th month, AD 1803 This is the opening illustration for a three-volume series published in Osaka by Ueda Uhei and Nurakami Sakichi. The books show the annual customs and daily life of the pleasure quarters in a series of double-page spreads. This spread shows a parade of courtesans of the Shimmachi pleasure quarter in Osaka at New Year. They are on their way to the local temple of the deity Aizen Myō-ō. It was customary at New Year for courtesans to dress in the fine new kimonos given to them by their clients. The number of new kimonos they wore corresponded to the number of clients they had, so it was a time to display their popularity. The spread is particularly striking, with the design crossing the page in a strong diagonal from right to left. The courtesans themselves are distinguished from their attendants by the obi sashes tied in the front, their elaborate hair-styles with combs and long hairpins and their impossibly high wooden geta (clogs). The umbrellas all bear a mallet-shaped mon (crest) of one of the houses of pleasure. From around 1805, two years after this work was published, Saitō Shūho (1769-1859) became an unadventurous painter in the academic style of the Kanō school. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 257.000 mm Width: 182.000 mm Height: 257.000 mm Width: 182.000 mm Saitō Shūho, Kishi empu ('Mr. Aoi's Chronicle of Charm'), a colour woodblock printed book http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203290_m.jpg Published in Osaka, Japan Edo period, 6th month, AD 1803 British Museum: Asia JA 1952.11-8.011 (1-3) (JIB 515A) Published in Japan Edo period, around AD 1710 This illustration is a parody of a well-known classical painting subject that showed the founders of the three great creeds of Buddhism, Confucianism and Daoism. They are all drinking vinegar, and are forced into the uncharacteristic agreement that it tastes awful. Here the sages are represented by three types of prostitute: a bikuni entertainer; a high-ranked courtesan, and an apprentice (male) Kabuki actor. They are shown serving themselves from a barrel of sake (rice wine) with obvious enjoyment. The album Yūkun sennin ('Courtesans - Immortals') contains eleven black and white prints from what was probably a set of twelve. Each illustration humorously gives the three, usually female, figures the attributes of Chinese hermits and holy men in appropriate settings. Another page shows a coutesan conversing with the Immortal Gama, whose attribute is a toad. The British Museum also has the wooden block used to print two of the illustrations, carved back-to-back on a single piece of cherry wood. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 275.000 mm Width: 190.000 mm Height: 275.000 mm Width: 190.000 mm Okumura Masanobu, Courtesans as Three Sake Drinkers, a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203293_m.jpg Published in Japan Edo period, around AD 1710 British Museum: Asia JA 1915.8-23.012 (JIB 44) Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, around AD 1790 A government official named Seki Mitsubumi was visiting Nagasaki in 1789. There he commissioned a Chinese artist resident in the city to paint a set of five handscrolls, showing birds which had been imported there from China in 1762 on a boat called the Hachiban ('Boat No. 8'). On his return to Edo, Mitsubumi showed the paintings to the publisher Matsumoto Zembei, who decided to publish a selection of the images as a de luxe woodblock-printed album at the end of 1790. The Ukiyo-e artist Kitao Masayoshi (1764-1824) was employed to copy the Chinese artist's paintings and make designs for the engravers and printers. A second volume published in 1792 gave information about the birds. The birds are outlined in black following the normal Ukiyo-e convention. However, the landscape setting has been depicted using elaborate techniques to suggest the soft colour transitions of the original Chinese painting. These include texturing of the surface of the printing block or wiping the edges of inked areas. The only known complete copy of this rare album has recently been discovered in the collection of the Kōbe City Museum, Japan. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1988) Height: 251.000 mm (covers) Width: 187.000 mm (covers) Height: 251.000 mm (covers) Width: 187.000 mm (covers) Kitao Masayoshi, Partridges, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203294_m.jpg Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, around AD 1790 British Museum: Asia JA JIB90 Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1784 The artist Kitao Masanobu (1761-1816) also wrote novels under the pen-name Santō Kyōden. He established himself as the chief guide and a leader in taste in the exclusive world of the high-ranking courtesans of the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter of Edo. The popularity and influence of the pleasure quarters were at their height in the 1770s and 1780s. Many artists, including Harunobu, Kōryūsai, Shigemasa and Kiyonaga competed with each other in producing sumptuous tributes to the courtesans. These took the form of colour woodblock prints, illustrated books and albums. This album, designed by Masanobu, was published by the ambitious and energetic publisher Tsutaya Jūsaburō. It was an attempt to surpass all competitors. The large format is twice the size of normal single-sheet prints, and the colour-printing is of outstanding complexity and richness. Each print also includes waka poems, reproducing the actual handwriting of the women depicted. In this print, Hinazuru is shown modelling one of her fine New Year kimonos. Chōzan is seated at an elegant Chinese-style writing-table, checking her calligraphy primer and a copy of the classic Eiga monogatari ('Tales of Glory') before writing her New Year verses of greeting on the poem slips before her. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) J. Hillier, The art of the Japanese book, (London, Philip Wilson Publishers, 1987) L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) Jack Hillier and Lawrence Smith, Japanese prints: 300 years of (London, The British Museum Press, 1980) Jack Hillier Collection Height: 275.000 mm Width: 380.000 mm Kitao Masanobu, The courtesans Hinazuru and Chōzan a coloured woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204981_m.jpg Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1784 British Museum: Asia JA 1979.3-5.0146 (JH 146) Japan Edo period, about AD 1792-93 Ohisa was one of the favourite subjects of several Ukiyo-e print artists in the 1790s, especially Kitagawa Utamaro (died 1806). Ohisa was the daughter of the proprietor of the Takashima chain of cake-shops and tea shops in Edo and seems to have made her reputation serving tea at the family shop near Ryōgoku Bridge. On this print her beauty is celebrated in the poem, top right, by Karabana Tadaaya. The translation reads: Charms and tea are brimming over And neither gets cold! Let me not wake From this lucky dream of the New Year At Takashimaya. In the late 1780s one of Utamaro's main products, de luxe anthologies of poems, were banned by law, so he, together with publisher Tsutaya Jūsaburō, started to make these half-length (ō-kubi) prints instead. Set against a silvery-white mica background, the format shows the bijin ('beautiful women') to perfection. Utamaro is particularly celebrated for his ability to capture the individuality of his female subjects in all their moods. Here Ohisa turns to glance questioningly at someone just outside the picture. Her black gauze kimono has a pattern of yellow and white flashes, and the neck-line is carefully arranged to reveal the back of her neck. Her obi (sash) has a design of a plover wheeling above stylized waves. The fan bears the triple oak-leaf family crest (mon) of the Takashima family. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) S. Asano and T. Clark, The passionate art of Kitagawa (London, 1995) Asia JA 1927.6-13.06 Height: 376.000 mm Width: 247.000 mm Kitagawa Utamaro, Ohisa of the Takashima tea-shop, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202960_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1792-93 British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan, Edo period, published AD 1835 Hokusai (1760-1849) had achieved enormous success with the publication of his series of colour prints 'Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji' (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) between about 1829 and 1832. The series was even extended by a further ten prints. Following this he went on to design 102 more views of the famous peak which were published in three volumes over a period of about fifteen years. They were printed from blocks made in the workshop of the master carver Egawa Tomekichi. For this book, Hokusai chose to work in monochrome. He used fine black line and various subtle shades of grey, concentrating on eccentric and imaginative compositions, rather than the realistic depiction of actual places. L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) H. Smith (ed.), Hokusai: one hundred views of (London, Thames and Hudson, 1988) J. Hillier, The art of the Japanese book, (London, Philip Wilson Publishers, 1987) Jack Hillier and Lawrence Smith, Japanese prints: 300 years of (London, The British Museum Press, 1980) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Jack Hillier Collection Height: 227.000 mm Width: 157.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, Dragon ascending Mount Fuji from 'One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji' (Fugaku hyakkei), a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203288_m.jpg Japan, Edo period, published AD 1835 British Museum: Asia JA 1979.3-5.0454 (1-3) (JH 454) Japan, AD 1986 (Artist's Proof 13/20) This view of Mount Fuji is from Shinjuku on the west side of the centre of Tokyo, the 'second city centre' (fuku-toshin) that underwent staggering development of high-rise buildings in the period of rapid economic growth from the 1960s through the 1980s. The artist has juxtaposed distant Fuji with the unyielding side of a skyscraper in the foreground. At the fringes of West Shinjuku, the current high-water marks of redevelopment, the scale of the buildings suddenly drops away to normal again, providing a clear perspective westwards across Musashi Plain. However, today Fuji is only visible from Tokyo for a few days each year when the meteorological conditions relieve the smog and exhaust fumes, typically on New Year's Day when the traffic stops. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Gift of The British Museum Friends Height: 450.000 mm Width: 565.000 mm Hagiwara Hideo, 'In the Valley between the Buildings' (Biru no tanima ni), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344483_m.jpg Japan, AD 1986 (Artist's Proof 13/20) British Museum: Asia JA 2000.3-29.03 Japan, AD 1830-33 Ejiri was a post-station on the Tōkaidō Highway on the west side of Suruga Bay, near modern Shimizu City. This was close to the famous beauty spot of Miho-no-Matsubara. This view depicts a much more prosaic location, a path that snakes through a marsh. The silhouette of Mt Fuji is drawn with a single line, providing a backdrop for the figures and trees battling the wind in the foreground. Bending their bodies and clutching at scarves and hats, all turn their faces away from us - as if we were the source of the blast that carries off the tissues that had been tucked into the woman's kimono. The tissues flit skyward, accompanied by dancing leaves and an escaped hat. The porter who has lost his hat gesticulates in surprise, a circle of padding left forlorn on his head. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Bequeathed by Charles Shannon, RA Height: 259.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, 'Ejiri in Suruga Province' (Sunshū Ejiri), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps236098_m.jpg Japan, AD 1830-33 British Museum: Asia JA 1907.5-31.0545 Japan, AD 1830-33 This print is only superficially different in composition toHokusai's 'South Wind, Clear Sky', and yet the two designs are deliberately contrasting, down to the smallest detail. The calm, bright dawn has given way to agitation and darkness, as a sudden storm erupts around the base of the mountain, with jagged lightning forming an untidy echo of the slopes. The manner of drawing Fuji's triple summit with a deep ravine on the left side is interpreted to show the 'back' (that is, north) side of Mt Fuji. If this is so, then Hokusai's intention may have been to set up poetic contrasts between this and the previous design, of front/back, morning/evening, fair weather/storm. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 241.000 mm Width: 365.000 mm Height: 241.000 mm Width: 365.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, 'Rainstorm Beneath the Summit' (Sanka haku'u), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps293416_m.jpg Japan, AD 1830-33 British Museum: Asia JA 1906.12-20.0526 Japan, AD 1830-33 'Drawn by Old-Man Itsu, the former Hokusai Printed in blue, one view on each sheet, published progressively. These pictures show the shape of Fuji as it differs depending on the place. It is not always drawn the same - now the shape as seen from the beach at Shichiri-ga-hama: or the view as seen from Tsukuda Island - and will be of assistance to those learning [to paint] landscapes. If carved progressively, they should even exceed one hundred. They are not limited to thirty-six.' Printed advertisment, New Year 1831 A series devoted solely to landscape was a novelty in Japanese art. The major factor in establishing pure landscape as a new genre of Ukiyo-e print was probably the sudden availability in the later 1820s of cheap Berlin blue. This strong, brilliant pigment could be used for water and sky, and would not fade. This print belongs to what is thought to be the first group of five designs in the series, done originally entirely in shades of Berlin blue. Shichiri-ga-hama, 'Seven-League' Beach, lies in the foreground with Mt Fuji seen past the island of Enoshima in the middle-ground. Cumulonimbus clouds rise on the horizon, suggesting summer storms, and yet Fuji is well covered with snow. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Gift of Sir Hickman Bacon, Bt Height: 244.000 mm Width: 364.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, Shichiri-ga-hama [Beach] in Suruga Province (Sōshū Shichiri-ga-hama), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344482_m.jpg Japan, AD 1830-33 British Museum: Asia JA 1907.5-31.0144 Japan, AD 1830-33 It is said that when conditions are right in late summer or early autumn, with a wind from the south and a clear sky, the slopes of Fuji can appear dyed red by the rays of the rising sun. This is the most abstracted composition and yet the most metereologically specific of Hokusai's series. The delicately hovering clouds part to form a halo around the summit veined with sparse remnants of snow. The lower regions are still in shadow and it is only the bare slopes above the tree-line that catch the sun, turning (in this impression) a bright, brick red. The three shades of blue in the sky seem like a mirror-reversal of the three colours on the mountain. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 261.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Height: 261.000 mm Width: 382.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, 'South Wind, Clear Sky' (Gaifū kaisei) ['Red Fuji'], a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps237757_m.jpg Japan, AD 1830-33 British Museum: Asia JA 1906.12-20.0525 Japan Edo period, AD 1822 Surimono (literally ‘printed thing') were de luxe colour woodblock prints privately produced as greetings or tributes for special occasions such as the New Year or a person's change of name. In 1822, a Year of the Horse, Hokusai designed a series of elegant still-life surimono compositions, called Uma-zukushi ('A Set of Horses'), which all contained oblique references to the animal. Most surimono included a poem. The one inscribed on this print is by Sanseitei Marumi: Hatsuhikage Nioteru haru ni ōmi no ya Kagami no yama o Miru mo mabayuki In the rays Of the Spring sun On Lake Biwa Mirror Mountain Also glitters (Translation by Roger Keyes) The ōmi hakkei ('Eight Views' of Lake Biwa near Kyoto) had long been a subject for classical ink-paintings, and was also taken up by print artists (see also the example by Hiroshige). Hokusai introduces a number of references here: Mii Temple, Ishiyama Temple and Mount Hira appear on the porcelain plant pot; the lacquer pitcher and basin are decorated with scenes of the Ukimidō 'Floating' Temple at Katada and the Long Bridge of Seta; on the towel we see Awazu Castle and the returning boats at Yabase (the towel itself representing the sail); and the miniature pine tree recalls the ancient pine at Karasaki. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) R. Keyes, The art of Surimono (London, 1985) Bequeathed by Charles Shannon Height: 201.000 mm Width: 176.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, 'The Talisman' (Mayoke), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps094855_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1822 British Museum: Asia JA 1937.7-10.0212 Japan Edo period, about AD 1829-33 This is perhaps the single most famous of Hokusai's woodblock prints - perhaps of all Japanese prints. It belongs to the series 'Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji' (Fugaku sanjūrokkei). The graceful snow-clad mountain stands out unperturbed against the deep blue of the horizon. Yet it is reduced to a tiny hillock compared with the towering strength of the wave which threatens to engulf the struggling boats. Such clever, playful manipulation of the composition is a feature on many of Hokusai's works. This monumental series was the first to exploit the new chemical Berlin blue pigment, which had recently become cheaply available from China. It provided Hokusai with a strong blue for both sky and water and had the added advantage that it did not fade. Hokusai's series was so commercially successful that the publisher, Nishimuraya Eijudō, extended it with another ten prints, printed this time with black instead of blue outlines. Though highly valued today, several thousand impressions were taken from the cherry-wood printing blocks, literally as many as the publisher could sell. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Asia JA 1937.7-10.0147 Height: 259.000 mm Width: 372.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, 'Under the Wave, off Kanagawa' (Kanagawa oki nami-ura), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps094863_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1829-33 British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD Beneath Mt. Fuji, the most famous and celebrated mountain in Japan, is shown the well-known beauty spot, Shiraito Falls. The name means 'white threads', which is exactly how Buzen has painted them. The trees across the centre of the painting, which divide the composition horizontally, look more like individual leaves, with the trunks and branches forming veins. The most noticeable feature of this painting is its relationship with other craft processes. Buzen (1734-1806) was experienced in engraving; here the generally muted tones, and the central trees and rocks below in particular, are reminiscent of imported Western copper-plate etchings. Buzen had studied painting with Tsukioka Settei (1710-86), but he was an original painter who stood outside of any school. Here he does not seem to be concerned with the possibilities of brush and ink effects, and has rejected the use of applied white pigment for the cascading water. The signature reads ‘Yūzen hitsu; Buzen sha' ('From the brush of Yūzen, copied by Buzen') and the seal reads 'Dōkan' (one of the artist's art names). It is not known if this Yūzen is the same figure as Miyazaki Yūzen (died 1758), who perfected a revolutionary technique for dyeing pictures into cloth in the early eighteenth century. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) William Anderson Collection Height: 573.000 mm Width: 884.000 mm Suminoe Buzen, Mt Fuji and Shiraito Falls, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps346885_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1955 (1881.12-10.0815) Japan, around AD 1935 Tatsuta-hime, the Shintō goddess of autumn and the harvest, is shown here as an elegant modern beauty in a high-waisted kimono with long swinging sleeves. She poses before a distant, barren Mt Fuji. The artist is quoted as saying about Princess Tatsuta: 'She's the crowning woman of my life. She's Miss Nippon!' L. Smith, The Japanese print since 1900: (London, The British Museum Press, 1983) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 512.000 mm Width: 390.000 mm Height: 512.000 mm Width: 390.000 mm Takehisa Yumeji, 'Princess Tatsuta' (Tatsuta-hime), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps127591_m.jpg Japan, around AD 1935 British Museum: Asia JA 1982.10-7.010 Japan Late 19th century AD Mt Fuji is the most famous and revered mountain in Japan. It is admired for its height, shape, and beauty, and has featured in Japanese poems and paintings since ancient times. It was a favourite theme of the Rimpa artists, who specialized in a stylized and richly decorative art. The father of Dōitsu (1845-1913), Yamamoto Sōdo, was a follower of the important Rimpa artist, Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828). The composition places the mountain to the left of a rectangular space, as was traditional. The peak is covered in snow, but the slopes beneath are given a rather colourful treatment using tarashi-komi - a technique unique to the Rimpa school where ink is dripped onto areas of still-wet paint to create a puddled effect. 'Dry brushwork' creates the illusion that the mountain is disappearing into the mists below, and the pines have stylized, mushroom-shaped foliage. These trees represent the pine groves of Miho-no-Matsubara, a celebrated spot from which to view Mt. Fuji. The signature reads 'Uka Dōitsu', and the seal reads ‘Dōitsu Uka'. Y. Yamane, M. Naito and T. Clark, Rimpa Art from the Idemitsu Co (London, The British Museum Press, 1998) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Gift of Klaus Naumann Height: 345.000 mm Width: 685.000 mm Sakai Dōitsu, Mt Fuji and Pines, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338586_m.jpg Japan Late 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD605 (1979.10-8.035) Japan Edo period, AD 1662-70 Ise monogatari is a collection of prose and poetry episodes (many on the theme of love) written in the tenth century by anonymous members of the court. These nine surviving sheets, from a high quality album, illustrate important episodes from the work. They have also been matched with the relevant poems and text in the elegant calligraphic hand of various court nobles contemporary with the artist. The scene shown here is taken from Episode 9, 'Azuma-kudari: Fujinoyama' (Journey to the East: Mt Fuji). A man - traditionally identified as the courtier Ariwara no Narihira (AD 825-880) - travels past Mt. Fuji, and although it is the fifth month, the peak is still covered in snow. In Episode 4, 'Nishi-no-tai' (West wing), also shown here, the man sits on the veranda of a mansion, with a white plum tree in bloom in the garden, and a full moon overhead. The lady of the house, whom he had courted, has disappeared, and he visits in her absence remembering their affair. Jokei was trained in the Kyoto Tosa school of painting, and in 1661 was awarded the court title for distinguished artists, hokkyō ('Bridge of the Law'). This work displays a greater originality and simplicity in its compositions than is seen in other versions, and shows Jokei's customary round-faced figure style and clear, brilliant colouring. The signature reads 'Sumiyoshi hokkyō hitsu' ('From the brush of Sumiyoshi of hokkyō rank'), and the seal reads 'Hokkyō'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) William Anderson Collection Length: 196.000 mm (each) Width: 173.000 mm (each) Sumiyoshi Jokei (paintings) and various courtiers (calligraphy), pages from an album of Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise') http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339582_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1662-70 British Museum: Asia JA JP 187-195 (1881.12-10.0326-34) Japan Edo period, about AD 1860-65 The Sumida River in Edo was a place of amusement for all social groups: artisans and merchants lived close to its banks and feudal lords had their summer villas there. Samurai too flocked from the upper class Yamanote district. These scrolls of spring and summer scenes show (on the right) a pair of geisha enjoying cherry blossom on the embankment near Mimeguri shrine. On the left scroll two geisha are shown boarding a boat for a trip with a patron. Beyond is the famous landmark of Ryōgoku Bridge, and a fresh green willow tree lends a feeling of cool to the days of early summer. In the background Mt. Fuji can be clearly seen still with a topping of snow. In modern times, it is normally hidden behind a cloud of pollution unless a strong wind clears the atmosphere. Hiroshige II (1826-69), previously known as Suzuki Shigenobu, was the pupil and adopted son of the renowned Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858). The pupil faithfully continues Hiroshige's techniques in this pair of hanging scrolls: the landscape backgrounds are done in a soft wash, while the figures are picked out in splashes of brighter colour. The singature reads 'Hiroshige hitsu' ('the brush of Hiroshige'). The seal reads 'Nisei Ichiryūsai Hiroshige gain' ('painting seal of the second-generation Ichiryūsai Hiroshige'). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 888.000 mm (each) Width: 298.000 mm (each) Utagawa Hiroshige&nbsp;II, Two views of Mt. Fuji from the Sumida River, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202924_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1860-65 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1554 (1913.5-1.0298);Asia JA JP 1555 (1913.5-1.0299) Japan, AD 1765 or later This woodblock print is a 'parody picture' (mitate-e) which reworks the subject 'Monk Saigyō gazing at Mt Fuji' (Fuji-mi Saigyō). Saigyō was the pen-name of Satō Norikiyo (1118-90), a warrior in the service of Emperor Toba, who in 1140 took religious vows and left his family at court to travel the country and compose some of the greatest waka poetry in the Japanese language. One common depiction of an episode from Saigyō's life shows him as an aged man in monk's black robes, with walking stick and travelling hat, pausing on his journey to gaze in wonder at Mt Fuji. This is certainly the scene parodied here, the woman's long pipe suggesting Saigyō's stick. She can be identified as a courtesan by her sash (obi) tied at the front. She sits admiring a free-standing screen (tsuitate) painted with a view of Mt Fuji and Miho-no-Matsubara, leaning back as if overwhelmed. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Bequeathed by Charles Shannon, R.A. Height: 268.000 mm Width: 208.000 mm Suzuki Harunobu (attributed to), Parody of Monk Saigyō gazing at Mt Fuji, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps344884_m.jpg Japan, AD 1765 or later British Museum: JA JA 1937.7-10.034 Japan, mid-19th century AD We look past a collection of sea-going cargo-ships towards Tsukuda and Ishikawa Islands, with the shoreline of Edo Bay to the right and snow-covered Mt Fuji in the distance. A solitary cormorant perches on the tip of one of the masts, which dips down in a V-shape in inverted complement to the slopes of the mountain. Nammei was a highly eclectic artist of the late Edo period (1600-1868). Here he has depicted Fuji using a 'boneless' (mokkotsu) style, with washes of ink and colour. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) William Anderson Collection Height: 290.000 mm Width: 682.000 mm Haruki Nammei, Mt Fuji from Edo Bay, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps346887_m.jpg Japan, mid-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1927 (1881.12-10.01036) Japan Hōreki era (AD 1751-64) - early Meiwa era (1764-71) The Sumida River was, and remains, the main waterway of Edo (modern Tokyo). It runs through Shitamachi, the low-lying merchant and artisan district in the eastern part of the city, and during the Edo period (1600-1868) provided both water transportation and a setting for people's enjoyment through the seasons. By the mid-eighteenth century, Edo had grown into an enormous city of over one million inhabitants and developed its own distinctive culture; people began to take pride in the river, and view it as a suitable theme for depiction in art. These scrolls are among the earliest detailed depictions of the Sumida River presently known. This set of scrolls describes the appearance of the river's banks in all four seasons. The first scroll moves downstream from the upper reaches of the western bank, the second starts downstream and moves up the eastern bank. The third continues on from where the first left off, travelling further downstream on the western bank, and finishing with an auspicious view of Mt. Fuji. The scene here is taken from the second scroll, and shows Ryōgoku Bridge (Ryōgoku-bashi). All three great bridges that crossed the Sumida (a fourth was added in 1774) are depicted partly from below, so as to display fully their structural magnificence and strength. People crossing the bridge are described very carefully, with clear distinctions as to social status, occupation, age, and sex. The signature reads 'Fujiwara Kyūei sha'. The seals read 'Fujiwara shi' and 'Arinari'. These are thought to indicate Kanō Kyūei Tanenobu (dates unknown), the fourth generation head of the Honjō Midori-chō branch of the Kanō school. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) T. Kobayashi, '"Sumida-gawa ryogan zukan" no seiritsu to tenkai', Kokka, 1172 (July 1993), pp. 8-9 Asia JA JP 805-7 (1881.12-10.01434) Width: 312.000 mm (each) Length: 9057.000 mm (first scroll) Length: 9057.000 mm (first scroll) Length: 9057.000 mm (first scroll) Kanō Kyūei, Scenes along the Length of the Sumida River, a set of 3 handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps341052_m.jpg Japan Hōreki era (AD 1751-64) - early Meiwa era (1764-71) British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan, AD 1857 The kites are for the Boy's Festival on the 5th day of the fifth month (mid-summer). The leaping carp is a symbol of manly perseverance, and are shown here in exaggerated scale, seeming artificially stuck into the landscape. They rise higher than the samurai district of Surugadai across Suidō Bridge, higher than Edo Castle (left) and higher even than Mt Fuji itself. The series 'One Hundred Famous Views of Edo' of 1856-58 (which actually overran to 118 designs), was the final, crowning achievement to Hiroshige's career. Twenty-one of the views included Mt Fuji seen on the distant horizon and three more featured the artificial hills constructed in various locations in Edo (modern Tokyo) as 'mini-Fujis' by members of the Fuji-kō (the Fuji cult). This was a self-help confraternity (brotherhood) which encouraged pilgrimage, rituals and prayers devoted to Fuji. One account of 1825 claimed as many as 70,000 devotees. The mini-Fujis were artificial Fuji-shaped hills set in parks which allowed the infirm (or lazy) to engage in a substitute pilgrimage - or simply to enjoy them as a kind of theme park. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Gift of Henry Bergen Height: 360.000 mm Width: 240.000 mm Utagawa Hiroshige, 'Suidō Bridge and Surugadai' (Suidōbashi Surugadai), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps271062_m.jpg Japan, AD 1857 British Museum: Asia JA 1948.4-10.072 Japan, AD 1833-34 Mt Fuji was highly visible along much of the main Tōkaidō Highway that went out from Kyoto as the 'Eastern Sea Road', following the Pacific coast towards Edo (modern Tokyo). Genre scenes depicted those who used the highway: ordinary travellers, porters, ecclesiastics, warriors on horseback and high-ranking individuals in palanquins (covered litters). Hiroshige's series, integrating ordinary people into a lyrical landscape in all its aspects and moods, has always been particularly popular. Three tiny figures are visible in the top-left corner of this windswept scene. A woodcutter carries a large load, oblivious to the spectacular view, but the other two travellers gaze and gesticulate towards Fuji, perfectly symmetrical and elegantly white on the horizon across Suruga Bay. A pass was cut high up the steep mountainside at Satta on the orders of the Shogunate in 1655, so that a Korean embassy procession of that year would not have to wait for low tide, as was the case with the coast road used previously. T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 241.000 mm Width: 368.000 mm Height: 241.000 mm Width: 368.000 mm Utagawa Hiroshige, 'Yui: Satta Peak' (Yui, Satta-mine), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps347507_m.jpg Japan, AD 1833-34 British Museum: Asia JA 1906.12-20.0786 Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD This pair of six-fold screens shows scenes from the two final battles of the Gempei Wars, Ichinotani (right) and Yashima (left). The Gempei Wars (1182-85) were fought between the Taira (or Heike) and Minamoto clans. The Minamoto were victorious, and Minamoto no Yoritomo (1147-99) became the first shogun (military dictator) of Japan. For over four centuries after the event the campaign was retold as an oral epic, Heike monogatari ('Tale of the Heike'), which was chanted by blind players of the biwa (lute). It was first recorded in written form in 1371. The Tale is told from the Taira point of view, lamenting their tragic rise and fall; hence the opening sentence with its strong Buddhist feeling: 'The bell of the Gion Temple tolls into every man's heart to warn him that all is vanity and evanescence' (translation by H. Kitagawa and B.T. Tsuchida). This pair of screens was painted nearly 500 years after the events themselves, during the early Edo period (1600-1868). They may have been intended to demonstrate how the recently established Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868) claimed their authority to rule from the precedent of the earlier Kamakura Shogunate (1185-1333). The paintings follow the text of Tale of the Heike so faithfully that with close examination, it is possible to identify particular events and individual warriors. In fact, labels bearing the names of the warriors were stuck on later, though not all accurately. On the Ichitani screen the attack of the Minamoto troops, charging down through the Hiyodori Pass led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune is particularly dramatic. At Yashima a conspicuous place is given to the famous story of Nasu no Yoichi, the Minamoto warrior who took up the challenge to shoot at a fan on one of the distant Taira boats. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of the Trustees of James Martin White Height: 1554.000 mm (each) Width: 3738.000 mm (each) Battles of Ichinotani and Yashima, a pair of 6-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps239003full_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD324 (1950.11-11.022);Asia JA JP ADD325 (1950.11-11.023) Japan Early Meiji era, around AD 1870 Ezo was the pre-modern Japanese name for what is now called Hokkaidō, the northernmost of the four main islands that now make up the Japanese archipelago. The indigenous race, the Ainu, differ in physiognomy, language and culture from the mainland Japanese people, who fully explored and colonized the island in the late nineteenth century. There had been expeditions before that time, when trading posts were first established. Paintings by Japanese artists depicting the Ainu first appeared in the later eighteenth century. The artist Hirasawa Byōzan (1822-76) lived for periods among the Ainu and painted many works depicting their lives and customs. This scroll begins by illustrating Ainu legends, then shows the people and houses, seal-catching, and finally the bear-killing ritual. This held particular interest, as it was fundamental to the spiritual beliefs of the Ainu culture. After the kill, the iomante ceremony was held to pray to the deceased bear's spirit, which is the scene depicted here. The bushy-haired Ainu men are seated on mats before an altar where the corpse is laid out. Around it are lacquer containers of offerings, and fish, clothing, and swords. Prayer sticks (inaw) are attached to the bear's head and to the fence. Traditional Ainu beliefs meant that they never sculpted or painted human images, so scrolls like this by Japanese artists provide us with an invaluable record of a way of life that has now all but disappeared. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) , Ainu no shiki to seikatsu, ('The Seasons and Life of the Ainu') (Saitama Prefectural Museum, 1999) Asia JA JP ADD275 (1948.7-10.08.1) Height: 258.000 mm Length: 7860.000 mm Hirasawa Byōzan (attributed to), Scenes of Daily Life of the Ezo, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps284623_m.jpg Japan Early Meiji era, around AD 1870 British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, early 18th century AD The Ryūkyū Islands are a chain of more than 70 islands stretching south-west from the southernmost Japanese island of Kyūshū. Ryūkyū is the Japanese rendering of Liu-qiu, a Chinese name dating from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The group is now known as Okinawa Prefecture. During the Edo period (1600-1868) the islands were a separate kingdom. Embassies would visit Japan to pledge allegiance either upon the accession of a shogun, or with the coming to the throne of a new Ryūkyūan king. Between 1634 and 1850 ambassadors from the Ryūkyū Kingdom visited on eighteen occasions. This pair of scrolls shows the procession to Edo Castle in 1710, one of the largest ever, when both types of embassy coincided. On this occasion they were escorted by a procession from Satsuma domain, which was also travelling to the shogunal headquarters to swear loyalty. In total over one thousand people are shown. The scrolls emphasize the exotic nature of the Ryūkyūans distinctive for their colourful clothing and the music that accompanied the event. Crowds gathered to watch the spectacle from specially erected stands set up along the route. The various materials and items the visitors carry are all described in meticulous detail, suggesting that Shunko (died 1726) - as a painter of the official Kanō school - was not merely a spectator, but had close contact with Arai Hakuseki (1657-1725), a Confucian scholar for the bakufu government who was involved with the organization of the event. The signature reads 'Shunko hō' ('Presented by Shunko') and the seal reads 'Shunko'. M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Asia JA JP 1402-3 (1886.3-9.01-02) Height: 345.000 mm Kanō Shunko, Procession of an Embassy from the Ryūkyū Kingdom, a pair of handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340677_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 18th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, late 18th -early 19th century AD A tree is being carried along in a large basket, suspended from poles carried on several men's shoulders. Its branches are festooned with gohei (strips of white paper which symbolize sacredness in the native Japanese religion, Shintō), resembling flowers. Most of the crowd of men around the tree are wearing eboshi hats and suikan (loose white jackets). The two leaders are wearing kamishimo (old-style ceremonial dress) and are carrying two swords each. This is all typical dress for a festival or sacred rite. Sūkei has given the men a great variety of postures and expressions, helping to convey the sense of growing excitement and anticipation among the participants. Sūkei (1760-1817) belonged to the Hanabusa school, which was started by Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724) as a more populist branch of the academic Kanō school. Sūkei maintained the clever, unconventional style of the school, as well as its high technical quality. The exaggerated and distinctive method of depicting figures seen here had its origins in Itchō's work. The signature reads 'Kō Sūkei', and the seal reads 'Nobuyoshi no in' ('Seal of Nobuyoshi'). Nobuyoshi was the artist's given name. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 952.000 mm Width: 447.000 mm Kō Sūkei, Shrine Festival, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338588_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 18th -early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 756 (1881.12-10.01732) Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD, before 1841 Gold dust has been applied to the silk in the sotoguma ('outside shading') technique in order to create a hexagonal and a circular space in the composition. Within the hexagon is depicted a winter scene - a mynah bird perched on a bamboo branch piled with snow. This is described as a copy of a work by the Chinese artist Bian Jingzhao, a painter of bird-and-flower themes of the early Ming dynasty (1368-1644), who was well known in Japan. The circle contains a summer scene - insects, such as a grasshopper and dragonfly, sit on a gourd plant in bloom. The original of this was by Zhao Chang, a painter of bird-and-flower works of the Northern Song dynasty (960-1126), known for his realistic style. Each vignette has the original artist's name inscribed at top left. Although the original models are attributed to different artists, the styles have here been made 'uniform'. Classical Chinese works were highly respected, but the loyalty of Kanō painters was to their school, and the model used for this work was probably an earlier Japanese copy by a Kanō artist. Nakanobu (1811-71) was a son of Isen'in Naganobu, head of the Kobiki-chō branch of the Kanō school, who was later adopted as the head of the Hama-chō branch. The signature reads 'Kōsen Fujiwara Nakanobu hitsu' ('From the brush of Kōsen Fujiwara Nakanobu', and the seal reads 'Kōsen Nakanobu'. Nakanoby ceased to use the name Kōsen after 1841. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 536.000 mm Width: 823.000 mm Kanō Tōsen Nakanobu, Birds and Flowers after Classical Chinese Paintings, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338579_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD, before 1841 British Museum: Asia JA JP 969 (1881.12-10.0155) Japan Edo period, AD 1810 This is a copy after the celebrated handscroll Landscapes of the Four Seasons, painted in 1486 by the famous and highly revered artist Sesshū Tōyō, and now classed as a National Treasure in Japan. The postscript to this copy tells us more precisely that it is in fact a copy of an earlier copy - by Kanō Eisen Hisanobu (1696-1731). Osanobu (1796-1846) executed this 16 metre long scroll when he was only 15 years old (14 by Western reckoning). The scroll is filled with scenes of mountains, craggy rocks, trees, expanses of water, and figures looking almost lost in the vastness of the landscape. It features the thick, sharp brushwork of Sesshū, and cross-hatched shading. It is mostly done in black, with touches of colour for the foliage and human figures, as can be seen in the section illustrated here. Osanobu attached great importance to the study of classical paintings, and produced a large number of copies. This practice was valued to help improve brush techniques, but could descend into slavish imitation. Osanobu, fortunately, was talented enough to avoid this. The signature reads 'Gyokusen Osanobu jūgo-sai sha' ('Painted by Gyokusen Osanobu at age 15') and the seals read 'Osanobu bo' ('Copied by Osanobu') and 'Gyokusen'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 430.000 mm Length: 16079.000 mm Kanō Seisen'in Osanobu, copy after the handscroll Landscapes of the Four Seasons by Sesshū http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340676_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1810 British Museum: Asia JA JP 940 (1881.12-10.01226) Japan Edo period, AD 1781-1820 Yang Guifei (Japanese: Yōkihi) was the consort of Emperor Xuanzong (685-792) of the Chinese Tang dynasty. Xuanzong had the poet Li Bo compose for him poems likening her beauty to the peony, the most regal of flowers. As a symbol of a classical Chinese beauty, she became a popular theme in paintings and prints. Here she steps dramatically onto a table, seeming to challenge the viewer. The florid impression of the scene is further enhanced by the table decorated with a design of dragons and waves, her sumptuous robes, the tiled floor and the aronia (kaidō) tree behind. Yang Guifei was often painted together with peonies, and here the flanking scrolls feature large red, pink, and yellow flowers, with insects hovering around them. Little of the work is left unpainted, and the blossoms are set against a brilliant blue background, matching that of the central scroll. Yoshinobu (died 1820) was the head of the Saruya-machi branch of the Kanō school, which supplied the shogunate and the feudal lords with works of art. Indeed, the mountings of the paintings are woven with the triple hollyhock (mitsu-aoi) crest of the ruling Tokugawa family. The signature on the central scroll reads 'Hakugetsusai Yoshinobu sei' and the seals read 'Tōrin-(?)-' and 'Kanō Yoshinobu'. The signature on the right scroll reads 'Tōrin Yoshinobu hitsu' ('From the brush of Tōrin Yoshinobu') and on the left reads 'Tōrin Fujiwara Yoshinobu hitsu'. The seals read 'Ka-shi no in' ('Seal of the Ka[nō] family'). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 1014.000 mm (each) Width: 4351.000 mm (each) Kanō Tōrin Yoshinobu, Yang Guifei and Peonies, a triptych of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338370_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1781-1820 British Museum: Asia JA JP 788-90 (1881.12-10.01361, 01364-5) Japan Late Edo period, AD 1802-16 These paintings come from an album labelled simply 'Sansui gajō' ('Landscape paintings'). However, their pictorial references seem too precise for them to be simply 'landscapes'; they are, rather, 'pictures of famous places' (meisho-e), a tradition in Japanese art dating back to the Heian period (AD 794-1185). Shown here is Mt. Yoshino (near Nara) in springtime, covered in blossoming cherry. Kanō Isen'in Naganobu (1775-1828) was the seventh generation head of the Kobikichō branch of the Kanō school in Edo (modern Tokyo). He was an artist of considerable talent, and was official painter to the shōgun. For this work he employed mild, graceful brushwork and colouring, drawing on an older style of Yamato-e. The secret of his success was said to have been that he combined the qualities of gakuga (learned artistic ability), highly prized by the Kanō school, with shinga (instinctive artistic ability), which was customarily regarded as less important. Each leaf of the album bears the signature 'Isen Hōen hitsu' ('Painted by Isen of hōgen rank') and a seal 'Naganobu'. Naganobu was awarded the title hōgen ('Eye of the Law') in 1802 and further elevated to hōin ('Seal of the Law') in 1816. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Bequeathed by Oscar C. Raphael Height: 200.000 mm Width: 300.000 mm Kanō Isen'in Naganobu, Twelve Famous Places in Japan, an album of 12 paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339575_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, AD 1802-16 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD180 (1945.11-1.055.1) Japan Edo period, AD 1770-86 The painting is done entirely in tones of black ink, the forms enlivened by the glowing gold-leaf background. In the bottom-left corner a stylized foaming torrent cascades down, and above is the faint hint of clouds amid the gold. Yūtei (1721-86) was an important fourth generation member of the Tsuruzawa school, the most innovative lineage of painters in the academic Kanō style in Kyoto in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He is best known today as the teacher of Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), whose followers formed the most significant new school of painting in Kyoto in the later Edo period (late eighteenth and nineteenth century). The brushwork is similar to that of the Edo Kanō school from which the Tsuruzawa derived, but there is a noticeable loosening in several areas, which may suggest the influence of the increasingly successful ōkyo. The broad, vertical strokes of the tree trunk here, for instance, call to mind the famous hanging scroll by ōkyo of 1765, Pine Tree in the Snow (Tokyo National Museum). The teacher seems to be following the pupil. The signature reads 'Hōgen Yūtei hitsu' (From the brush of Yūtei of hōgen rank). This was the highest rank that Yūtei attained, suggesting the screen dates from late in his career. The seals read ‘Shōshidō' and 'Morinao'. Height: 1640.000 mm Width: 1768.000 mm Height: 1640.000 mm Width: 1768.000 mm Ishida Yūtei, Deer and Japanese Cypress, a 2-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps333955_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1770-86 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1143 (1998,1216.01) Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Lao Zi (Japanese: Rōshi) was one of the greatest philosophers of ancient China, and appeared frequently in Chinese and Japanese paintings. This is the most popular depiction: Lao Zi is seated on the blue ox that will carry him through the official border, out of the country and into Central Asia so that he can spread his philosophical teachings. Strange descriptions abounded regarding Lao Zi's physical appearance: he was supposed to have emerged from his mother's side after eighty-one years in the womb, already an old man with white hair (hence his name, literally 'aged child'). He was also said to have extraordinarily large ears. Both these characteristics can be seen here. Igarashi Shummei (1700-1781) was from Echigo province (modern Niigata prefecture) on Japan's north coast, but moved first to Edo (modern Tokyo) where he trained as a painter under Kanō Ryōshin (1704-85). He also studied Tosa school works and the styles of Chinese ink painting of the Song dynasty (960-1278). For most of his career, however, he was active in Kyoto, where he studied Confucianism with Yamazaki Ansai (1618-82). This work features bold, sharp brushwork on the figure of Lao Zi, with softer ink washes for the body of the ox, as well as a delicate use of colour on the robes and harnesses. The signature reads 'Hōgen Go Shummei' ('Go Shummei of hōgen rank'). The seals read 'Echi(?)' and 'Shummei'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 438.000 mm Width: 335.000 mm Igarashi Shummei, Lao Zi, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338583_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 718 (1913.5-1.0129) Japan Edo period, 17th-18th century AD This hexagonal wooden box was made to contain a game involving the matching of painted shells, (kai-awase). It is decorated with paintings on paper showing scenes from the early eleventh-century novel Genji monogatari ('The Tale of Genji'). The box itself dates from the seventeenth or eighteenth century, and indicates how the medieval tale remained popular, especially with painters of the Tosa school. Tosa painters continued the tradition of Yamato-e ('Japanese pictures'), as opposed to styles influenced by China. They worked chiefly for the Imperial Painting Office (Edokoro). One feature of this school was the use of decorative clouds, often painted in gold, which divide up different scenes of a story, or lead the eye on from one incident to the next. Here the gold clouds are further embellished with embossed patterns (mori-age). In one of the paintings on the box Prince Genji is shown bottom left in a red kimono watching a group of five court women. More scenes from Genji monogatari were painted on the shells themselves. The game consisted of matching up separated pairs of clam-shells painted with related scenes. The pairing symbolized faithfulness in marriage, and a shell-game set often formed part of a bride's trousseau. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Gift of G. Fenwick Owen Height: 35.600 cm Shell game box decorated with scenes from Genji monogatari ('The Tale of Genji') http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps114777_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 17th-18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1933.12-11.1 Japan Edo period, AD 1802-6 Quails (Japanese: uzura) as a painting subject were a speciality of the Tosa school, and many such examples by Tosa artists survive. The subject derived originally from Chinese painting of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279), but here the artist has attempted to impart a freshness to the painting by placing stalks of wheat in the background (in place of the usual millet) and by giving one of the birds white plumage. The Tosa school had long been associated with the imperial court, and its paintings employed delicate brushwork and colouring, compared to the much bolder and dazzling works of the Kanō school, which supplied works to the military rulers. An interesting feature of the present work is the two shades, light and dark, of rokushō (verdigris) used to model the bamboo leaves in the foreground and the wheat stalks behind. Mitsusada (1738-1806) was a dedicated practitioner of the Tosa traditions, and managed to effect a temporary Tosa revival. The signature reads 'Edokoro-azukari jūyon'-i [no] jō Tosa-no-kami Fujiwara Mitsusada' ('Lord of Tosa Fujiwara Mitsusada, Head of the Painting Bureau, Upper Fourth Rank). It is known that he achieved this rank in 1802, so the work can be dated between then and his death only four years later. The seal beneath reads 'Mitsusada no in' ('Seal of Mitsusada'). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 970.000 mm Width: 344.000 mm Tosa Mitsusada, Quails and Wheat, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338578_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1802-6 British Museum: Asia JA JP 264 (1913.5-1.070) Japan Edo period, AD 1681-96 Saigyō (1118-90) was a monk of the Buddhist Shingon sect during the Heian period (794-1185). He was famous for his asceticism and his love of beauty, and he journeyed around Japan, composing poetry inspired by what he saw and felt in the course of these long travels. Episodes from his lfe were a popular subject for handscrolls and other painted formats from the thirteenth century onwards. The text and poem inscribed on the present work are from the collection of his verses, Sankashū ('Mountain Hermitage Anthology'). The painting below illustrates the text quite faithfully: on an autumn night, Saigyō has stopped outside a gate to listen to the sound of a koto (lateral harp) being played inside the house. The presence of the beautiful lady playing the harp is suggested by the end of the instrument that is visible, and the brocade curtains that surround her. Above the scene hovers the full autumn moon. The sensitively rendered, expressive face is typical of Tosa painting at its most accomplished. Mitsunari (1646-1710) was the son-in-law of Mitsuoki (1617-91), the artist who revived the family's fortunes in the early Edo period. The signature reads ‘Tosa shō-rokui [no] ge, Sa-Konoe Shōkan, Fuijiwara Mitsunari' ('Imperial Guard of the Left, Tosa Fujiwara Mitsunari, Lower Sixth Rank'). The seal reads 'Mitsunari no in' ('Seal of Mitsunari'). Mitsunari held the lower sixth court rank between 1681 and 1696. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Asia JA JP 113 (1881.12-10.0204) Height: 961.000 mm Width: 391.000 mm Tosa Mitsunari, Monk Saigyō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338577_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1681-96 British Museum: Room 69a Japan, AD 1560s This is a panoramic autumn scene in the mountains, with the leaves of the maple tree turning colour. Two horses are swimming in the river at the bottom of the composition, three more are galloping into view at the top, and in the centre, on a flat promontory in the water, a sixth is being ridden bareback and rears up, as three men try to pacify it. The basic forms are done in ink, with delicate use of light colours on the rocks, horses, and figures. A mist of gold dust floats over the scene, but this is not meant to provide the usual spatial abstraction. In her detailed study of the work, Kawamoto Keiko has argued that, though the screen features an attempt to train horses, this is just one part of a general scene of nature, representing a turning-point between landscape paintings and genre works. Mitsumochi (1496- about 1559) attempted to unite Chinese and Japanese painting techniques and re-established the fortunes of the Tosa school. The naturalistic techniques visible here and the expressive quality of his works were new to native Yamato-e painting. This rare work is invaluable in allowing us to see how a Tosa artist incorporated the realistic spirit of Chinese painting. The inscription reads 'Gyōbu Daisuke Mitsumochi hisseki / Shōkan Mitsuoki kore [o] shō[su]' ('From the brush of Gyōbu Daisuke Mitsumochi, verified by the shōkan Mitsuoki'). It is clear from this that Tosa Mitsuoki (1617-91) was asked to verify the screen's authenticity, which he duly did. His seal reads 'Mitsuoki no in' ('Seal of Mitsuoki'). It appears this two-fold screen was originally two fusuma (sliding doors) - perhaps part of a larger set. Kawamoto Keiko, 'Tosa Mitsumochi no "Bokuba zu" ni tsuite', Kokka-1, 1244 (1999), pp. 5-18 Gift of Godfrey Gompertz Height: 1515.000 mm Weight: 1678.000 mm Tosa Mitsumochi, Horse-breaking, a 2-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338198_m.jpg Japan, AD 1560s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD919 (1989.12-21.01) Japan Edo period, late 17th century AD The five handscrolls of this set alternate the text of the tenth-century classic, Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise'), with richly detailed illustrations in the e-maki ('picture handscroll') tradition. The Tales relate the amorous adventures of a young courtier, traditionally identified as the ninth-century poet Ariwara no Narihira. The scene shown here is from chapter 9, 'Azuma-kudari: Utsu-no-yama' ('Journey to the East: Mt. Utsu'). The travellers reach Mt. Utsu in Suruga Province, following a dark path overgrown with ivy and maple trees. They meet a monk who turns out to be an acquaintance, so Narihira writes a letter to be delivered to his wife back in the capital of Kyoto. In the original story this scene takes place in mid-summer, but here the artist emphasizes the loneliness of the travellers by placing them in a bleak winter landscape of snow and leafless trees. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of G.B. Dodwell Height: 322.000 mm (each approx.) Length: 14900.000 mm (scroll one) Length: 14900.000 mm (scroll one) Length: 14900.000 mm (scroll one) Length: 14900.000 mm (scroll one) Length: 14900.000 mm (scroll one) Tosa school, Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise'), a set of 5 handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203110_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD5-9 (1920.5-14.16 (1-5)) Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD This pair of screens is painted with motifs of the four seasons. On one screen spring is represented by cherry blossoms, and summer with various appropriate flowers. On the other are red maple leaves of autumn and finally bamboos weighed down with the snows of winter. However, the composition differs from a traditional 'flower and bird' painting, since the design is unified across both screens by the foreground of decorative bamboo and brushwood fences, suggesting the landscape setting of a village. The paintings contain a number of symbolic elements. Spring and summer are marked by the sun, the ancient symbol of the male Yang (yō) seen here through branches of pine, another male symbol. The crescent moon of autumn and winter represents the female principle of Yin (in) and appears here with the feminine maple. Both sun and moon were also representative of Buddhist and Shintō deities and these screens, like others of their kind may have had some importance in Esoteric Buddhist purification ceremonies at a temple. This painting is probably by an independent machi-eshi (town painter) working broadly within the Yamato-e tradition, who used elements from both the Tosa and Kanō schools. The fences are covered in gold and silver leaf over built-up moriage (gesso). Small pieces of gold foil and gold-dust have been dusted over the surfaces of sun and moon, while further down the composition the artist uses a combination of pieces of gold leaf and some larger sheets. Gesso covered with white has also been used for the snow and white flowers but this has lost much of its brilliance. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 1473.000 mm (each) Width: 3010.000 mm (each) Height: 1473.000 mm (each) Width: 3010.000 mm (each) The four seasons with the sun and moon, a pair of 6-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202915_m.jpg Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD381-2 (1965.10-12.01-02) Japan Early Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD 'The Tale of Genji' is the famous early eleventh-century novel by the court lady Murasaki Shikibu, relating the life and loves of the fictive Prince Genji and the court circles around him. Various schools produced Genji-e (‘Genji pictures'), each applying its own techniques and styles. This example illustrates one scene from each of the novel's fifty-four chapters (twenty-seven on each scroll), but contains no text. The scene illustrated is taken from chapter 17, 'E-awase', and shows a painting competition held before the young emperor. Two princesses have been presented at court and each one, with her family's help, is trying to win the emperor's favour by presenting him with splendid paintings. At the final competition depicted here, Genji secures the victory of his ward Akikonomu by including his own exquisite paintings from his period of exile. In the customary convention of Genji-e, the rooms are viewed as if with roofs removed, and we see the emperor and the former empress Fujitsubō each seated on a low dais. Three ladies from each team sit before them in their colourful, multi-layered kimono, and at the edges of the room stand two folding screens. The colouring and detail of the scene, as well as the sprinkling of gold dust around it, help evoke the cultivated atmosphere associated with the imperial court of the Heian period (784-1185). The signature on each scroll reads 'Kanō Ryūsetsu hitsu' ('From the brush of Kanō Ryūsetsu'). The seals on each read 'Kanō Ryūsetsu' and 'Hidenobu no in' ('Seal of Hidenobu'). Ryūsetsu (1646-1712) was a leading painter of the Tsukiji Odawara branch of the Kanō school, who served as a painter in attendance (goyō-eshi) to the shogunate after 1669. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of Mrs James Martin White Height: 373.000 mm (both scrolls) Length: 23194.000 mm (first scroll) Length: 23194.000 mm (first scroll) Kanō Ryūsetsu Hidenobu, Genji monogatari ('The Tale of Genji');, a pair of handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203109_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD306-7 (1949.10-8.014.1-2) From Japan Late Heian period, 12th century AD Early Japanese mirrors used a number of designs based on Chinese originals. However, from the Nara period (AD 710-94), Japanese mirror-makers began to substitute native Japanese motifs: for example, plants of good omen such as cherry, blossom and pine replaced auspicious Chinese flowers, and we find cranes instead of phoenixes. Cranes mate for life, so they are often used as emblems of marital fidelity. They also appear at New Year to signify long life. Here the cranes fly together in perfect symmetry, while the pine boughs, also symbols of New Year, are scattered more informally across the design. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1927.10-14.2 Diameter: 11.100 cm Bronze mirror decorated with pines and cranes http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204113a_m.jpg From Japan Late Heian period, 12th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Heian period, mid-12th century AD This handscroll records in opulent gold calligraphy the text of the Hannya haramitta shingyō, the 'Heart Sutra' (Sanskrit: Prajnaparamitahrdayasutra), and two other sūtras. The Heart Sutra propounds the doctrine that wisdom resides in emptiness. The outside of the cover bears the abbreviated title, Hannya shingyō, supported by scrolling flowers in gold. The inside cover illustration (slightly damaged), in gold lines with gold and silver washes, depicts the Buddha Amida (Amitabha) in the jewelled palace of his Western Paradise, attended by bodhisattvas and monks. Some of these dance and make music beside a lake. A couple in aristocratic dress kneel praying on an island. The iconography closely follows woodblock-printed Chinese versions of the Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). The scroll comes from a set of the entire Buddhist canon of scriptures (issai-kyō), probably numbering more than 5,000 scrolls, originally dedicated by Fujiwara no Hidehira (died 1187) to Chūson-ji Temple at Hirazumi in Mutsu Province (present-day Iwate Prefecture). Chūson-ji was founded in 1105 by Hidehira's grandfather Fujiwara no Kiyohira (1056-1128), a powerful military overlord of northern Japan, and the temple was lavishly patronized by three generations of the Northern Fujiwara warriors until their destruction by the Minamoto in the late twelfth century. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 258.000 mm Width: 2613.000 mm Heart Sutra of the Chūson-ji Temple, a handscroll painting on indigo-dyed paper http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps274966_m.jpg Japan Heian period, mid-12th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD388 (1966.12-12.01) From Japan Heian period, 11th century AD Kichijōten is one of the female deities derived from Laksmi, the wife of Vishnu, worshipped as the goddess of fortune in the Hindu pantheon. She is associated with harvest, fertility and fortune. In Japan she is often shown as a wife or sister of Bishamonten (guardian of the North direction), and is one of the seven Lucky Gods especially associated with New Year. She is usually shown as a tall and graceful woman, as here, dressed in the robes of a lady of the Chinese Tang dynasty (618-906). The features also show similarities to sculptures of the Tang dynasty. Kichijoten makes the gesture of segan'in, signifying the granting of desires, with one hand, while in the other she holds the hōjū, 'the Treasure Gem', representing overcoming calamities and the prize of Buddhist wisdom. The statue is carved from a single block of wood in ichiboku zukuri style, and any original pigment has completely vanished. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1965.4-15.1 Height: 111.000 cm Wooden figure of Kichijōten http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154512_m.jpg From Japan Heian period, 11th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Heian period, 12th century AD Fudō (Sanskrit: Acala, or Candamaharosana) is one of the Myō-ō (Vidyarajas), 'Kings of Light', personified spells and protectors of the esoteric Shingon sect of Japanese Buddhism. He is a constant enemy of illusion, pointing the way to enlightenment beyond the illusion of life and death. His name, Fudō, means 'Unmoving' and refers to the unchanging reality beneath his fierce exterior. Fudō's attributes are the sword and the rope. With the sword he cuts through the evils of the world of illusion to show the reality beneath. Fudō is considered to be the patron of swordsmen. The sword in this statue is of particular interest, being in the shape of the sankosho or three-pronged vajra (thunderbolt), a Buddhist ceremonial instrument symbolizing the Buddha, the Lotus, and the kongotai or ultimate reality. With his rope Fudō ties the enemies of enlightenment. He is sometimes shown as the leader of the five 'Kings of Light', or with his attendants Kongara Dōji and Shitaka Dōji. Early statues show Fudō with two staring eyes and a pair of fearful fangs, as here. The piece is carved in ichiboku zukuri style (sculpted from a single block of wood), the arms made separately. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1961.2-20.1 Height: 88.900 cm Wooden figure of Fudō Myō-ō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204096_m.jpg From Japan Heian period, 12th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, Kambun era (AD 1661-73) This screen depicts several crucial episodes in the war that was fought between the Minamoto (or Genji) clan and the Taira (or Heike) clan in the late twelfth century. To the right a land-battle rages, while to the left there is a sea-battle. The crests of bamboo grass on the shields in the far right panel indicate the Minamoto clan. The first and second panels from the right show the Battle of Ichinotani. In the middle, where boats are pulled up to the shore, is the Battle of Yashima, which took place in spring of the year 1185. The final defeat of the Taira came one month later, at the Battle of Dannoura, shown on the final two panels. There is a great sense of energy and violence in the exaggerated thrust of weapons, the gushing blood (fourth panel), and the warrior Benkei shown carrying seven types of weapon on his back (top left of third panel). In the early Edo period (seventeenth century) there was a very popular form of jōruri (ballad drama) called Kimpira, which featured violently energetic puppet performances. This painting to some extent resembles the illustrations in the books which accompanied this drama, and the painting's bombastic style would have been appreciated by a similar audience. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of Arthur Morrison Height: 1234.000 mm Width: 3670.000 mm A Battle between the Minamoto and Taira Clans, a 6-fold screen painting on paper http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps237684_m.jpg Japan Edo period, Kambun era (AD 1661-73) British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD49 (1927.10-13.09) Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD This dramatic scene is taken from Heike monogatari ('Tale of the Heike'), by far the most important of the gunki-mono ('war tales') that were composed during the military regimes of the Kamakura (1185-1333) and Muromachi (1333-1568) periods. It dealt with the brief period of rule by the Taira clan, and their war against the Minamoto clan, in which they were utterly defeated - events of the second half of the twelfth century. Book 5, Kanjin-chō ('The Subscription List'), tells of the devout monk Mongaku who vowed to restore Jingōji temple, and travelled around collecting subscriptions to this end. When refused entrance to the palace of the Retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa (1053-1129), he burst in and disrupted the musical entertainment taking place. The present scroll depicts Lieutenant Sukeyuki of the palace guards, who has challenged the intruder, being thrown to the floor, his hat knocked from his head. Mongaku wields in his left hand the scroll requesting contributions, and in his right a dagger. In the story, he was eventually overcome and jailed for his offence. The painting conveys the drama of the scene most effectively, and each figure reacts with energy and movement. Matabei (1578-1650) specialized in historic scenes and illustrations of classical tales, and his studio produced many such pictures. The painting has no signature. The seals read 'Dō' and 'Shōi (Katsumochi)'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Bequeathed by Arthur Morrison Height: 359.000 mm Width: 578.000 mm Iwasa Matabei, Monk Mongaku, from Heike Monogatari ('Tale of the Heike') http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338587_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD194 (1946.2-9.032) Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD Saigyō was the name by which Satō Norikiyo (1118-90) was known after he renounced his life as a courtier, left his wife and daughter, and joined the Buddhist priesthood. Saigyō monogatari emaki, a mixture of factual biography and fictional elaboration, tells his story. The original text is thought to have been contributed to by several authors over a period of time: the earliest illustrated version dates from the middle to end of the thirteenth century. This scroll includes sections of the tale and suitable illustrations to accompany it. Saigyō wandered through the provinces of Japan, visiting pilgrimage centres and beauty spots, and composing verses of poetry wherever he went. Here he can be seen in the centre on his first journey after joining the priesthood, with a bag on his back and hat in hand. He is travelling through the hills of Yoshino, near Nara, famed for their beautiful cherry blossom. He has crossed the river to the right, and is progressing towards the pagoda seen in the distance. This painting appears to be an eighteenth- or nineteenth-century copy of the earliest extant version of the 'Illustrated Life of Saigyō', (Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya and Manno Art Museum, Osaka), which is now incomplete, and thus provides valuable information as to the content of the missing sections. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 323.000 mm Length: 15636.000 mm Saigyō monogatari emaki ('Illustrated Life of Monk Saigyō'), a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340041_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 28 (1881.12-10.0267) Japan Early Edo period, mid-late 17th century AD According to legend, in the second lunar month of AD 903 the exiled scholar and courtier Sugawara no Michizane (845-903) met with a violent death. There followed a series of disasters in the capital Kyoto. This screen depicts the vengeful Michizane returning as the Thunder God, Raijin, and striking the Seiryōden hall of the Imperial Palace with lightning. To the far right a willow tree bends under the force of the wind, and the demon-like Raijin descends in a swirling black cloud. In each hand he holds a drumstick, but his customary ring of drums (with which he produces thunder) is reduced to two abstracted circles. In contrast to Raijin and the ink washes of the cloud are the resolute figure of Fujiwara no Tokihira and the sharp, precise lines of the architecture. Tokihira had been falsely accused of stirring up the rumours that led to Michizane's exile, and while his two companions flee or cling to the building in terror, he stands defiant. The painting captures a moment of action, as he draws his sword from its scabbard and stares resolutely up at the god. This kind of close-up composition of a mythic or historical scene, often derived from a section of a medieval handscroll, was popular in early modern times among several schools of painting. Two slips of paper attached to the back of this screen attribute it to Tawaraya Sōtatsu (flourished 1600-40). However, on stylistic grounds this seems unlikely, and an attribution to an artist working in the Yamato-e tradition is suggested instead. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 1323.000 mm Width: 3452.000 mm Kitano tenjin engi ('Origins of the Kitano Tenjin shrine'), a 6-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps200450_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, mid-late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1256 (1913.5-1.0275) Japan Muromachi / Momoyama period, AD 1560-70 Although some of the sections are missing, this long Japanese handscroll is the only known text of this tale. It belongs to a group of works called irui-mono, stories acted out by animals such as rats, foxes and cranes. This tale tells of the entertainment of Yoshinari Yasaburo of Mount Hiei by his prospective father-in-law, Prince Shizubane of the Hie shrine. The characters all appear as monkeys, with the illustrations acting as a detailed and witty satire on the manners of the time. Among the surviving sections there are vivid scenes of feasting and of a Tea Ceremony. There is also the earliest known illustration of a renga poetry meeting, where poets, often amateurs, took it in turn to compose a short poem linked to the one before, finally making one long poem. The writer of the text devotes eighty or so lines to the founding of the Hie shrine, and seems to have intended the work as a serious history as well as a satire. Much of the satire is aimed at a group of temples centred around Enryaku-ji on Mt Hiei, which overlooks Kyoto. Over several centuries, the monks of Mt Hiei had grown in power and luxury, and to protect their property they even kept armies of soldier-monks who often created riots in the streets of Kyoto. In 1571 the Hie shrine, which had strong connections with Enryaku-ji, was destroyed and most of the inmates massacred by the warlord Oda Nobunaga, who saw the monks as rivals in power. This scroll was probably painted shortly before that event. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Bequeathed by Sir A.W. Franks Height: 310.000 mm Length: 13294.000 mm Saru no sōshi ('Illustrated Tale of Monkeys'), a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339279_m.jpg Japan Muromachi / Momoyama period, AD 1560-70 British Museum: Asia JA JP 59 (1902.6-6.01) Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th century AD The Kasuga shrine was established in AD 709 adjacent to Kōfuku-ji Temple in Nara, as the ancestral shrine of the powerful Fujiwara clan. The linking of shrines and temples was a common occurrence after the introduction of Buddhism in the sixth century and was part of the process of reconciliation between Buddhism and the native Japanese religion, Shintō. During the Heian period (794-1185), in order to lessen tensions between the two religions, the doctrine of honji suijaku ('manifestation from the original state') was developed. This presented the Shintō gods, kami, as incarnations of Buddhist deities who were seen as their benevolent guardians. Mandala were created as visual reinforcements of this doctrine. Along the top are five Buddhist deities, the honji ('original state') of the five Shintō kami of the Kasuga and Wakamiya shrines that are their suijaku ('manifestation'). The moon symbolizes the chief Kasuga deity. The Buddhist deities are (from right to left): the bodhisattva Monju (Sanskrit: Manjushri) the Buddhas Shaka (Shakyamuni) and Yakushi (Bhaisajyaguru) and the bodhisattvas Jizō (Ksitigarbha) and eleven-headed Kannon (Avalokiteshvara). Below these are the Shintō deities with lesser deities issuing from the temple, represented by the five-storey pagoda. The Kasuga shrine buildings are prominent in the upper part of the painting, with the main red-painted gateway or torii and two pagodas, and another torii and pilgrim paths towards Mount Kasuga and Mount Mikasa. The scene is depicted from a very high viewpoint in the style of a Yamato-e landscape and the rich coloration is given added lustre by the gold applied to the back of the loosely woven silk ground. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 998.000 mm Length: 350.000 mm Height: 998.000 mm Length: 350.000 mm Mandala of the Kasuga shrine, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps157845_m.jpg Japan Kamakura-Muromachi period, 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD371 (1961.4-8.02) Japan Edo period, AD 1795-1801 Mori Sosen (?1747-1821) is most famous for his paintings of monkeys. In about 1808, at the age of sixty-one, he even changed the first character of his name to one meaning 'monkey'. He also founded a school of animal painting with his brother Shūhō, in Osaka, which parallelled the Maruyama school in Kyoto. Shūhō's son, Tetsuzan went to Kyoto and studied under Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), and there was considerable interchange between the two schools. A mother monkey and her baby sit together on a rock beside a blueberry bush. The mother is examining a single fruit that she has just picked, while the young one looks on. The painting shows clearly Sosen's mastery of the depiction of animals. His technical skill is evident: he suggests the soft texture of the animals' coats by meticulously brushing in each individual hair over a background wash. He has also captured the animals' characteristic attitudes and movements with great subtlety and skill. The signature reads 'Sosen' and the seals read 'Mori Shushō, and 'Sosen'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) , Hakubutsukan shozÅ Nihon-Ch (Tokyo National Museum, 1987) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 1055.000 mm Width: 385.000 mm Mori Sosen, Monkeys, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps181089_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1795-1801 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2500 (1913.5-1.0531) From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD This purse-shaped inrō has three compartments and a subtle design of boats on a river with chrysanthemums. The technique for the relief work is a variant of takamakie. It is said that this inrō once belonged to the Regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/7-98), one of the military leaders who brought about the unification of Japan in the late sixteenth century. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by Oscar Raphael Length: 9.000 cm Lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204123b_m.jpg From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1945.10-17.403 Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD Bodhidharma (died around AD 532), known as Daruma in Japanese, was the Indian founder of Zen Buddhism which he brought to China. He is said to have spent nine years seated in meditation in a cave, losing the use of his arms and legs. Zen became influential in Japan in the thirteenth century. From this period onward Japanese Zen monks began painting portraits of Daruma in brush and ink as an aid to reaching enlightenment (satori). Portraits of Daruma traditionally emphasized his 'Indian' appearance with bushy beard and eyebrows, compelling eyes, large nose and long ears (a symbol of Buddhist sanctity). He wears a large earring. The painting is powerfully executed in a variety of fine lines for the face, hair and beard and dashing black brushstrokes for the robes. This follows Chinese traditions of calligraphy (the art of writing with a brush). The painting is unsigned and a former attribution was to Sōami (around 1455-1525), ink painter and curator of art collections of the Ashikaga Shogunate (1338-1573). More recent scholarship suggests a date of the later sixteenth century. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Asia JP 362 (1913.5-1.0101) Height: 765.000 mm Width: 390.000 mm Bodhidharma (Daruma), a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203559_m.jpg Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD The jimbaori was originally simply a serviceable surcoat to be worn over armour as extra protection from the weather. However, as armour became more and more ornate to reveal the status and personal tastes of the wearer, the coats themselves became increasingly ostentatious. The main design on this example takes the form of an archery target. This coat is made from the feathers of two species of Japanese pheasant and an unidentified drake of the genus Anas glued on to hemp. The collar is made of Chinese silk twill stiffened with paper. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1897.3-18.6 Length: 72.000 cm Jimbaori (armour surcoat) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps190920_m.jpg From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th or early 17th century AD Daimyō, provincial governors, and other high-ranking samurai carried swords mounted either as katana or tachi types. However, they were not able to wear these long swords when travelling in a palanquin (covered litter), when their swords accompanied them in cases carried by attendants. This sword case is made of lacquered wood with gold makie and shell inlay with an all-over design of a grapevine. The outer leather case has the mon (family crest) of the owner in gold leaf. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) , Hakubutsukan shozÅ Nihon-Ch (Tokyo National Museum, 1987) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Asia JA 1902.193 Length: 112.500 cm Sword travelling-case with grapevine design http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps180999_m.jpg From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th or early 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century (cuirass and sleeves; Edo period, 17th century (helmet), 18th-19th century (remainder) This composite suit of Japanese armour brings together items from different periods. The helmet, though made in the seventeenth century, is in the tradition of earlier pieces which were often given a hideous face-mask with bristling whiskers to strike terror into the enemy. With the arrival of firearms in the sixteenth century new bullet-proof cuirasses were developed in Japan, copied from European models. The example here is signed by Unkai Mitsunao. This and the silk sleeves covered with chain-mail and iron plates were made in the late sixteenth century. The neck-piece, shoulder flaps, divided skirt and leg pieces are made of lacquered iron platelets held together with cords and colourful silk braids. They were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. In the Edo period (1600-1868) armour was generally more ceremonial, and made of lighter metals. However, some provincial lords, especially the Date clan of Sendai, kept up the appearance of being always prepared for battle, possibly in memory of their ancestors' defeat by the Tokugawa clan under Ieyasu in the decisive battle of Seki ga Hara (AD 1600). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Asia JA OA+13545 Height: 1.250 m (as mounted) Set of armour http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204595_m.jpg From Japan Momoyama period, late 16th century (cuirass and sleeves; Edo period, 17th century (helmet), 18th-19th century (remainder) British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, Kan'ei era (AD 1624-44) According to a Chinese legend, when the emperor Gyo heard about the virtues of a simple hermit, named Xu You (Japanese: Kyoyū), he decided to abdicate the throne and offer it to him. Xu You was appalled to be offered such a position, and went to wash his ears free of this insult in the Ying River. Another hermit, Qao Fu (Sō Ho), had intended to water his ox in the same river, but turned away from the contaminated waters. This is the scene depicted here. The story was popular among Japanese warriors, illustrating the irony that those who scorn power are those most suited to rule. Although the theme was usually rendered in the conventional monochrome format of Chinese paintings, here we see it in the polychrome and gold-leaf style of the Kanō school. A pair of ink paintings of the same subject exists by Kanō Eitoku (1543-90), one of the most famous Kanō painters, but he is also thought to have done a gold and polychrome version for Oda Nabunaga's Azuchi Castle near Lake Biwa. The castle and all its contents were destroyed in 1582. There are some stylistic similarities in the screen here with the work of Kanō Takanobu (1571-1618), but it more probably dates from some time after his death, that is, in the Kan'ei era (1624-44). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of Yamanaka & Co. Height: 1565.000 mm Width: 1751.000 mm Xu You and Qao Fu, a 2-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338197_m.jpg Japan Edo period, Kan'ei era (AD 1624-44) British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD11 (1920.10-20.02) From Mino Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This tsuba is made of shakudō with gold and silver inlay on an nanako ground. It has a lively design of seasonal flowers and grasses and deer. It was possibly made by a member of the Gotō family who developed the use of shakudō and were the official metalworkers working for the Ashikaga (1338-1573) and later the Tokugawa shoguns (1600-1868). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Bequeathed by Sir A.W. Franks Length: 7.100 cm Tsuba (sword guard) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202059b_m.jpg From Mino Province, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA TS244 From Japan Kofun period, 6th century AD This gilt bronze pommel was made for a straight single-edged iron sword, and is an example of the annular, or ring-shaped type. They often contained designs originating in China or Korea, particularly pairs of phoenixes or dragons. Chinese and early Japanese pieces like this were cast in one piece, but later Japanese examples were also cut from plate. The hole in the base received a pin fixing the pommel to the end of the hilt. Asia JA 1936.11-18.136 Gilt bronze sword pommel http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339290_m.jpg From Japan Kofun period, 6th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD There were two ways of carrying Japanese swords: tachi-type swords were worn suspended by cords with armour and uchigatana-type swords were worn thrust through the belt. They both had scabbards of lacquered magnolia wood. Hilts were covered with the hardened skin of the rayfish and bound, usually with silk braid, to give a good grip. Itomaki means 'bound with cords'. This is an elaborate tachi-style sword-mounting from the Edo period (1600-1868). At this time the country was at peace, but daimyō and other high-ranking samurai would have required such ornate pieces for wear when travelling in procession to and from the capital Edo (modern Tokyo). The mounting is decorated with a motif known as the triple paving-stone or triple chequer, the mon or family crest of the Tsuchiya family. The blade is signed by Sukesada, a sixteenth-century swordsmith from Bizen Province. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) , Hakubutsukan shozÅ Nihon-Ch (Tokyo National Museum, 1987) Bequeathed by R. W. Lloyd Length: 97.200 cm Sword mounting in itamaki tachi style http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps322061_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1958.7-30.149.a-d From Japan Muromachi period, 15th-16th century AD This tsuba (sword guard) has a sombre appearance compared to many, though the plain iron disc is decorated, with circular bands of evenly spaced inlaid sentoku (brass) dots around a central ring. Tsuba like this were are thought to have been fisrt made in the ōnin era (1457-69) when a civil war ravaged Kyoto, but no signed pieces survive, so we know nothing of the makers. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Henry Bergen Diameter: 8.600 cm Iron tsuba (sword guard) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202060a_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, 15th-16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1948.11-27.1 Japan Edo period, around AD 1716-36 This painting's fine detail, strong colours and generous use of cut gold-leaf suggests that it was an order from a rich patron. The artist is not known, but the painting style suggests a machi-eshi ('town painter') who may have been trained in the Sumiyoshi school. The two paintings are set in spring and summer. There was probably another pair of scrolls showing autumn and winter scenes, which may well have been signed by the artist. They are now unfortunately lost. The scroll set in spring shows cherry-blossom time in the hilly Ueno district around Kan'eiji Temple. Worshippers of all classes - samurai with their two swords, merchants, artists, women and children - are strolling, or sitting eating and drinking, listening to music or enjoying other entertainments. A peep-show can be seen, an amusement introduced from Western Europe. Both koto (lateral harp) and shamisen performances are in progress. The scroll set in summer shows Asakusa Temple near Azuma Bridge over the Sumida River with fleets of pleasure boats. The scrolls are known to have been were exhibited in the 1890s at the James Bowes' Japanese Museum, Liverpool, one of the first public galleries of Japanese art in the United Kingdom. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Gift of the Trustees of James Martin White Height: 295.000 mm ((each)) Length: 10665.000 mm (Ueno) Length: 10665.000 mm (Ueno) Views of Ueno and Asakusa, a pair of handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204117_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1716-36 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD341-2 (1950.11-11.021.01-02) From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This dish was commissioned by the United Dutch East India Company and bears their V.O.C. mark (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie). From the end of the sixteenth century the Dutch East India Company developed a vast network of trading posts through South-east Asia. They monopolized European trade with Japan from about 1641, when, for political reasons, the Tokugawa Shogunate restricted foreign contacts by law. The Dutch 'factory' was on the tiny island of Deshima in Nagasaki Bay. The Chinese were the only other foreigners allowed to trade with Japan, but even their activities were restricted by political upheaval at home with the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644. The Dutch brought in mainly raw silk and sugar and took out gold, silver and copper. However as time went on demand also grew for Japanese porcelain. This dish was for the use of the Company's officers in Japan. The commissioners also specified the Chinese-style design of auspicious peaches and the 'Buddha's fingers' plant. Judging from the great depth of the transparent glaze and the five spur marks on the base the dish was made between 1690 and 1700 at a time of great technological advance in porcelain manufacture. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1961.12-12.5 Diameter: 34.290 cm Arita ware porcelain dish http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203974b_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD Netsuke subjects are often taken from the natural world. This piece was carved by Hōjitsu (died 1872), a vassal of the Tokugawa shogunate who also enjoyed the patronage of the daimyō of Tsugaru. Hōjitsu was a very skilled artist in ivory and boxwood and was recognized as the best carver in Tokyo (Edo) in his day. He is best-known for his graceful and elegant figures influenced by the artist Hanabusa Itchō (1652-1724). Bequeathed by Miss Helen Epstein Length: 5.000 cm Wooden netsuke by Hōjitsu http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339169_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1953.12-17.11 Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD 'The Treasury of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers' is the fictionalized version of an actual historical event that took place during the Genroku era (1688-1704). In 1701, the lord of Akō (in western Japan), was provoked by the arrogant treatment he had received at the shogunal court into attacking the chief of protocol Kira Yoshinaka. For this crime his domain was confiscated and he was ordered to commit suicide. For nearly two years, forty-seven of his retainers bided their time, plotting revenge. Finally they stormed Kira's mansion and killed him. Although they were regarded as heroes by many for their unswerving loyalty, the authorities ordered them all to commit suicide. The story became an extremely popular theme for plays and paintings. This scroll is painted with the best-known scene from each of the eleven acts of the play, in Jichōsai's typically light, humorous style. The action is represented symbolically: for example a lone figure with sword in hand stands for a more detailed narrative description. The viewer is left to fill in the details from their own knowledge of the tale. Jichōsai was the art-name of Matsuya Heizaburō (worked about 1781-88), a sake brewer and curio dealer of Osaka who was also a comic writer and producer of kyōga - light-hearted, comic pictures. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of Dr and Mrs Michael Harari Height: 281.000 mm Length: 7816.000 mm Jichōsai, Chūshingura ('Treasury of the Forty-seven Loyal Retainers'), a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps249002_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD692 (1982.7-1.07) Japan Late Edo period, mid-19th century AD Ukita Ikkei (1795-1859) was a leading member of a group of artists working at the end of the Edo period, who sought to revive the ancient painting styles of Yamato-e from the Heian (794-1185) and Kamakura (1185-1333) periods. This style, called 'Yamato-e Revival' (Fukko Yamato-e), had strong connections with the imperial court in Kyoto, where Ikkei was employed as an artist, and this album presents scenes of life at the emperor's court in ancient times, and of the annual observances made throughout the year. The page illustrated here is the fourth month, when the emperor inspected the horses of the imperial stables in the Komahiki ('colt-leading') ceremony. An official wearing formal dress of the Heian period is seated on a horse, being led by a groom. The scene has been sketched quickly and lightly, with soft, pale colouring. As the shogunal regime began to lose its grip on power in the mid-nineteenth century, those calling for the 'restoration' of the emperor grew in number. Ikkei participated in the political activities of the time, and was imprisoned. He died shortly after release. The subject and style of the album thus reflect both the aspirations of the imperial faction at the time as well as Ikkei's own personal allegiances. The seals together read 'Yoshitame' (one of Ikkei's art-names). Other pages in the album are also signed 'Ikkei'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 260.000 mm Width: 340.000 mm Height: 260.000 mm Width: 340.000 mm Ukita Ikkei, Annual Events at the Imperial Court, an album of paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339574_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, mid-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD684 (1982.6-28.01) Japan Edo period, mid-19th century AD The viewing of cherry blossom in the spring, and the moon in autumn were traditionally two of the most important annual events of the Imperial court in Kyoto. These annual events were known as the Nenjū Gyōji. In the spring scroll an ornate pleasure-boat with a dragon prow and an elaborate awning carries a group of court women beneath the cherry trees. Two maid-servants are punting, while behind them sit two women in elaborate court dress. One costume is decorated with cherry flowers. As they admire the blossoms, one woman uses her fan, while another shields her eyes with her hand. In the background a willow tree is just coming into leaf, and yellow flowers, possibly Japanese yamabuki (kerria), bloom on the river bank. In the moon-viewing scene courtiers perform music for their lord in a space marked off by colourful awnings. They play a biwa (lute), koto (Japanese harp), flute and sho (a type of mouth organ). Food is placed on a lacquer stand. The partially clouded moon shines gently down on the reddening maple leaves, pampas grass, bush clover and bellflowers. Hirosada looks back to an earlier age with nostalgia. His pride in his position as a Yamato-e painter is shown by the vermilion red seals, reading 'yamato-e' impressed on each scroll. He is following in the footsteps of the founder of the Sumiyoshi school, Jokei (1599-1670), who had made a copy of the ancient Nenjū Gyōji paintings. From the later seventeenth century onwards, the Sumiyoshi artists worked for the shoguns in Edo while the Tosa school treated traditional themes for the Imperial court in Kyoto. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) William Anderson Collection Height: 974.000 mm Width: 362.000 mm Sumiyoshi Hirosada, Court amusements in spring and autumn, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203560_m.jpg Japan Edo period, mid-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 270 (1881.12-10.216);Asia JA JP 271 (1881.12-10.217) Japan Edo period, probably AD 1777-81 This pair of hanging scrolls features the common theme of kachōga (bird-and-flower painting). In the right-hand scroll a willow tree with swallows in its branches indicates spring. Two birds of paradise perch lower down. At the base of the tree are peonies and green grass to suggest summer. A kingfisher is perched on a rock by the fast-flowing mountain stream, and sparrows fly above. In the left-hand scroll, the maple tree stands for autumn. A horned owl sits on the tree-trunk, surrounded by small birds which seem to be teasing it: a compositional element seen in earlier kachōga. The pink blossoms beneath are cotton flowers. In the distance can be seen the snow-covered mountains and pine-trees of winter. The original name of Sumiyoshi Keishū (1729-97) was Itaya Hiromasa, and he was a pupil of Sumiyoshi Hiromori (1705-77), a painter to the shōgun. When Hiromori became old and frail, he arranged to pass his duties on to his trusted pupil Hiromasa, and agreed to adopt the latter's son Hiroyuki and make him his heir. As the son was still young, however, Hiromasa for a time became head of the Sumiyoshi school, and used the signature seen here, ‘Sumiyoshi Keishū ga'. The seal reads ‘Yamato-e ichiryū' ('Prime lineage of native painting'). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 930.000 mm Width: 350.000 mm Sumiyoshi Keishū, Birds and Flowers in Four Seasons, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338412_m.jpg Japan Edo period, probably AD 1777-81 British Museum: Asia JA JP 159-160 (1881.12-10.0223-4) Japan Edo period, AD 1789 Falconry in medieval Japan, as in many countries, was a popular sport among those of wealth, rank, and power. Cranes were the favoured quarry. When caught, any meat was specially prepared and reserved for the feudal lord. The sport is thought to have been introduced from China, and the forms of the perch and the jess (the silk cord) can be seen in Chinese paintings of the twelfth century. Many Japanese artists painted falcons, and such works would have constituted a kind of status symbol. This pair of scrolls displays the fine plumage of the birds, front and back, and the inscriptions written in courtly calligraphy above describe the colours and patterning of the plumage. The signatures to the inscriptions, just above the level of the perch, record the rank (kohō) of the man who wrote them, followed by his kaō (personal handwritten seal), not yet identified. The artist's original name was Itaya Hiromasa (1729-97). He took over the duties of goyō eshi (official painter to the shogun) from his teacher, Sumiyoshi Hiromori (1705-77), also assuming the Sumiyoshi name, from 1773 until 1781, when he passed on the post to his son, Hiroyuki (1755-1811). The signature on each scroll reads 'Sumiyoshi Keishū Fujiwara [no] Hiromasa gyōnen rokujū-issai hitsu' ('From the brush of Sumiyoshi Keishū, Fujiwara no Hiromasa, aged 61'). The seal reads 'Hiromasa no in' ('Seal of Hiromasa'). William Anderson Collection Height: 1200.000 mm (each) Width: 439.000 mm (each) Sumiyoshi Keishū, Falcons on Perches, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338591_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1789 British Museum: Asia JA JP 164-5 (1881.12-10.0228-9) Japan Late Edo period, mid-19th century AD The concept of the thirty-six great poets originated with the selection made by Fujiwara no Kintō for the Imperial anthology Kokin wakashū ('Japanese Poems From Ancient and Modern Times') of AD 905. Artists of the Rimpa school in Kyoto and, later, Edo (modern Tokyo) frequently grouped the poets of different time periods together in one composition, often on a two-fold screen. Here, however, all thirty-six are gathered together in a single hanging scroll. The poses of the figures largely copy earlier examples, as does the curtain at the top and the diagonally placed edging of a tatami mat. The decorative quality of the work is heightened in several ways: the gold ground composed of scattered gold-leaf; the puddled-ink effect on the robes of eleven male poets achieved by the distinctively Rimpa technique of tarashi-komi, where gold paint has been dripped onto the still-wet black ink; and the striking chequered pattern on the robes of two men. All the male poets wear eboshi - the headgear of courtiers of the Heian period (794-1185). Four of these also have oikake, fan-shaped attachments made of horsehair (part of the court hunting costume), and three have arrows strapped to their backs. The signature reads 'Seisei Kiitsu' and the seal reads 'Shukurinsai'. The form of the signature suggests a date late in Kiitsu's life (1796-1858), about 1850. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1580.000 mm Width: 812.000 mm Height: 1580.000 mm Width: 812.000 mm Suzuki Kiitsu, The Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps127695_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, mid-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD622 (1980.7-28.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1817 This painting is from an album of 48 works by 48 painters and calligraphers active in Edo (modern Tokyo) in the early nineteenth century. There are 24 paintings and 24 sheets of calligraphy, and the dates, where given, are all from the autumn of 1817. The name of the person who assembled the album is not recorded. In the second half of the Edo period, especially during the Bunka era (1804-18) and the Bunsei era (1818-30), there was a fashion for emulating the sophisticated tastes of the bunjin (literati). Wealthy admirers would ask well-known artists and calligraphers for examples of their work, which they collected in albums or mounted on folding screens for contemplation at their leisure. Calligraphy and painting parties (shogakai) became increasingly popular, where a paying audience could watch artists work, and request pieces for a fee. This album contains only works in the literati style, which dominated the shogakai. The influence of Tani Bunchō (1763-1840) is strong, with many works by his pupils and followers. Other major artists and calligraphers represented include Bunchō's teacher, Watanabe Gentai (1749-1822), Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828), Kita Busei (1776-1856), Ichikawa Kansai (1749-1820), and Kameda Bōsai (1752-1826). There are also a number of otherwise unknown names, apparently amateurs who took the opportunity to show off their talents. The painting illustrated here is of a jovial sage pointing at the moon. The artist is Katagiri Ranseki (1764-1824), who had studied under Gentai. Both the signature and the seal read 'Tōin'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 286.000 mm Width: 328.000 mm Katagiri Ranseki, A sage pointing at the moon, a painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339576_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1817 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD518 (1973.2-26.0106.1) Japan Edo period, around AD 1810 Kawamura Bumpō (1779-1821) studied under Gan Ku (1747-1838), but he appears also to have been influenced by the softer style of the Maruyama-Shijō school of artists of his native Kyoto. The small number of known paintings by Bumpō suggest that he had wide interests and a versatile talent. These are shown in the variety of subject matter within this pair of scrolls. The first scroll begins with figures resembling Chinese immortals in a setting of giant magic fungi. This leads on to scenes of calligraphy and drinking - one figure idly using a back-scratcher. Then a minor procession with a rider and cart ends up in a calligraphy, painting and poetry party (shogakai) with tea, wine and tobacco pipes. The figures are drawn in the wriggling line style reminiscent of Gan Ku, but the humorously drawn faces and the powerful feeling of enjoyment are unique to Bumpō himself. At the end of the scroll, Bumpō unexpectedly switches to an elegant, sketch-like style to depict autumn flowers and grasses such as arrowroot, morning glory, thoroughwort, bush clover, pinks, and valerian with three dragonflies in flight. This section is strongly Maruyama-Shijō in style. The first scroll finishes with the figure of Daikoku, the god of wealth, with his sack and a bale of rice. The second scroll depicts Japanese-style figures at the Ox Festival at Uzumasa in Kyoto and scenes of daily life in city and countryside These include sumō wrestlers, a monkey-trainer, tea-whisk sellers, and farmers and fishermen at work. Again, the subject matter then changes to the natural word, with fruits on a branch, a pair of rabbits, a moonlit landscape, a snow scene, and finally the god Ebisu with fishing rod and a sea bream under his arm. The signature on the first scroll reads 'Bumpō' and on the second scroll 'Bumpō Basei sha', and the seals on both scrolls read 'Bumpō', 'Basei' and Nanzanju'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 298.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Length: 10485.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Height: 298.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Length: 10485.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Height: 298.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Length: 10485.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Height: 298.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Length: 10485.000 mm (Chinese subjects) Kawamura Bumpō, Chinese Scholars and Japanese Festival Scenes, a pair of handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203107_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1810 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD639 (1981.4-8.01);Asia JA JP ADD640 (1981.4-8.02) Japan Edo period, AD 1802 'One Hundred Old Men' is a standard theme taken from the Chinese painting tradition. In a landscape of mountains, trees, and a lake, elderly gentlemen engage in scholarly pursuits - on the right screen some are gathered round a scroll to appreciate the calligraphy being executed. On the left screen a group is seated at a table to enjoy wine and tea, and others in a large group are conducting a Daoist ceremony outside the grotto of an ascetic. This was the intellectual ideal adopted from China during the Edo period (1600-1868) - a scholarly idyll far away from everyday life. Gan Ku's skill is demonstrated in the varied and expressive brushwork, which would have been readily appreciated by scholarly patrons. The deer on the left screen, the two cranes on top of a tree in the right screen, and the pine trees throughout the composition are all auspicious symbols of longevity. This theme of celebrating advanced age suggests that these sumptuous screens with high-quality gold leaf may have been produced for Taikin Kō, the man mentioned in the inscription, perhaps on the occasion of his sixtieth birthday (seen in Japan as a particularly significant milestone in life). The signature on the right screen reads 'Kotōkan Gan Ku'. The inscription on the left screen reads 'Kyōwa mizunoe inu haru / tame [.....] sha / Gan Ku' ('Painted for [.....] in the spring of 1802 by Gan Ku'). The seals on both screens read 'Kakan' and 'Gan Ku'. The name of the patron, inscribed on the left screen, has not yet been deciphered. Height: 1500.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 3550.000 mm (each approx.) Height: 1500.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 3550.000 mm (each approx.) Gan Ku, One Hundred Old Men, a pair of 6-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338195_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1802 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1043 (1994.4-11.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1783 The small size and format of this screen suggest it was used as an accessory in the preparation of steeped tea (sencha), a custom imported from China which became popular in Japan during the eighteenth century. It shows a group of nine men engaging in elegant pursuits such as calligraphy, conversation and music, while seated in a garden among eccentrically shaped rocks. The scene is the retreat on Mt. Xiang of the well-known Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, Bo Juyi (772-846). According to legend, in the third month of 845 Bo Juyi was joined by six companions, and again in the summer by two more. In this seclusion of the retreat, to the east of Longmen on the outskirts of the capital Loyang, these educated men could relax and leave behind their worldly concerns. They were all quite elderly (as is evident from their grey hair and beards), and pictures of this theme became associated with celebrating advanced age. The work may well have been commissioned from the illustrious Kyoto artist ōkyo (1733-95) on the occasion of someone's 60th or 70th birthday. ōkyo was renowned for his realistic style and refined techniques. One of his important ambitions was to master the full range of human 'types'; the nine old men in this work are varied in their poses and expressions. The signature reads 'Temmei mizunotō chūka sha ōkyo' ('Painted by ōkyo, midsummer [4th month] 1783'). The seals read 'ōkyo' and 'Chūsen'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 238.000 mm Width: 1447.000 mm Height: 238.000 mm Width: 1447.000 mm Maruyama ōkyo, Nine Old Men of Mt. Xiang, a 2-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338383_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1783 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD892 (1989.4-24.01) Japan Edo period, mid-17th century AD This forceful calligraphic writing of a Zen maxim is by the monk Mokuan Shōtō (Chinese: Muan Xingtao) (1611-84). It serves as a focus to meditation on its many layers of meaning. The five-character inscription on the left - 'Flowers open and heaven reveals its essence' - amplifies the meaning of the single large character 'sei' ('essence') on the right. Mokuan was second abbot of the Zen temple Mampuku-ji at Uji near Kyoto, founded by monks of the Chinese ōbaku (Chinese: Huangbo) sect fleeing the persecution of conquering Ching armies. They introduced to Japan the forceful, elegant calligraphic styles of late Ming literati, such as the scholar-painter Dong Qichang (1555-1636). The signature reads 'ōbaku Mokuan sho' ('Written by Mokuan of the ōbaku sect') and the seals read ‘Hōgai gakushi' ('Scholar-Gentleman Retired from the World'), 'Shakkai Tō in' and 'Mokuan shi'. Height: 278.000 mm Width: 523.000 mm Height: 278.000 mm Width: 523.000 mm Mokuan Shōtō, Sei ('Essence'), a calligraphic hanging scroll http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340675_m.jpg Japan Edo period, mid-17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1110 From Japan Edo period, mid-late 17th century AD The versatile artist Hon'ami Kōetsu (1558-1637) inspired the revival of the courtly art traditions of the Heian period (794-1185). This style was later named 'Rimpa'. Kōetsu himself is famous for his calligraphy and designs for pottery, metal and lacquerware. This writing box is a fine example of slightly later lacquerware still in the Kōetsu style. As with many of the works of the Kōetsu School, the design is inspired by a classical poem, in this case no. 283 from the anthology Kokin wakashū (AD 905). 'Were one to cross it, the brocade might break in two, coloured autumn leaves, floating in random pattern, on the Tatsuta River.' (Translation: Helen Craig McCullough) The design shows a bridge scattered with maple leaves stretching across the waves of the River Tatsuta. The bridge supports are of mother-of-pearl inlay, and the surface of the waves is further varied by swirls of lead inlay. The inside is decorated with deer in makie and shell inlay. The box once contained an inkstone and brushes. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by Oscar Raphael Width: 20.500 cm Length: 23.000 cm Height: 4.500 cm Lacquer writing-box http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204854_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, mid-late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1945.10-17.392.a Japan Edo period, around AD 1850 The artist Tsubaki Chinzan (1801-54) was a pupil of the bunjin master Watanabe Kazan (1793-1841). Following his teacher, Chinzan painted portraits, flowering plants and flower-and-bird pictures. While his paintings have a realism based on sketches from life, he also aimed to capture the poetic spirit of the subject. According to an inscription written by Chinzan himself at the end of the scroll, his painting is based on a work by the Chinese artist Chen Shun (1484-1544). Chen Shun, in his turn, was a forebear in the literati tradition of the painter Yun Shoupong (1633-99), whom Kazan and Chinzan both considered to be the absolute master of flower painting. The eight flowers depicted here are peony, orchid, hollyhock, jasmine, lotus, day lily, chrysanthemum and camellia. Chen Shun copied a poem by the Chinese poet Chen Chao beside every flower, and Chinzan has attempted to convey the spirit of these poems, too, in his painting. Chinzan uses a 'boneless' (Chinese: mogu) style of painting of light ink and pale colour washes to produce an unpretentious, poetic effect. The signature reads 'Chinzan Tsubaki Hitsu', and the seals read 'Hitsu in' and Chinzan'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Brooke Sewell Fund Height: 346.000 mm Length: 4335.000 mm Tsubaki Chinzan, Flowers and Plants in the Style of Chen Shun, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps072104_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1850 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD576 (1978.5-22.01) From Japan Edo period, late 19th century AD The rakan (Sanskrit: arhats, 'enlightened beings'), were the original disciples of the historical Buddha and possessors of supernatural power and the wisdom of Buddha. They are traditionally represented in groups of sixteen, and sometimes five hundred. They were popular in China in the Song and Yuan dynasties, and Japanese depictions of them are often in the Chinese style. This rather humorous sculpture is of a rakan accompanied by a dragon and holding a small Buddhist shrine or reliquary. It is typical of the naturalism of the style of the period and was almost certainly made for export to the West. Both elephant ivory and ivory from marine mammals were much sought after by the Japanese at the time for manufacture of such figures and small netsuke. Height: 19.000 cm Height: 19.000 cm Ivory figure of a rakan http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340121_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, late 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1979.7-2.4 Unknown ca. 1620 W.339-1916 Given by the Misses Alexander Height 9 cm Length 59.7 cm Width 35 cm Writing table http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT1123.jpg Japan Wood, covered with gold and silver takamaki-e and nashiji lacquer, with gold and silver details; silvered metal fittings 1780-1800 This kimono has been decorated using ink, embroidery and a stencil-dyeing technique called kata kanoko. Nature provides the main source for the motifs used in Japanese art and bamboo, which features here, is an especially popular subject. Across the shoulders of the kimono are various characters taken from the 'Poems of Congratulation' in the 10th-century Kokinshu anthology. Incorporating the written word into the design of the kimono would have demonstrated the literary discernment of the wearer. FE.106-1982 Length 180 cm Width 130 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1531.jpg Japan Monochrome figured satin silk (rinzu), with embroidery, brushed black ink and stencilling (kata kanoko) Unknown late 19th century This jacket would have been worn by a fireman. It is made from several layers of thick cotton quilted together using a technqiue known as ‘sashiko’. Before tackling a blaze a fireman would be drenched in water to protect him from the flames, the quilting of the jacket allowing for maximum absorption. Wearing this heavy garment the fireman would attack the blaze, using a long pole to pull down buildings to prevent the fire from spreading. The design of the jacket provided more than just physical protection. The motif of a dragon, a magical beast who brought storms when it descended from the heavens, served to wrap the fireman in divine protection. The jacket is reversible, and during a fire the plain side would be revealed. When the fire had been defeated - and on festival days - the dynamic image would be revealed. FE.107-1982 Length 95 cm Width 122 cm Jacket http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV7168.jpg Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki), and quilted in cotton stitches (sashiko) Unknown late 19th century This coat, with its tapered sleeves to allow for active movement, would probably have been worn by a farmer. It is made from two layers of indigo-dyed cotton which have been stitched together using a quilting technique known as ‘sashiko’. Three different stitching patterns have been used. Clothes with sashiko stitching are found in many parts of Japan, but are particularly prevalent in the cold climate of northern Honshû, the main island. Garments stitched in this way are strong and warm, and extremely suitable for working apparel. FE.30-1982 Length 124.5 cm Width 122.0 cm Coat http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1517.jpg Japan Indo-dyed cotton, quilted in lighter blue cotton thread (sashiko) Kyukoku ca. 1800-1850 The inro is a tiered container that was traditionally worn by men only. The traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets, so men first used the inro to carry daily necessities. From the late 1500s onwards, men wore it suspended from their sashes by a silk cord and netsuke (toggle). However, it rapidly became a costly fashion accessory of little or no practical use. Inro subjects often reflect a particular festival or time of year. This one probably refers to Tanabata (Weaver's Festival), which was celebrated on the seventh day of the seventh month. The festival celebrates the annual meeting of the Weaver Princess Star and the Herdboy Star. According to legend, the princess and the herdboy fell in love and were allowed to marry. However, they soon began to neglect their duties and were separated to opposite sides of the Milky Way. They were allowed to meet only once a year at Tanabata. This inro is decorated with a silk-winder, which represents the Weaver Princess Star. The milky-white ground represents the Milky Way. W.361-1922 Pfungst Gift Height 9.8 cm Width 6.9 cm Depth 2.0 cm Inro http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU2719.jpg Japan Mother-of-pearl, incised with gold, on a lacquered ground Unknown ca. 1400-1450 This jar was made at Shigaraki, a well-known Japanese pottery centre that produced large unglazed storage vessels and other utilitarian ceramics from the 12th century onwards. Its rugged contours are due to the potter having built up the shape in several stages, while the streak of pale green glaze is the outcome of flying ash settling and melting during firing, and the orange hue is the result of oxidation of the iron content of the clay body. From the end of the 15th century Shigaraki wares began to attract the attention of devotees of the tea ceremony, who discerned in them a rustic beauty very different from the elegance of the imported Chinese ceramics favoured as tea utensils up until that time. FE.20-1984 Height 49.5 cm Jar http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN4391.jpg Japan Stoneware with natural ash glaze Unknown late 16th century 176-1877 Height 19.4 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN7104-1.jpg Japan Stoneware with a yellow glaze Unknown 1700-1725 This large dish showing a woman and her two attendants is a fine example of the type of porcelain made in early 18th-century Japan for export to Europe. On its base there appears a Dresden inventory mark, indicating that the piece came from the collection of the Elector Frederick Augustus I of Saxony, ‘Augustus the Strong’, who died in 1733. The areas of dark blue were achieved by painting with cobalt oxide under a clear glaze and firing to a high temperature in a reducing atmosphere - one in which the kiln is starved of oxygen so that the burning fuel draws chemically bonded oxygen from the reactive parts of the ceramic material, leaving them in a reduced state and changing their colour. The gold, red and other enamel colours were applied and fused on in subsequent, low-temperature firings. The distinctive so-called Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. The term Imari comes from the name of the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Chinese and Dutch merchants, the Dutch being the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan at this time. C.1513-1910 Salting Bequest Diameter 46.7 cm Dish http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BF0199.jpg Japan Porcelain with decoration in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels and gilt Unknown 1700-1725 This large covered jar is a splendid example of the type of porcelain made in early 18th-century Japan for export to Europe. Wares of this shape and size would not have been marketed in Japan. The areas of dark blue were achieved by painting with cobalt oxide under a clear glaze and firing to a high temperature in a reducing atmosphere - one in which the kiln is starved of oxygen so that the burning fuel draws chemically bonded oxygen from the reactive parts of the ceramic material, leaving them in a reduced state and changing their colour. The gold, red and other enamel colours were applied and fused on in subsequent, low-temperature firings. The distinctive so-called Imari-style colour scheme was much copied by 18th-century European manufacturers. The term Imari comes from the name of the port in western Japan through which this and other products of the nearby Arita kilns were shipped. Porcelains for export were sent to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Chinese and Dutch merchants, the Dutch being the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan at this time. C.1523-1910 Salting Bequest Height 76.2 cm Vase and cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2007BM7309.jpg Japan Porcelain with decoration in underglaze blue, overglaze enamels and gilt 1800-1830 The padded hem on this kimono indicates that it is an outer kimono, or uchikake, designed for winter wear. Uchikake were worn without an obi, the sash that secures the garment, so no part of the design would have been obscured. The shibori, or tie-dyeing, technique has been used to create a pattern of paper gift ornaments in the shape of butterflies. This has been combined with embroidered plum blossoms. This auspicious motif was a popular one in winter, for it suggested that the arrival of spring was not too far away. FE.28-1984 Length 179 cm Width 124 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AR9278.jpg Japan Monochrome patterned satin silk, with tie-dyed (kanoko shibori) and embroidered decoration 1820-1860 The long 'swinging sleeves' (furisode) of this kimono indicate that it would have been worn by a young unmarried woman. The family crest, mon, across the shoulders suggest that she was probably a woman of the samurai class, the military aristocracy of Japan in the Edo period (1615-1868). The garment has a large padded hem and was designed as an outer kimono for winter wear. It would have been worn without an obi, the sash that secures the garment, so no part of the beautifully embroidered design would have been obscured. The pattern of floral roundels was a favourite among women of the samurai class. FE.11-1983 Length 189 cm Width 124 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1368.jpg Japan Satin silk, embroidered in silk and metallic thread Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a grazing horse. The most widely used materials for making netsuke were traditionally ivory or wood. Throughout the Edo Period (1615-1868), ivory from the Indian elephant was imported by Chinese and Dutch traders. Owing to the cost of the material, a small piece of ivory would be used to maximum effect. The subjects of netsuke were often originally suggested by the shape of a particular material, as with this grazing horse. In time, however, this particular subject became a standard one used by numerous carvers over a long period of time. The great popularity of the horse as a netsuke subject is also connected to its being one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac, which derives from Chinese cosmology. In a recurring cycle, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order. The traditional order is: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with the New Year festivities of the appropriate year, but could also be used at any time during that particular year, and again 12 years later in accordance with the cycle. 418-1904 Dresden Bequest Height 5.6 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0454.jpg Japan Carved ivory, with staining Unknown ca. 1775-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this one of beanpods. This type of netsuke, which have no surface texture, are deceptively simple. The maker had to have great carving skills to make them appear realistic. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching the cord. Most netsuke had a pair of cord holes (himotoshi). Alternatively the netsuke were fitted with a natural opening through which the cord could be attached. Here the maker has used the stalk of one of the beanpods. A.46-1920 Clarke-Thornhill Gift Length 4.6 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0418.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown late 19th century The design on this bedding (futon) cover has been created using a technique called tsutsugaki, or ‘tube drawing’. In this method woven fabric is stretched on a frame of bamboo and a design drawn on the cloth with paste squeezed from a tube (tsutsu). The tube is made from paper treated with persimmon juice to make it water resistant; it has a nozzle of bamboo or metal through which the paste is extruded. The paste, made of rice flour, lime and water, forms a protective coating that prevents the colour penetrating when the cloth is dyed. Before the dye is applied, the surface of the fabric is brushed with soya bean liquid to seal the paste and help fix the dye. Once the dyed cloth is dry the rice paste is washed off. The process is repeated to obtain the various shades of blue. T.331-1960 Length 160.0 cm Width 124.0 cm Quilt cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT2475.jpg Fukuoka (prefecture), Japan Cotton, resist-dyed and painted 1890-1930 This kimono was made and worn by a woman living in Tsugaru, a penisula in the very north of Honshû, the main island of Japan. It is woven with fine indigo-dyed ramie. The decorative panel on the upper part has been stitched in white with a diamond pattern, a technique known as kogin. If she was to make a good marriage it was essential that a Tsugaru woman master the skills of kogin, and training began at an early age. By her wedding day the bride was expected to have woven and embroidered a number of fine garments for herself and her future husband. These would be worn on special occasions. FE.141-1983 Length 129.0 cm Width 100.0 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN4734.jpg Aomori (prefecture), Japan Indigo-dyed ramie, with white cotton stitching (kogin) Unknown 1890-1912 This length of silk fabric would have originally been part of a kimono. The design of flowers against bamboo fences was created using a technique called yuzen. This involves drawing the pattern on the cloth with rice paste extruded through the metal tip of a cloth bag. The paste forms a protective coat that prevents the colour penetrating when the dyes are applied. T.429-1912 Strange Gift Length 86 cm Width 41 cm Textile http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1223.jpg Japan Resist dyed ('Yuzen' technique) silk crepe Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a figure in European dress. In 1543 the Portuguese arrived in Japan, followed by the Spaniards, Dutch and English. This resulted in an enormous interest in people with different physical characteristics, clothing, customs and accoutrements. By 1641, however, all Europeans had been expelled from Japan. The only exception was the Dutch, who were allowed to trade from the island of Dejima. The fascination with Europeans nevertheless continued, manifesting itself in the carving of figural netsuke with Western features during the late 17th and 18th centuries. These often presented a fusion of the many outside influences in Japan from the 16th century onwards, resulting in rather inaccurate depictions of foreigners. This particular netsuke of a Chinese or Japanese figure in contemporary European dress is a typical example. A.862-1910 Salting Bequest Height 8.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0444.jpg Japan Carved ivory, with staining and inlay Unknown ca. 1700-ca. 1750 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching the cord. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this one. This netsuke of a woman and a child is influenced by the Christian image of the Madonna and Child. Around 1580, a thriving ivory carving industry developed in China, centred on Zhangzhou, Fujian province. It produced many religious images for the Portuguese and Spanish on the Asian mainland. The image of the Madonna and Child was widely used in China. It was similar to the Chinese songzi (child-giving) Guanyin (bodhisattva embodying compassion). Many of these Chinese carvings reached Japan. This most unusual netsuke possibly reflects how the religious image became a general image of a mother and child. A.875-1910 Salting Bequest Height 7.0 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0443.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown 19th century This large jar was produced at one of a number of kilns founded in Japan in the early 1800s, at the beginning of a country-wide boom in ceramic production. It embodies the qualities of beauty extolled by proponents of the Mingei, or Japanese Folk Craft movement. These qualities are seen to derive from an object having being made by craftsmen working close to nature with traditional styles and simple techniques, and living within a small and harmonious community without concern for capitalistic gain and the assertion of individuality. FE.15-1985 Height 61.8 cm Diameter 53.0 cm (maximum) Jar http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4260.jpg Japan Stoneware with bluish-white and olive-brown glazes Unknown 1400-1550 The first mirrors to be used in Japan were imported from Korea and China and it was not until the 4th century AD that the Japanese began to make their own, cast from bronze. The mirror faces were polished and, from the 11th century, made more reflective by applying a thin layer of tin. They were lifted and held by a cord that passed through a hole in the raised boss – which often took the form of a tortoise – on the centre back. At first, Japanese mirrors were close copies of Chinese and Korean originals, but by the 11th century mirrors with distinctively Japanese designs were being made. This mirror is decorated with a scene of cranes, pines and bamboo by the seashore, a conventional assemblage of symbols for longevity. 722-1901 Diameter 11.3 cm Mirror http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AR9751.jpg Japan Cast bronze Ogawa Haritsu, born 1663 - died 1747 1700-1800 W.56-1922 Tomkinson Memorial Fund Height 5.1 cm Width 18.5 cm Depth 24.1 cm Writing box http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF3442.jpg Japan Wood, covered in woven bamboo and decorated in lacquer, enamelled pottery and horn Ikeda Taishin, born 1825 - died 1903 ca. 1860 FE.6-1984 Height 14.6 cm Length 43.7 cm Width 32.5 cm Paper box http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF3439.jpg Japan Grained wood, with gold, silver and coloured lacquer, pewter and shell Namie Tomiharu ca. 1850-1910 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching the cord. Although netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This is a three-dimensional carving, such as this one. This example is signed 'carved by Namie Tomiharu of Iwami province'. Craftsmen in Iwami province produced some of the most distinctive netsuke outside the main urban centres. The region was poor and isolated. These factors influenced both the materials and the subject-matter of the netsuke. Makers often used designs of humble animals, such as a frog. Namie Tomiharu was the leading figure of the five main netsukeshi (netsuke masters) who worked in Iwami. He excelled in netsuke made of boar's tusk. This example is of ebony and shows one of his favourite subjects - the tree-frog on a branch or leaf. A.982-1910 Salting Bequest Length 6.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0423.jpg Japan Carved ebony Tomin late 18th century-early 19th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a tiger. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed by the craftsman. This example is signed ‘Tomin’. Tomin (late 18th to early 19th centuries) was a follower of Tanaka Minko (1735-1816), the founder of a small group of netsuke carvers in Tsu, Ise province. They both worked in similar styles, producing distinctive tiger netsuke. These are invariably portrayed with the head turned back to the left, the mouth open and with comparatively large paws, while the long tail is curled round the body, as in this example. A.939-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0431.jpg Japan Carved and stained wood Utagawa Toyokuni (I), born 1769 - died 1825 1800 (printing) E.994-1914 Height 37.2 cm Width 24.6 cm Woodblock print http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BG4146.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) early 1830s (printing) E.2382-1912 Height 37.8 cm Width 17.0 cm White heron landing behind irises (Print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AG2272.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Utagawa Kuniyoshi, born 1797 - died 1861 1843-1844 (printing) E.2265-1909 Height 23.4 cm Width 34.9 cm Mount Fuji at dusk from the Sumida embankment Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji from Edo (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AW0556.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Miyagawa Kôzan workshop (possibly) 1870s 308-1879 Height 58.4 cm Jar http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AR9284.jpg Japan Stoneware, with crackled cream glaze, overglaze enamel and gilt decoration and high relief modelling Unknown 1878-1888 In the Meiji period (1868-1912), elaborate velvet pictures such as this were produced in Japan for both the export and domestic markets. They were produced by first painting an image on to woven but uncut velvet. Some areas were then cut, producing tufted pile, but most areas were left as horizontal ridges. 1712-1888 Length 195 cm Width 74 cm Scroll http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1550.jpg Japan Painted, ribbed and cut velvet Okatori ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of quails on millet. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. This example is signed ‘Okatori’, a carver who was active in Kyoto during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Okatori was the younger brother of Okatomo, a pupil of Izumiya Tomotada, one of the three great netsuke carvers active during the late 18th century who established Kyoto as one of the main centres of netsuke production. Okatomo is widely associated with netsuke of bird subjects, especially quail and millet. It is not surprising that his younger brother produced this carving of a similar subject. A.975-1910 Salting Bequest Height 2.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0430.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Kasson (designers) Suzuki, Chokichi, born 1848 - died 1919 1883 This superbly executed bronze vase is the product of many traditions of Japanese art, not only of metalworking. The decorative inlay techniques derive from those employed by the makers of sword fittings, the naturalistic depiction of nature from the Shijo school of painting (which developed in the later 18th century) and the overall composition from the Rimpa school founded in the early 17th century. The skills required to decorate metal objects of this type became available as a result of the downfall of the ruling military government of Japan in 1868, and the eventual banning in 1876 of the wearing of swords in public. The traditional market for decorative metalwork on weapons and armour effectively disappeared and craftsmen had to quickly find new outlets for their talents. The advent of the great world expositions in the late 17th century (in which the Japanese government was actively involved) gave Japanese craftsmen an opportunity to excel in the production of sumptuous decorative objects, such as this vase. This particular example was bought directly from the Universal Exhibition at Amsterdam in 1883 from the Kiritsu Kosho Kaisha of Japan, a company set up to promote traditional Japanese craft industries. The vase was produced by the notable bronze-caster Suzuki Chokichi (1848-1919). 30-1886 Height 27.2 cm Diameter 29.5 cm Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV3850.jpg Japan Cast and patinated bronze, with gold, shakudo, shibuichi and copper decoration From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Like the Tea Ceremony and flower arrangement, the enjoyment of incense had developed into a complex pastime in Japan by the Edo period. The various games included guessing a fragrance from as many as 2000 varieties, as well as matching fragrances and blending incenses to suggest certain moods. This set includes tools for cutting and arranging the incense, a set of playing-pieces with board, score-boards, and books of guessing slips which have paintings of scenes from Genji monogatari ('The Tale of Genji') on the covers. The group of small containers and the box into which everything was packed away are richly decorated with 'The Three Friends of Winter' (pine, plum and bamboo) and the triple hollyhock leaf mon (crest) of the Tokugawa family in gold makie with nashiji and gold foil. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Mrs H. Seymour Trower Height: 20.200 cm (box) Width: 26.700 cm (box) Depth: 18.400 cm (box) Box with equipment for an incense game http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204844_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1912.10-12.21 Nonomura, Ninsei, born active 1645 - 1675 mid 17th century 260:1 to 3-1877 Height 11.5 cm Width 27.6 cm Depth 15.7 cm (Incense burner) Width 18.1 cm (Incense burner) Depth 13.8 cm Incense burner http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BJ1657.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Stoneware, with clear glaze and stippled iron decoration Unknown 1636-1639 Object Type Although Japanese export lacquerware was usually shaped to meet western tastes, this piece takes the form of a Japanese document box with a tray. It belongs to a small group of extremely high quality export lacquerwork produced between about 1630 and 1640. As in the case of this box, these were typically decorated using expensive and elaborate lacquer techniques with scenes from Japanese classical literature. Places High quality export lacquerware was made to special order in Kyoto, Japan's former imperial capital. It was then transported to Deshima, a small island in Nagasaki harbour, for shipment abroad by Dutch merchants. During the late 17th century merchants of the Dutch East India Company were the only Europeans permitted to conduct trade in Japan. People The inside of the lid of this box is inscribed with the name of Maria van Diemen, wife of Anton van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies from 1636 to 1645. The famous author, designer and collector William Beckford (1760-1844) also owned a very similar box known as the Buys box. Beckford's box was inscribed with the name of Pieternellae Buys, married to Philips Lucasz in 1634. Lucasz served as second-in-command to Anton van Diemen in Batavia from 1635 to 1639. This combination of biographical details allows the two boxes to be dated to between 1636 and 1639. These are among the very few export lacquer objects known to have any direct connection with women. W.49:1 to 3-1916 Given by the children of Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bt Height 16 cm (closed) Width 48.3 cm Depth 36.7 cm The Van Diemen Box (Document box) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM8627.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold, silver and red hiramaki-e and takamaki-e lacquer and gold and silver foil Unknown ca. 1640 The Mazarin Chest is one of the finest pieces of Japanese export lacquer to have survived from the 17th century. Japanese export lacquer was first produced in the late sixteenth century and was quite distinct from domestic wares. It was made in a hybrid style that combined Western forms with techniques and decoration derived from both Japanese and foreign traditions, especially those of China and Korea. During the 1630s, a new style of export lacquer evolved. This was characterised by a small group of objects of exceptionally high quality which showed similarities to lacquer for the home market. It is to this group of export lacquer that the Mazarin Chest belongs. It is assumed that, like other examples of export lacquer, it was either shipped directly to Europe or to an official of the Dutch East India Company serving in the Dutch East Indies. Nothing, however, is known of its early history. The earliest information concerning its provenance derives from the coat of arms of the Mazarin-La Meilleraye family on its French steel key, suggesting that it was once in their possession. Although Westerners would have had no knowledge of Japanese literature, the front and sides of the Mazarin Chest are decorated with scenes from the Tale of Genji (Genji monogatari) and The Tale of the Soga Brothers (Soga monogatari). The Tale of Genji is the supreme masterpiece of Japanese prose written in the early eleventh century by a court lady, Murasaki Shikibu. This massive work is divided into fifty-four chapters and its action, based around court life, spans almost three-quarters of a century. It follows the life and loves of Prince Genji and, after his death, the novel continues with the story of his son, Yugiri, and Kaoru, who passes as Genji's son. The right-hand side of the Mazarin Chest is decorated with a scene from the Tale of the Soga Brothers, a tale of filial piety and revenge. The boar-hunt depicted on the side of the Mazarin Chest refers to the revenge of the Soga brothers on their father's murderer. The interior and exterior of the lid of the Mazarin Chest are decorated with scenes of palaces, architectural complexes and landscapes. These are framed by distinctive cartouches formed by pairs of confronting phoenixes on the outsider and confronting dragons on the inside. Compared to all other decorative surfaces of the Mazarin Chest, the back is much more sparsely and simply decorated with a tiger among bamboo. This subject is frequently encountered in Japanese painting of the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. The Mazarin Chest has a companion piece, which is very similar in subject matter and workmanship, but it is somewhat larger in size. It was bought by Sir Trevor Lawrence, a well-known collector of Japanese art. This chest is now referred to as the Lawrence Chest, though its current whereabouts are unknown. There are also two other items of export lacquer that have very close connections with the Mazarin and Lawrence Chests, even though they do not share the same superb techniques of manufacture. One of these was originally another similar chest that was cut up at some later date and partly reworked in the early nineteenth century to form a French Boulle-work cabinet. The 17th century lacquer panels of this bear unmistakable similarities to corresponding parts of the Mazarin and Lawrence Chests, especially in the Genji scenes. The other item is a cabinet from the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin. The panels of these are also extremely close to the exterior and interior of the lids of the Mazarin and Lawrence Chests. Despite the difference in technical execution, all these items of export lacquer reveal certain striking and distinctive similarities that suggest they were made at roughly the same time in the same, as yet, unidentified workshop . 412:1, 2-1882 (Chest) Height 59 cm (Chest) Length 101.5 cm (Chest) Width 63.9 cm The Mazarin Chest (Chest) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF0191.jpg Japan Wood covered in black lacquer with gold and silver hiramakie and takamakie lacquer; inlaid with gold, silver and shibuichi alloy; and mother-of-pearl shell; gilded copper fittings (Key) French steel. 1790-1830 The long 'swinging sleeves' (furisode) of this kimono indicate that it would have been worn by a young woman. Red was a popular choice for young women’s kimono because the colour symbolised youth and glamour. The dye, known as beni, was produced from safflowers and was very expensive. The whole garment is decorated using a tie-dyeing technique known as shibori, which was also very costly. The woman who wore this kimono must have come from a very wealthy family. The auspicious design of pine, bamboo and plum on the hem and sleeve ends suggests she wore it for a special occasion. The garment has been shortened at the waist, indicating that it was designed, or later adapted, to be an under-kimono. FE.32-1982 Length 132 cm Width 123 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV7989.jpg Japan Monochrome figured satin silk (rinzu), with tie-dyeing (kanoko shibori) Leach, Bernard, born 5 January 1887 - died 6 May 1979 ca. 1919 C.742-1921 Given by Lt. Col. Kenneth Dingwall DSO, through The Art Fund Depth 6.80 cm Height 8.60 cm Cup http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN8902.jpg Japan Porcelain, painted in underglaze blue Quick, Kenneth, born 1931 - died 1963 1963 C.81-1981 Depth 18.30 cm Height 18.30 cm Jar http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN8330.jpg Mashiko, Japan Stoneware, with incised decoration under a green glaze Japan Early Kyōhō era (AD 1716-36) Xiwangmu, the Queen Mother of the West, approaches through the sky riding on a cloud. She can be identified by her phoenix hair ornament, by the phoenix design on her robe, and particularly by the branch of peaches she holds in her left hand. Xiwangmu's 'peaches of immortality' were supposed to grow in the gardens of her realm high in the Kunlun Mountains to the west of China. She appears first in writings dating to the Western Han dynasty (206 BC - AD 9). The paintings are done in the academic manner of the Kanō school, most likely to hang in a nobleman or merchant's house. They have a formality and an elegance unusual for Itchō's work, which was generally light-hearted. Itchō (1652-1724) was exiled from 1698 to 1709 to the island of Izu Miyake-jima, possibly for insulting the shōgun's favourite concubine. This set of paintings dates from after his return, when he adopted the name Itchō. The script used in the signature on the Xiwangmu scroll is reisho (ancient square characters), while gyōsho (semi-cursive script) is used on the other two, to show the difference in ranking. The signatures read 'Hanabusa Itchō zu' and 'Hanabusa Itchō sho' ('painted by Hanabusa Itchō'). The seals are ‘Shinkō no in' ('Seal of Shinkō') on the two butterfly scrolls, and a phrase in kanbun (pseudo-Chinese) on the Xiwangmu scroll which translates as, 'There is taste in the spaces between mountains, clouds, springs, and rocks.' I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 1144.000 mm (each) Width: 415.000 mm (each) Hanabusa Itchō, Xiwangmu, Butterflies around Bamboo and Chrysanthemums and Butterfly over Cotton Roses, a triptych of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338419_m.jpg Japan Early Kyōhō era (AD 1716-36) British Museum: Asia JA JP 673-5 (1881.12-10.01722-4) Japan Edo period, AD 1804 Xiwangmu (Japanese: Seiōbō), the Queen Mother of the West, was a Chinese immortal. She was supposed to live in a paradise within the Kunlun Mountains, in an enchanted palace with beautiful pagodas and a magical garden. Among her plants she cultivated trees which every 3000 years flowered and bore peaches of immortality. She is depicted here holding one of these precious fruit, and wearing a phoenix ornament in her hair. Artists of the Maruyama school often chose Xiwangmu, or other Chinese beauties, for their paintings. In this work by Tetsuzan, she is elegant and attractive, with plump and charming features. Tetsuzan (1775-1841) was the nephew and pupil of Mori Sosen (1747-1821), who had been one of the ten best pupils of Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95). Tetsuzan specialized in bijinga (pictures of beautiful women). He studied the methods of both the Maruyama and Mori schools; this work is an example of the former. The bright colours and soft folds of the robes, as well as Xiwangmu's poise and gentle expression, are characteristic of Tetsuzan's work. The signature reads 'Kinoe ne haru motome ni ōjite sha; Tetsuzan' (Painted by Tetsuzan at special request, spring, 1804), and the seals read 'Shushin no in' ('Seal of Shushin') and 'Shishin'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Gift of James Martin White Height: 1163.000 mm Width: 451.000 mm Mori Tetsuzan, Xiwangmu, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338888_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1804 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD332 (1950.11-11.012) Japan Edo period, about AD 1661-73 A high-ranked courtesan strolls elegantly through the streets spreading her right sleeve in display. Her white short-sleeved kimono has an all-over tie-dyed pattern. It contrasts strongly with the bright blue obi (sash) with its design of interlocking plant tendrils in gold. Her hair is swept up and looped into the impressive hyōgo-mage style. The face is unusually expressive for this genre. Such hanging scroll portraits of beautiful women shown alone against a plain background came to be known as 'Kambun beauties' after the Kambun era (1661-73) in which they became popular. Some have a poem written by the woman herself in elegant calligraphic script in the space at the top. The courtesans depicted were mainly from the Shimabara pleasure quarter of Kyoto before the centre for Ukiyo-e painting shifted to the newly prospering eastern capital of Edo (Tokyo). Nothing is known of this artist, Moritoshi. He may originally have trained in the Kanō school which worked mainly for the military class. Painters of genre subjects left the Kanō school, however, to join the growing group of Ukiyo-e painters working principally for the newly affluent merchant classes. The signature (in gold) reads 'Moritoshi hitsu' ('the brush of Moritoshi'). The seal reads 'Moritoshi'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Ralph Harari Collection Height: 852.000 mm Width: 312.000 mm Moritoshi, Courtesan in a white kimono, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202926_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1661-73 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD700 (1982.7-1.015) Japan Edo period, about AD 1704-16 In the medieval period in Japan (twelfth-sixteenth centuries AD) Buddhist artists generally used the tall hanging scroll format for the portrayal of deities, patriarchs and Chinese sages. In the Edo period, however, it gradually came to be used for secular figures. During the Kambun era (AD 1661-73) there was a vogue for full-length hanging scroll portraits of courtesans. They were usually placed against a plain background, and have come to be called 'Kambun beauties'. The fashion continued into the eighteenth century. Matsuno Chikanobu (worked in the early eighteenth century) was influenced by the Kaigetsudō school, which specialized in such paintings of beauties. Chikanobu's portraits are immediately recognizable through certain distinctive features, such as the hair pulled straight back from the face, the tiny mouth turned up in a smile giving a sweet expression, and the impression of movement in the lines of the kimono. Here the outer kimono has a design of autumn chrysanthemums, but one sleeve has been thrown off from the shoulder to reveal the contrasting red under-kimono with its snowy winter bamboos. The signature reads 'Hakushōken Matsuno Chikanobu kore [o] zu [su]' ('pictured by Hakushōken Matsuno Chikanobu'). the seal reads 'Sen(?)'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 750.000 mm Width: 300.000 mm Matsuno Chikanobu, Standing courtesan, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202923_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1704-16 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1405 (1913.5-1.0283) Japan Edo period, AD 1826 This painting is copied directly from one by Huizong (Japanese: Kisō, reigned 1101-25), a Chinese emperor of the Song dynasty (960-1279). He was a serious and talented artist, and was known as the 'governor of taste'. He was highly regarded in Japan, and became the model for many high ranking samurai painters. It is likely that Chinzan painted this as an exercise in learning Huizong's style. In it, the hawthorn branch seems to be bending under the weight of the starling alighted on it. The severity and sharpness of the original is faithfully observed. Tsubaki Chinzan (1801-54) was the second son of a samurai, which gave him the chance to acquire many skills, such as swordsmanship, horse-riding, music, as well as painting. He trained under the Edo Nanga painters Tani Bunchō and Watanabe Kazan, but was also attracted by the naturalistic techniques of Chinese literati artists of the late Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Both Chinzan's son and grandson became kachōga (bird-and-flower painting) artists after him. The signature and inscription translates as 'Chinzan Hei Hitsu; in the kōroku method [using sharp outlines] of Huizong of the Song, 9th month 1826'. The seal beneath it reads 'Hitsu', Chinzan's imina (the formal version of his real name), and that to the left reads 'Moko' ('copying the old'). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 273.000 mm Width: 194.000 mm Height: 273.000 mm Width: 194.000 mm Tsubaki Chinzan, Bird and Flowers, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338910_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1826 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD606 (1979.10-8.036) From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This writing-box is in the decorative tradition of Hon'ami Kōetsu of the Rimpa school. It is decorated with black lacquer with gold makie and shell and silver inlay. The inside of the lid is inlaid with copper foil and mother-of-pearl. The huge silver moon, bottom left, has tarnished to a mellow brown which somehow contrasts gently with the pines. The inside of the lid has exquisitely dappled deer crying in autumn. The pine motif is repeated in the brush tray. The box now contains an inkstone and a gilt-copper water-dropper. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Sir Harry and Lady Garner Length: 23.500 cm Width: 21.000 cm Height: 4.500 cm Black lacquer writing-box http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps114779_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1974.5-13.8.a, b From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD The interlocking design of black crows and white egrets is very unusual, and has no real precedent in Japanese art. However, it does have something in common with the painting of the Rimpa school, and can be placed in the tradition of depicting flocks of birds on Japanese screens, common from the seventeenth century onwards. The crows' eyes, inlaid with gold lacquer and mother-of pearl, and the conspicuous pinkish bills of the egrets both help us to pick out the birds from the puzzling design. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Dr Bernhard Landan Length: 30.500 cm Width: 24.300 cm Height: 6.200 cm Lacquer document box http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps201132_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1946.10-12.1.a-c From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Until the end of the Edo period (AD 1868), every literate Japanese had a personal writing-box containing brushes, ink-stone, ink-stick and water-dropper. The quality of the craftsmanship reflected the status of the owner. This piece is decorated in the taste of the daimyō families. The lid has a landscape in the Chinese manner, although the location, as yet unidentified , is probably on the Japanese coast. The high relief is obtained by the takamakie technique, where thin layers of lacquer are built up over primers. The landscape motifs are repeated inside the box and on the brushes and other implements. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1945.10-17.398.a Width: 20.000 cm Length: 21.700 cm Depth: 4.500 cm Writing-box http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps115197_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD The straight bevelled edges and tin rims on the base and rim are common features of the makie wares from the Muromachi period (AD 1333-1568). Poems, or references to poems were also commonly included in the design during this period. Seven characters are scattered across the surface of the lid of this writing-box. Starting bottom right they read: tama, kushi, ge, futa, mino, ni and yuru. These are references to the poem by Onaka Tomi Sukehiro in volume 9 of the anthology Kinyō Waka Shū (AD 1127). The complete poem can be translated: ‘The bejewelled thickets by the sea of Futamigaura bay, the clusters of pines look like makie lacquer'. The shrine at Futamigaura, near Ise, is one of the holiest shrines of the Shintō religion. Its torii gateway overlooks the sea where the famous 'twin rocks' are situated. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1974.5-13.13.a, b Length: 24.500 cm Width: 22.200 cm Depth: 5.000 cm Writing-box (suzuribako) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps182255_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, 16th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, Late 18th - early 19th century AD Light washes of ink form the trunk and branches of the plum tree, and the blossoms themselves are done with abbreviated brush strokes. The remaining surface of the screen is filled with the gold-lead ground. Blossoming plum trees are one of the heralds of the arrival of spring. Low screens such as this might have been placed around bedding at night. The painting is designed to fit the shape of the screen, so that it works successfully both when folded at sharp angles and when flat. Azuma Tōyō (1755-1839) was born in Mutsu province, in the far north of Japan, and studied painting in Edo (modern Tokyo) under Kanō Baishō (1729-1808). In Kyoto, under the influence of the great painters Yosa Buson (1716-83), Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), and Go Shun (1752-1811), Tōyō's style changed, and he developed into a painter of the Maruyama-Shijō school, which practised sketching from life and more naturalistic depiction. The signature reads ‘Tōyō' and the seal also reads 'Tōyō'. Height: 612.000 mm Width: 1700.000 mm Height: 612.000 mm Width: 1700.000 mm Azuma Tōyō, Plum tree, a 4-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338382_m.jpg Japan Edo period, Late 18th - early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD808 (1985.6-10.01) Kyoto, Japan Edo period, 2nd month, AD 1778 Gen Ki (Komai Yukinosuke, 1747-97) was an outstanding pupil of Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95). He was most celebrated for his elegant paintings of human figures, especially beautiful Chinese women. The subject of this scroll, with its grotesque, yet comic monsters and apparitions, is unusual among his works. The scroll is in two sections. The first shows a variety of monsters, many deriving from what was originally a medieval Buddhist genre, Hyakki yagyō-e ('Night Procession of One Hundred Demons'). The setting is the elegant but dilapidated mansion of a court nobleman. It is night and the monsters are amusing themselves with various aristocratic pastimes such as the Tea Ceremony, go (a board-game), poetry and dance. Other sections of the scroll show scenes outside in the garden where other frightening figures such as the mythical water-sprite, the kappa, wander beside a stream. A single pine tree divides this first section and the rest of the scroll. Here the scene and mood changes completely, and ordinary people - cooks, servants and even sword-bearing samurai - are seen at work in the kitchen of a mansion preparing a lavish meal of fish and fowl. They may be preparing a banquet at which ghost stories would have been told. It is possible that the scroll is intended as a humorous and sympathetic comment on the contrast between the failing fortunes of the nobility and the rise of the samurai class. The signature reads 'Gen Ki' and the seals read 'Gen Ki no in' ('seal of Gen Ki') and 'Shion'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 273.000 mm Length: 11357.000 mm Gen Ki, Haunted palace, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204967_m.jpg Kyoto, Japan Edo period, 2nd month, AD 1778 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2411 (1881.12-10.02366) Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th - early 19th century AD This scroll contains a series of landscapes, each accompanied by Chinese verses. In the section illustrated two figures approach a group of trees, with a low pavilion beyond; two boats are visible on the waters of a lake beneath the mountains. The landscape is painted in soft washes of black ink and red ochre, giving the scene an air of quiet serenity. Gessen (1741-1809) entered the Buddhist priesthood at the age of ten, and while resident in Kyoto was instructed in painting by both Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95) and Yosa Buson (1716-83), two of the leading painters of the day. He also studied earlier Chinese paintings, and came to specialize in the bunjin (literati) style, which expressed a longing for escape from the mundane, everyday world into an idealised landscape of the mind. A scroll like this would have been kept in a scholarly gentleman's study, and unrolled from time to time for contemplation or intimate display to like-minded friends. Gessen spent most of his time producing large numbers of these scrolls, the proceeds from which he spent on improving his temple, Jakushō-ji at Ise-Yamada, with a library and a road. Each section of the scroll bears a pair of seals reading, variously, 'Jakushō, Gessen', 'Gessen, Genzui', and 'Gessen, Shōzan'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 272.000 mm Length: 6465.000 mm Height: 272.000 mm Length: 6465.000 mm Gessen, Landscapes with Figures, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339830_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th - early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD589 (1979.4-9.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1837 The inscription above this landscape is a quote from the Analects of the ancient Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC). A pupil relates his desire to journey to Wuyu on a spring day with a group of youths and children, to relax, and then to compose verses on the way home. Here a group of cultivated men engage in conversation beneath plum-trees in full bloom, while boy attendants prepare tea for them. Other men are on the river, and more distant figures are fishing from a bridge. Zaichū (1750-1837), like many painters of the period, began by studying Kanō-school techniques, under Ishida Yūtei (1721-86). The school's influence can be seen here in the grassy rock forms. He went on to be instructed by Yūtei's most famous pupil, Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), whose naturalistic techniques he absorbed and used here for the trees and water. Despite Zaichū's advanced age when this work was painted, the brushwork is sure, and the gentle colour tones effectively convey the mood of a peaceful spring day. The signature in the bottom-right corner reads 'Hachijūhachi-ō Hara Zaichū ga hei dai' ('Painted and inscribed by Hara Zaichū, old man of 88' [87 by Western reckoning]) and the seals beside read 'Hara Chien in' and 'Shichō'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 561.000 mm Width: 1032.000 mm Hara Zaichū, Chinese Sages at Wuyu, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338884_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1837 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2551 (1913.5-1.0619) Japan Edo period, AD 1775 A tiger stands tensed on a steeply sloping mountainside. The base of a pine tree juts out from the slope, and its branches protrude back into the picture above the animal's head. The work is probably copied from a Chinese prototype of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), but displays characteristic Japanese dynamism. In the early part of his career Zaichū (1750-1837) was famous for producing works based on Chinese models. Dates in Japan until 1873 ran in a sixty-year repeating cycle, and the date on this work corresponds to either 1775 or 1835, but the form of the signature and, in particular, the seals suggest the earlier date. Zaichū was taught by the famous and highly influential Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), but he broke away from his teacher's style to found his own school, lying somewhere between the orthodox Kanō, Chinese literati and Maruyama styles. He had a long career and was regarded as a leading artist in the Kyoto world of painting. The painting is inscribed 'Koshō fūsei' ('The tiger roars and the wind blows') and is signed 'Kinoto hitsuji fuyu Hara Chien ga' ('Painting by Hara Chien, winter of 1775'). The seals read 'Hara Chien in' ('Seal of Hara Chien') and 'Shichō'. Chien and Shichō were both art-names of Zaichū. Height: 1170.000 mm Width: 475.000 mm Height: 1170.000 mm Width: 475.000 mm Hara Zaichū, Tiger, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338912_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1775 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1100 (1997.6-10.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1780s Low two-fold screens (furosaki byōbu) such as this were used in the Tea Ceremony as a backdrop to enhance the precious utensils placed on the tatami mats of the tearoom, and also to shield the hearth from draughts. The painting is a witty example of the incorporation of Western-style 'vanishing point' perspective into Japanese art. As with many Japanese paintings the viewer would be kneeling at the same floor level on which the screen was placed, and the ice would appear to stretch out in front of them. Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95) was starting out on his career at a time when Rangaku ('Dutch Studies') was becoming increasingly influential among certain Japanese scholars and artists. One of his earliest jobs was with the Kyoto toy merchant, Nakajima Kambei, designing prints and paintings for use with nozoki-karakuri, novelty viewing machines. These images featured Western-style perspective systems, typically with architectural lines converging towards a low horizon. ōkyo and his many later followers, such as Mori Ippō, went on to produce many paintings that incorporated this perspective system. Here, in an apparently very simple painting, each line has been carefully arranged and painted to suggest the cracks in a flat surface of ice stretching away from the viewer. The feeling of coolness would have been most welcome in the muggy heat of a small, enclosed tearoom at the height of summer. The signature and the seal both read 'ōkyo' I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Maekawa Family Collection (box inscription) Height: 605.000 mm Width: 1820.000 mm Maruyama ōkyo, Cracked ice, a 2-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps181178_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1780s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD723 (1982.10-12.01) Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD A young woman is wearing a bright blue kimono with a landscape design around the base, and a sumptuous obi (sash) interwoven with gold thread. Her attendant wears an uwagi (jacket) trimmed at the collar in black, over a blue stencil-patterned gown, with a green striped obi and a reddish-brown apron tied in a bow at the front. She holds a porcelain hi-ire (portable brazier, part of a smoking set) of Mikawachi ware, on which is a design in underglaze blue of the moon over a lake and pavilion, with a poem above. The black pigment visible between the woman's lips suggests she has blackened teeth - indicating her married status. The women's hair is dressed in the Shimada style with tōrōbin (lantern locks). Shurei (1751-90) studied under Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), and was skilled at depicting human figures. This work demonstrates his precise observation and expressive brushwork. The method used to describe the faces, with soft lines, varying ink tones, and a small button mouth, owes much to ōkyo. The use of the U-shape to describe the hollow between the nose and mouth began with ōkyo, and was subsequently adopted by many Maruyama school artists. The signature reads 'Shurei ga' ('Painted by Shurei') and the seal reads 'Fujiwara Shurei'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1098.000 mm Width: 472.000 mm Height: 1098.000 mm Width: 472.000 mm Yamamoto Shurei, Beauties, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338780_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD720 (1982.10-4.01) Japan Edo period, about AD 1784-96 Tiger paintings were very popular in Japan, but as the artists would never have seen a real tiger, they must have worked from skins. Gan Ku became famous for his paintings of tigers and has brought this one immediately to life with his strong imagination and skilful brushwork. The fearsome advance of the beast towards the viewer is suggested by the powerfully hunched shoulders, the placing of its feet and the tip of the tail, just visible, which all emphasize the animal's size and strength. Gan Ku has used the careful brushwork of Chinese academic painters to depict the tiger, while the setting of tree, rocks and water is in a much freer, dynamic style typical of his later ink and wash works. In 1784 Gan Ku entered the service of Prince Arisugawa and for this painting he uses the art-name Utanosuke which was given to him by the prince. He seems to have used this name until about 1796. The signature reads 'Utanosuke Gan Ku', and the seals read 'Kakan' and 'Gan Ku'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1690.000 mm Width: 1145.000 mm Height: 1690.000 mm Width: 1145.000 mm Gan Ku, Tiger, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202934_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1784-96 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD79 (1931.4-27.01) Japan Early Meiji era, AD 1870s This informally sketched panorama shows Higashiyama, a scenic area of hills in eastern Kyoto that is steeped in history. The painting dates from the beginning of the Meiji era (1868-1912), when Japan was adopting Western technology on a large scale, as is demonstrated by the gas-lamps. The rickshaws seen here were also becoming popular around this time. The scroll moves along the Kamo River beneath the range of mountains, showing temples, houses, people crossing the bridges and others laying out strips of cloth to dry. Most of the brushwork is done in black or brown ink, but there are touches of colour on the clothing, and on the banners visible in the distance. Gan Rei (1816-83) was the grandson of Gan Ku (1749-1838), whose rather rough and vigorous style was continued by the artists of the Gan (Kishi) school, which he founded. Gan Rei was taught by his father Gan Tai and brother Gan Kei, and though born in Kyoto, he moved to Tokyo after 1868. The style of this scroll anticipates the work of later Nihonga artists such as Tomita Keisen (1879-1936). The inscription reads 'Oite Kamogawa Higashiyama ichibō Gan Rei' ('Panorama of Higashiyama from the Kamo River, by Gan Rei') and the seals read 'Gan Rei'. Height: 450.000 mm Width: 1778.000 mm Height: 450.000 mm Width: 1778.000 mm Gan Rei, Panorama of Higashiyama, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340122_m.jpg Japan Early Meiji era, AD 1870s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD1054 (1994.8-9.04) Japan Edo period, AD 1838 In this impressive scene, an eagle has just alighted on a rock beneath a pine tree, and is eyeing a monkey hiding in a cleft in the rock below. Both the tree and rock are painted in broad, rough ink strokes, with only a few areas or touches of colour. The bird of prey twists dramatically towards the monkey, its feathers likewise depicted in rough strokes, all adding to the fierceness of the creature. Its size is conveyed both by the sheer size of the painting and by the tremendous contrast with its prey. Gan Tai (1785-1865) was the son and pupil of the famous painter Gan Ku, founder of the Gan (Kishi) school of Kyoto. The father's influence can be seen very clearly here in the bold brushwork. Gan Tai was known for his landscapes, bird-and-flower, and animal paintings. He contributed to the success and prosperity of the Gan school, and received the court title Echizen-no-suke. The inscription and signature translate as 'Painted in the 3rd month, 1838; Echizen-no-suke Gan Tai'. The seals below are 'Dōkōkan' - the studio founded by Gan Ku - and 'Gan Tai'. The seal in the bottom right reads 'Ichinichi fusaku, ichinichi fushoku' ('One day without painting means one day without food'), an admirable motto. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 1701.000 mm Width: 1371.000 mm Gan Tai, Eagle and a Monkey, a hanging scroll http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338413_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1838 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2523 (1881.12-10.02709) Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD Kawamura Bumpō (1779-1821) is known mainly for the colour woodblock-printed books that he designed, containing Chinese themes or charming illustrations of Kyoto life. The main bulk of his work and the source of his reputation, however, is thought to have been paintings. This pair of screens is one of very few large-scale works by the artist so far to have come to light. Bumpō has painted thirty-five fan-shaped papers with a variety of auspicious subjects, such as birds, plants, animals, sages, festival performers, dolls, a dragon, and Mt. Fuji. The papers were pasted in a scattered arrangement onto the large screens, which already had a lightly painted design of foaming waves, making the brightly coloured fans seem to bob about on the water. The fans illustrated show a) the rising sun over Mt. Fuji; b) performers in the Uzumasa Ox Festival; c) a blossoming cherry tree; and d) autumn plants. Bumpō lived and worked in Kyoto, and was taught by Gan Ku (1749-1838), founder of the Gan (Kishi) school. He combined Gan Ku's rough and vigorous style with the delicacy and beauty of works by Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95) and Go Shun (1752-1811). The signature on all the fans reads ‘Bumpō'. The seals on a) and b) read 'Bumpō' and on c) and d) 'Miyabi' ('Elegance', the character is in the shape of the magical fungus beloved of Chinese scholars). Gift of Ellis Tinios in memory of his mother, Fotina Pascal Tinios Height: 1710.000 mm Width: 3770.000 mm Kawamura Bumpō, Scattered Fans over Waves http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps333071_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD 1146n (1999.3-2.01-02) Japan Meiji era, around AD 1890 This pair of screens has a unique and interesting composition. The silhouetted returning geese on the right are contrasted with the crow on the left, the sparrow with the white-eye, and the sun with the crescent moon above the mountain top. Both drooping cherry trees and wild cherry trees are depicted, their blossoms being the defining symbol of spring in Japan. The delicacy and brush quality are like those of the Shijō school, but Chikudō (1826-1897) was a member of the related Gan (Kishi) school, founded by Gan Ku (1756-1838). Both schools employed the tsuketate technique, where the use of a soft, finely tapered wet brush applied directly to the silk support allowed shading and three-dimensionality to be achieved at one and the same time. Kishi Chikudō first studied painting under Kanō Eigaku (1790-1867). Dissatisfied with this, however, he moved to study with Kishi Renzan (1805-59), whom he later succeeded as head of the school. On the far right panel and the two panels of the left screen the signatures read 'Chikudō' and the seals the same. The remaining panel has the inscription 'Chikudō Gan Roku sha' ('Painted by Chikudō Gan Roku'), and the seal, 'Gan Roku azana Shiwa'. 'Roku' was part of the artist's original given name, and 'Shiwa' was his azana (informal name). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 1390.000 mm (each) Width: 493.000 mm (each) Kishi Chikudō, Cherry Blossoms on a Spring Evening, a pair of 2-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338373_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, around AD 1890 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2542-3 (1913.5-1.0556-557) Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD A pair of long-tailed birds are perched on the branches of an aronia tree (Malus micromalus) in this typical example of kachōga (bird-and-flower painting). A composition of long-tailed birds (such as birds-of-paradise), aronia, and rocks was common in Chinese painting, but here there are roses instead of rocks. The birds seem to be imaginary rather than any specific species. Ransai (1740-1801) was a painter from Echigo province (modern Niigata Prefecture), who moved to Nagasaki, where he received instruction in the realistic, colourful painting style of Shen Nampin, a professional Chinese artist active in Nagasaki from 1731 to 1733. A work by Nampin on the same subject also survives (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). The sharpness of the colours, the volumetric shading on the petals, and the brushwork of the tree are all characteristic of this style. Ransai lived and worked after 1774 in Osaka, and later in Edo (modern Tokyo). In the past there has been confusion about the identity of the artist of works signed 'Ransai'. However, for several years during the early 1780s, after arriving in nearby Kyoto, the artist Gan Ku (1749-1838) also used the art-name Ransai. He too painted in the Nampin style during this early period of his career, and in fact the inscription on the box of the present work mistakenly attributes the scroll to Gan Ku. The signature reads 'Ransai' and the seals read 'Meikaku', 'Kyūkō' (alternate art names) and 'Ransai'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Brooke Sewell Fund Length: 1316.000 mm Width: 497.000 mm Mori Ransai, Birds and Flowers, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps104605_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD585 (1979.1-29.01) Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD A screen by Kusumi Morikage (about 1620-90, Tokyo National Museum) shows the same subject of an informal family group enjoying the cool evening air. In that work the moon is shown, but here it is only suggested by the couple's upturned faces. In Morikage's screen a child sits on the straw matting with the couple, but Kazan gives us a more intimate glimpse into the world of a husband and wife. As if to emphasize the pleasure of exposing one's skin to the cool air after the stifling heat of the day, the man in Kazan's painting wears only a loincloth (rather than the robe of the older work). Kazan was renowned for his love of sake, and before the couple are placed a celadon porcelain bottle and a cup. Yokoyama Kazan (1784-1837) was a pupil of both Gan Ku (1749-1838, founder of the Gan (Kishi) school) and Go Shun (1752-1811, founder of the Shijō school), and amalgamated the styles of both men in his paintings. However, the techniques and tone of this work lean more towards the Shijō school. The painting has a cool and relaxed atmosphere, and would likely have been hung in a hot room in summer to help evoke such a mood. The signature reads 'Heian Kazan sha' ('Painted by Kazan of Kyoto'), and the seal reads ‘Kazan'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 875.000 mm Width: 310.000 mm Height: 875.000 mm Width: 310.000 mm Yokoyama Kazan, Enjoying the Evening Cool Beneath Moonflowers, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339008_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 2755 (1881.12-10.02724) Japan Edo period, AD 1826 This is typical of the atmospheric ink paintings of summer scenes that were made popular by Bunchō in the Bunsei era (1818-30).The painting surface is completely filled with mountains rising out of smoke or vapour, a common device in landscapes by Bunchō. The mountain dominates the painting from the rear, leaving an extensive space in the foreground. This foreground is given a sense of depth by the use of ink in a variety of tones for the trees and banks, and by the sharp brushwork for the house and bridge, where a figure crosses. The centre of the painting is filled with naturalistically drawn mist and clouds, which almost obscure the waterfall beyond. Tani Bunchō (1763-1840) was one of the foremost Edo painters of his day, and had great influence over many other artists. He first studied painting with artists of the Kanō and Nanpin schools, but went on to master the various methods of Chinese ink painting throughout its history. He also studied Ukiyo-e (paintings and prints of the 'Floating world') and Western painting, and produced an extremely eclectic body of work. The inscription reads 'Bunsei hinoe inu mōshū sha u Suiunken-chū, Bunchō' ('Painted by Bunchō in early autumn [seventh month], 1826 at the Suiunken [studio]'). The seal reads 'Rakusan-sō' ('Old man Rakusan'). The title of the painting derives from the box inscription. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1769.000 mm Width: 998.000 mm Height: 1769.000 mm Width: 998.000 mm Tani Bunchō, Kazan en'u ('Summer Mountains and Misty Rain'), a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338415_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1826 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD667 (1981.10-22.01) Japan Late Edo period, about late AD 1820s Dragons hold a prominent place in Chinese mythology, where they control the rain and the clouds, while tigers rule the winds. The dragon was identified with yang (the male principle; light, moist, dominant) and the tiger with yin (the female principle; dark, dry, recessive). The tenets of Daoism were also conveyed through such abstract, symbolic motifs, and the dragon can also be an expression of spiritual power. Clouds were seen as an embodiment of qi (Japanese: ki), the energy or vital force of the cosmos. Bunchō (1763-1840) was one of the most important and influential Japanese painters of his time. He was extremely eclectic in his painting style, and he mastered Chinese painting techniques of the Song through to the Qing dynasties from imported works and painting manuals. Bunchō painted many large-scale commissions on screens and fusuma (sliding doors) in mansions and temples, and unusually large hanging scrolls, such as this. The signature reads 'Bunchō hitsu' ('From the brush of Bunchō') and the seal reads ‘Gagakusai in' ('Seal of the Studio for Studying Painting'). From 1999 to 2000 the painting underwent thorough conservation in the Hirayama Studio at The British Museum. It was relined and completely remounted using materials supplied directly from Japan. Height: 1199.000 mm Width: 1773.000 mm Height: 1199.000 mm Width: 1773.000 mm Tani Bunchō, Dragon in Clouds, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps288708_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, about late AD 1820s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD90 (1934.7-14.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1780s This scroll tells the story of the Earthly Paradise of Wuling, commonly known as 'Peach Blossom Spring'. A fisherman discovers an earthly paradise where people live far away from the everyday world, in ignorance of its troubles. It is clear that any attempt to rediscover this paradise will be in vain. Tani Bunchō (1763-1840) has copied an older scroll by the Chinese Ming dynasty painter Qiu Ying (about 1494-1552). A version of this subject by the Chinese artist in fact survives in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago. Qiu Ying developed his own work by copying paintings of the Tang dynasty (618-906) and Song dynasty (960-1278), and he often portrays beautiful women standing in brilliant green and blue landscapes. Parts of Bunchomacr;'s work are very close to the original, for example the scene in which the fisherman leaves his boat and enters a cave. Nonetheless, he develops a green and blue style that is more decorative than the Chinese originals, a style in which the pink of the peach blossoms stands out more conspicuously. At the end of the scroll Bunchō first copies the signature of the Chinese artist: 'Qiu Ying Shifu hua' and his seal 'Shizhou'. He then adds his own seal, 'Tani Bunchō motō in' ('seal of Tani Bunchō, making a copy'). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 246.000 mm Length: 5029.000 mm Height: 246.000 mm Length: 5029.000 mm Tani Bunchō, Earthly Paradise of Wuling, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203112_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1780s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD608 (1980.2-25.04) Japan Edo period, 4th month, AD 1782 Gan Ku (1749-1838) left his native Kanazawa in 1779 or 1780 at the age of thirty to pursue his painting career in Kyoto. He quickly came under the influence of the Nagasaki style, a Chinese academic style first introduced into Nagasaki in the early 1730s by the Chinese painter Shen Nampin. The Nagasaki style was highly decorative, taking as its subjects birds and flowers, and was very fashionable among rich patrons. The Japanese Sō Shiseki (1712-86) introduced the style to Edo (modern Tokyo) in the 1760s and 1770s, and it gradually spread to other parts of the country. Gan Ku frequently painted from observation of nature, giving his work a strong feeling of the living moment. Here the black and white cat has just seized the bird, knocking a petal from a bright red poppy as it does so. Two more birds perch in the banana tree above. The broad cool expanse of the leaves contrasts sharply with the brilliance and activity of the scene below. The contrived realism of the composition is typical of the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), and indeed it may have been copied from an existing Chinese or Nagasaki school work. The signature reads 'Ransai' Ganku sha' ('painted by Ransai Ganku'). The first seal under the signature is illegible and the second reads 'Ransai' (an early art name). The third oval seal next to the cat reads 'Shōsō dokusho' ('Reading at the Pine Window'). The painting is dated 'A day in early summer (4th month), 1782'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 953.000 mm Width: 349.000 mm Height: 953.000 mm Width: 349.000 mm Gan Ku, Cat Killing a Bird, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202930_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 4th month, AD 1782 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD773 (1984.3-1.01) Japan Edo period, AD 1840s Suzuki Kiitsu (1796-1858) was a pupil of Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828), the last of the three great masters of the Rimpa school, who revived the style in Edo (Tokyo). Earlier Rimpa painters had depicted plants in a boldly stylized manner, but by the nineteenth century, a greater degree of naturalism had crept into the actual drawing of the flowers. However, the design of the paintings is still quite flat and formalized and the end result is highly decorative. Kiitsu has used distinct outlines and bright primary colours, especially the brilliant azurite blue, (gunjō) which draws the eye to certain points on the scrolls. The effect is saved from harshness by the use of tarashi-komi where green paint has been dripped onto areas of black ink while it was still wet. This was a hallmark of Rimpa painting right from its beginnings in the early seventeenth century. The compositions of the two paintings complement each other perfectly. The right-hand scroll shows spring and summer flowers - aster, orchid, violet, thistle and lily - standing erect from the base; while on the left, the bushclover, narcissus, hibiscus, chrysanthemum and bellflower of autumn and winter intertwine more softly. The signature reads 'Seisei Kiitsu' and the seal reads 'Shukurin'. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Ralph Harari Collection Height: 1032.000 mm Width: 347.000 mm Suzuki Kiitsu, Flowers and grasses of the Four Seasons, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps181095_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1840s British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD715-6 (1982.7-1.028.1-2) Japan Late Edo period, early to mid-19th century AD This work evokes the atmosphere of autumn, with a brown shrike perched on a leafless tree and a profusion of grasses and flowers below. The grey tones of the ink used for the tree-trunk and distant pampas-grasses in the mist are contrasted with the dazzling green ivy, red lacquer-tree leaves, burnets, and daisies, creating a decorative quality typical of the Rimpa school, to which Koson belonged. Ikeda Koson (1801-66) was originally from Echigo province (modern Niigata Prefecture), but went to Edo (modern Tokyo), where he studied with Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828), the leading Rimpa artist there. He painted the popular, colourful kachōga (bird-and-flower paintings), but he later took up study of Chinese ink paintings of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) and began to paint in this style. Here he has managed to fuse the two: the foreground is clear-cut and colourful, with full use made of the Rimpa technique of tarashi-komi for a puddled-colour effect on the ivy leaves. In the background, however, the scene fades into misty ink washes, and two small birds flying low are done in pale ink, reminiscent of a shadow-picture. The tree-trunk also is done in the mokkotsu ('boneless') method derived from ink-painting, where no outlines are used. The signature reads 'Koson Sanshin sha', and the seals read 'Sanshin Shin in' and 'Ren'an'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1215.000 mm Width: 510.000 mm Height: 1215.000 mm Width: 510.000 mm Ikeda Koson, Shrike and Autumn Plants, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338589_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, early to mid-19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1358 (1881.12-10.0810) Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD From early in the Edo period (1600-1868), the dry riverbed of the Kamo River (where it was crossed by the Shijō Avenue) in summer was a popular recreational ground for the townspeople of Kyoto to enjoy the evening cool. The sheer energy and bustle of the city and its pleasures had been recorded in great genre screens during the early seventeenth century. This scroll painting presents a much quieter version of the theme. In the foreground can be seen platforms erected in the river shallows, on which people are seated conversing, drinking tea, and smoking. Further back a stage has been set up and an audience watches a Nō play. On another stage beyond this a play or dance skit is taking place. In the far distance a tightrope-walker entertains the gathered spectators. The crowds by the bridge include samurai wearing swords, women in sedge hats, and priests. Shuitsu (1823-89) was the eldest son of the successful Rimpa artist Suzuki Kiitsu (1796-1858) who worked in Edo. The styles of clothing in the painting are archaic, recalling the work of Hishikawa Moronobu (died 1694), founder of the Ukiyo-e school. The signature reads 'Seisei Shuitsu', and the seal reads 'Motoshige'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 545.000 mm Width: 851.000 mm Height: 545.000 mm Width: 851.000 mm Suzuki Shuitsu, Enjoying the Evening Cool by the Dry Riverbed at Shijō, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338580_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1359 (1881.12-10.02124) Japan Edo period, after AD 1809 Yokoi Kinkoku (1761-1832) was a painter-priest of the Jodō (Pure Land) sect of Buddhism. He was a true bunjin or 'scholar-painter', skilled in martial arts, calligraphy and poetry, as well as painting. He was also a yamabushii, a member of the mountain-climbing Shugendō sect and spent much of his time on pilgrimages in the mountains. As a painter Kinkoku may have been a pupil of Yosa Buson (1716-1784) or at least have studied his paintings, as their works show many similarities. However, where Buson might simply suggest the textures of rocks and trees, Kinkoku uses an endless variety of different shapes of brush-stroke to show every leaf and rock cranny. In fact Kinkoku uses a seal that reads Bokuchi, meaning 'ink mania'. Surrounded by looming mountain crags, a village of stilt houses nestles around the edge of a mountain lake. A traveller in the foreground follows a path that crosses a simple wooden bridge, then snakes along a narrow rock ledge above the lake and disappears off through a pass in the mountains to distant huts. The only other figures in this grand composition are a boatman and a solitary scholar seated contemplating the landscape from the window of one of the huts. The rich texture of the rocks and dense summer foliage has been achieved with a combination of saturated colour washes and lively outlines and dotting in black ink. The white of the paper is used to create a sense of space betweeh each rock formation. The signature reads 'Hōin Kinkoku sha' ('Painted by Kinkoku of hōin rank'), and the seals read 'Kinkoku' and 'Bokuchi' ('ink mania'). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Brooke Sewell Fund Length: 1632.000 mm Width: 853.000 mm Yokoi Kinkoku, Lakeside village in the mountains, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202932_m.jpg Japan Edo period, after AD 1809 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD408 (1972.1-24.01) Japan Mid-Edo period, mid-18th century AD Since ancient times the tsuru (crane) has been regarded as a bird of good omen, possessing divine properties - not only in east Asia, but in Europe as well. Its elegance and dignified appearance have been the main reason for this. The crane was believed to live for one thousand years, and thus became a symbol of longevity. It was often paired with the turtle (also regarded as an auspicious symbol of long-life), and they were both believed to live in the Daoist island paradise of Mt. Hōrai. This scroll presents cranes in a variety of poses and situations, but in the scene illustrated we have twelve birds gathered around pine, bamboo and plum trees. These plants were also regarded as auspicious symbols (referred to as the 'three friends of winter'), representing long life, steadfastness, and beauty respectively. There are three types of crane shown here: ma-tsuru on the right (grey plumage and red legs), several tanchō-tsuru (red-crested), and one nabe-tsuru (grey all over). Kanō Eisen'in Michinobu (1730-90) was the sixth generation head of the Kobiki-chō branch of the Kanō school in Edo (modern Tokyo), and as such was very famous. The signature reads 'Michinobu hitsu' ('From the brush of Michinobu') and the seal reads 'Fujiwara'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 301.000 mm Length: 5450.000 mm Kanō Eisen'in Michinobu, Cranes, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339715_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, mid-18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 779 (1881.12-10.01445) Japan Mid-Edo period, 18th century AD Toba-e were quickly executed, comical pictures with a lightly satirical element to them. They were highly popular in the Edo period (1600-1868). It is not known when they originated, or who first conceived of them, but the name is said to derive from a famous practitioner, Toba Sōjō (1053-1140), a high-ranking monk-painter. The figures in toba-e are usually highly caricatured, with very long, slender limbs, and exaggerated facial expressions, often laughing. Simple, deft brushwork is used, and only light colour. A seventeen-syllable comic verse has been added to each picture. These are mostly humorous parodies of well-known sayings. The section illustrated here shows a demon forcibly removing a lump from the face of an old man. This is a reference to the folk-tale Kobu-tori ('pulling off a lump'). On the left a fox is riding a horse - alluding to hatsu-uma, the day of the horse, in the second month, and to the well-known craftiness of the fox. The scroll is full of such comical scenes, for example, two men cutting a melon with a feather, and a man worshipping the radiant head of a fish. Together they create a world of wry humour, with a cheerful and relaxed tone. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 277.000 mm Width: 10178.000 mm Comic pictures and verses (toba-e), a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339678_m.jpg Japan Mid-Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 344 (1881.12-10.0562) From Japan Late 18th century AD The tiny sleeping rat, with its perfectly carved feet was probably given as a gift for someone born in the Year of the Rat, or worn during the Year of the Rat. The Japanese borrowed the Chinese custom of grouping years into cycles of twelve years. Each year was dedicated to a particular animal which gave its characteristics to people born in its year. 'Rats' were traditionally thought of as happy-go-lucky, adventurous types, very attached to their family. The animals of the Asian zodiac were very popular and netsuke carvers probably made a lot of money out of these tiny animal figures. Mythical beasts were also very popular subjects for netsuke. The kirin had a human face and beard, two horns, a domed lump on its forehead, four horns down its back, the tail of a shishi (a mythical leonine creature) and cloven hooves. In spite of its weird appearance, it was said to bring good luck. This netsuke is only 3.6 cm high. Netsuke carvers often chose unusual subjects, such as the bird's claw on the right, with its realistically scaly surface. Masanao's signature can be seen bottom left. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) R. Barker and L. Smith, Netsuke: the miniature sculptu (London, The British Museum Press, 1976) Rat and kirin: Gift of Sir A.W. Franks Bird's claw: Bequeathed by Oscar Raphael Length: 5.500 cm (rat) Height: 3.600 cm (kirin) Length: 5.500 cm (rat) Ivory netsuke: a rat, a kirin and a bird's claw http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204467_m.jpg From Japan Late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA F782 From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD This style of purse, as well as pressed metal fittings like the roundel of the manjū (rice dumpling)-type netsuke, were fashionable even after the introduction of Western dress into Japan after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The purse is made from leather and textile. Gift of Professor and Mrs John Hull Grundy Length: 13.000 cm Width: 9.000 cm Purse and netsuke http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202359_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD British Museum: Asia HG158a-b From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD Dōjōji, is a Nō drama which tells of the passion of a young girl, Kiyohime, for the monk Anchin. He hid from her under a temple bell. She turned into a dragon, coiled around the bell and fried him with the heat of her passion. The white-tinted face of Anchin can be seen through a crack in the bell. This netsuke is signed Kōnan Minkō. Bequeathed by Sir A.W. Franks Height: 3.750 cm Wood and ivory netsuke: Dōjōji, carved by Kōnan Minkō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339073_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD British Museum: Asia F882 From Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD Subjects for netsuke became more and more diverse as the Edo period progressed. All kinds of insects, as well as spiders, were a popular subject. Here a perfectly carved wasp alights on the nest. This is one of The British Museum's group of wooden netsuke signed by Toyomasa. Two others are depictions of Handaka Sonja, one of the sixteen disciples of the Buddha, called rakan. One of them, only 3.8 cm high, shows him emerging from his own gourd. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Sir A.W. Franks Length: 3.800 cm Wooden netsuke: a wasps' nest http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339289_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA F1084 From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD Two mythical Chinese fishermen, Ashinaga ('Long Legs') and Tenaga ('Long Arms') lived on the sea shore somewhere in northern China. Here they combine forces to catch an octopus. Ashinaga wades through the water with his long legs, while Tenaga stretches for the octopus with his long arms. But Ashinaga's long legs get entangled with the creature and they struggle to free him. Gift of Mrs. A. Hull Grundy Height: 13.000 cm Wooden netsuke: Ashinaga and Tenaga http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339071_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia HG11 From Arita, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This tankard, with its sophisticated design of butterlfy and peony motifs was made for the European market in the style of Chinese underglaze blue, commonly known as 'blue-and-white' porcelain. The design is painted on the body with blue cobalt oxide, which was also imported from China. The translucent glaze was then added over it. It was known as sometsuke ('dyed ware'). The silver mountings were added later and bear the mark of Wierwick Somer II of Antwerp (1645/7 -1717). They suggest that Japanese porcelain was highly valued at this time in Western Europe. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Height: 24.500 cm Height: 24.500 cm Arita ware tankard http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203974c_m.jpg From Arita, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1952.11-13.1 Japan Edo period, 18th century AD Dutch and Chinese traders were the only foreigners permitted to enter Japan for over two hundred years, from 1639 to 1854. Moreover, they were confined to certain areas of the port of Nagasaki in the far south-west: the Dutch to the man-made island of Deshima, the Chinese to the Tōjin-yashiki ('Chinese residence'). Curiosity about the foreigners was obviously great, and paintings and prints depicting their customs became popular. Some eight versions of this pair of scrolls are known, dating from the end of the seventeenth century to the beginning of the nineteenth. It seems that in 1699 the shogunal official Hagiwara Shigehide arrived in Nagasaki to inspect the harbour, and ordered paintings of the Dutch and Chinese 'factories'. The official painter Watanabe Shūseki (1637-1707) recorded the buildings, warehouses, people, animals, and activities in detail and sent the results to the shogun's headquarters in Edo (modern Tokyo). The present work would appear to be a later, probably eighteenth-century, copy. In the section shown here the Dutch men can be seen in one room seated at a high table (a strange custom to contemporary Japanese) for a meal. Next door they listen to music, played by African servants on European instruments. Later on comes a garden of medical plants and men playing billiards. Explanatory labels are supplied throughout. The Chinese scroll begins in a similar fashion, but continues with a temple and a market. Together, these scrolls form a fascinating and invaluable record of the foreign enclaves. Asia JA JP ADD170-1 (1944.10-14.022-23) Height: 267.000 mm Width: 4060.000 mm Height: 267.000 mm Width: 4060.000 mm The Dutch and Chinese Settlements at Nagasaki, a pair of handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps114579_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Early Edo period, late 17th century AD Tao Yuanming (365-427) was a Chinese poet of the Eastern Jin dynasty (AD 317-420). He was supposed to have planted willow trees in front of his house, which were tended with great care, and he gave himself the name 'Master Five Willows'. He was also known to love chrysanthemums, the petals of which were steeped in wine to create a potion of longevity. In this painting we see these two passions illustrated. Tanshin (1653-1718) was the son of Kanō Tan'yū, by his second wife. Tan'yū (1602-74) was the greatest painter of his day and official artist to the shogunal court. He was 52 when Tanshin was born, and the boy received much attention and training, later succeeding his father as head of the Kajibashi branch of the Kanō school. This work was probably copied from a model by Tan'yū, and although the colouring is light and charming, the indecisiveness of the strokes used to suggest the rock cleft and the uniformity of the chrysanthemum leaves reveals perhaps the immaturity of a young student yet to establish a confident personal style. The signature reads 'Kanō Tanshin hitsu' ('From the brush of Kanō Tanshin') and the seal reads 'Fujiwara'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 812.000 mm Width: 508.000 mm Kanō Tanshin Morimasa, Tao Yuanming, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338416_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 688 (1913.5-1.0199) Japan Edo period, AD 1666 Kanō Tan'yū, was the first official painter to the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868) and the foremost painter of his day. In this scroll he has brought together a number of scenes from a variety of genres. The scroll begins with a view of the West Lake, near Hangzhou in China, famed for the beauty of its scenery. Stretching across the water is the dyke, with its famous drum bridges, said to have been built when the poet Su Dongpou was prefect of the district. The hills and buildings surrounding the lake are painted in the formal shintai style of brushwork, with sharp, precise lines. The scroll continues with another landscape, but this time employing the ‘informal' sōtai style of soft ink washes. There is then an abrupt change, to plants and insects done in 'semi-formal' gyōtai mode, followed by scenes of lucky gods, and a hunter. Finally comes the scene illustrated here of the demon-queller Shōki, sitting astride a Chinese mythological lion (Japanese: kara-jishi). This composite approach allowed Tan'yū to demonstrate to feudal patrons his mastery of a variety of subjects and styles within a single work. The inscription at the end of the scroll reads 'Kambun rokunen shichigatsu nichi; Miyauchi Kei hōin gyōnen rokujūgo-sai hitsu' ('From the brush of Miyauchi Kei of hōin rank, aged 65, on a day in the seventh month, 1666'). The seals read 'Miyauchi Kei hōin' and 'Seimei' (one of Tan'yū's art-names). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 317.000 mm Length: 5879.000 mm Height: 317.000 mm Length: 5879.000 mm Kanō Tan'yū, Miscellaneous Subjects, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339590_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1666 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD600 (1979.7-23.010) From Japan, counterstamped with a Dutch mark, and circulated in Indonesia, late 17th century AD In the seventeenth century, most of Indonesia was controlled by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie). At this time most of the money used in Indonesia for trade was either Spanish or Dutch silver coins, or bronze coins from China and Japan. Occasionally the Company struck emergency coin issues in the city of Batavia (modern-day Jakarta). In 1673 and 1681 counter-stamped Japanese kobans like this one, were circulated in the region. They were counter-stamped by the Dutch, and valued at nine or ten rijksdaalders. These were accepted in the Dutch possessions, indicating the spread of their trade. The history of the Japanese koban dates back to the sixteenth century. The earliest koban were issued in the Tensho era (1573-92) by Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542-1616), who would later become the first shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty. Ieyasu established his headquarters in Edo (modern Tokyo) and set about minting new coins for circulation in his territory in the Gold Mint (Kinza) and Silver Mint (Ginza). These coins were known as 'Musashi sumigaki koban' ('small koban, written in ink, of Musashi region'). They were the first coins issued by the Tokugawa clan and the first gold coins issued in Edo. C. Scholten, The coins of the Dutch oversea (Amsterdam, J. Schulman, 1953) CM C1435 Diameter: 70.000 mm Weight: 17.810 g Counterstamped gold koban http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/k146426_m.jpg From Japan, counterstamped with a Dutch mark, and circulated in Indonesia, late 17th century AD British Museum: Room 68: Money From Japan Edo period (AD 1600-1868) ōban were made of hammered gold with a face value of 10 ryō (ounces). The word ōban means 'large stamped [piece]' in Japanese. The earliest ōban were made in the 1580s, when the feudal lord Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1536/7-98) co-operated with wealthy merchants in the Kansai district of central Japan and monopolized Japan's metal mines. He then began to mint gold coins of fixed quality. The earliest ōban had no inscription - ideal for forgers. To overcome this problem, inscriptions and stamp marks were added. By 1586, the value of the ōban and the signature of the Goto family (the hereditary superintendents of the mint) were handwritten in ink on the front of the ōban. A flower stamp (hanaoshi) was also impressed on the surface. The stamp featured the crest of the paulownia flower (kiri) crest, which was later used in official government and imperial seals. N.G. Munro, Coins of Japan (Yokohama, 1904) CM 1947-6-4-3 Height: 134.000 mm Width: 81.000 mm Weight: 102.930 g Gold 10 ryō ōban http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/k146523_m.jpg From Japan Edo period (AD 1600-1868) British Museum: Room 68: Money From southern Japan Edo period, AD 1777 Paper money was first issued in Japan in the early seventeenth century, when serious shortages of coins hampered day-to-day financial transactions. Only the Tokugawa Shogunate, the central government of Japan, had the right to make coins. The daimyō were prohibited from issuing coins and so instead they issued paper money. These notes were called hansatsu, or 'clan notes', and had a restricted circulation within the local clan territory. The earliest hansatsu was issued by the Fukui clan in 1661. Other clan rulers soon realized the advantages of issuing and controlling their own paper money. In addition to relieving the shortage of coins, hansatsu also generated financial income; they helped the feudal clan rulers to balance their finances, create a monopoly system, and provide relief funds for impoverished samurai and commoners. Some clan territories had well-developed commodity economies, and would make vast profits by paying for goods in notes, and re-selling the goods for coins. Most early issues were made by the feudal clans, but later issues were also made by towns, temples and court nobles. Like this note for 1 momme of silver, most hansatsu had values in terms of the gold, silver and copper coins of the Tokugawa Shogunate, but a few were denominated in rice, wine or oil. CM 1981-1-22-42 Height: 174.000 mm Width: 45.000 mm Hansatsu (clan note) for 1 momme of silver http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/k136910_m.jpg From southern Japan Edo period, AD 1777 British Museum: Room 68: Money From Japan 19th century AD During the Edo period in Japan (1600-1868), samurai were permitted to carry two swords whenever they went out. The katana and the shorter wakizashi, or 'companion sword', which was also always worn indoors. This blade is signed 'Hizen Kuni jū Tadayoshi' ('Tadayoshi living in Hizen Province'). The Tadayoshi school of swordsmiths was established in Hizen Province in the Edo period and continued making swords into the twentieth century. This blade was made by the eighth generation of the school. Unusually, the school was sponsored by the Nabeshima clan, whereas most swordsmiths worked on a commercial basis in the Edo period. (The Nabeshima family also had their own domain potters.) The swords are made of the finest-grained bright steel and are prized for their minute nie (individually discernible crystals of steel on bloth the flat of the blade and the even hamon. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by R. W. Lloyd Length: 45.100 cm Wakizashi (companion sword) blade http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204987_m.jpg From Japan 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1958.7-30.156.a From Japan 17th century AD The wakizashi (companion sword) was worn at all times, inside and out, by men of the samurai class. The broad blade dating to the seventeenth century is typical of the Momoyama period (1568-1600) style, which continued for a few decades into the seventeenth century. It is signed 'Etchū no Kami Masatoshi' ('Masatoshi, honorary official of Etchū Province'), who belonged to the Sampin school. The blade has a gently undulating hamon (the pattern of the crystalline structure of the blade edge), and is decorated with a single groove on one side, and, on the side shown here, another groove with a stylized ken (a double-edged sword of Esoteric Buddhist ritual). The mounts, of the Mino school, are made of shakudō with floral designs in gold inlay on a nanako ground. They consist of a tsuba (sword-guard), hilt, scabbard, seppa (spacers), kokatana (utility knife), kōgai (a bodkin which splits to form chopsticks) and habaki (a retainer, or collar, to ensure a tight fit of the sword into its scabbard). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Bequeathed by R. W. Lloyd Length: 30.700 cm (blade) Wakizashi (companion sword) mounting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202061_m.jpg From Japan 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1958.7-30.46.a-d From Japan Edo period, AD 1787 Portrait sculpture became an important art-form in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The subjects were usually aristocrats, military men and monks, and the sculptures were made to be venerated by later generations in temples, palaces or great houses. However, over the centuries, portrait sculpture gradually became more popular. In the Edo period especially, when society had become more stable, such portraits were commissioned by samurai, artisans and the newly prosperous merchants. They were kept in a miniature shrine in the home, shop or workshop and were therefore usually small. The portraits were often made long after the death of the subject. This portrait of Japan's most celebrated ink-painter, Sesshū Tōyō (1420-1506), was commissioned by a certain Kakehi Chōtetsu almost three hundred years after the painter's death, and is, therefore, a measure of the strength of his reputation. It is based on a painting of Sesshū in his Zen priest's robes by Kanō Eisen'in Tenshin (1730-90). It is only 23.5 cms high, including the stand. Kashinsai Miwa is better known today as a carver of netsuke. The figure is lacquered and painted, with crystals for the eyes. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) Asia JA 1981.6-12.1 Height: 23.500 cm (including stand) Painted wooden figure of the artist Sesshū Toyō, by Miwa http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps195818_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, AD 1787 British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, about AD 1800-20 Yang Guifei, the concubine of the Tang-dynasty emperor Xuanzong (AD 685-762), was renowned for her beauty. The poet Li Bo compared her to the peony, considered the most lovely of all flowers, and to female deities and immortals. Some 1200 years later she was still inspiring Japanese Ukiyo-e painters and print makers. Eishi painted her many times, on occasion comparing her with the Japanese court poetess and beauty, Ono no Komachi. Other artists depicted her playing the flute with Emperor Xuanzong. Here she is seated alone on a Chinese-style throne in an exquisite garden of peonies and wisteria against a landscape of mountains and a river fringed with irises. Eishi is perhaps alluding here to a poem by Li Bo comparing her to a Chinese immortal. Hosoda Eishi (1756-1829) was of high-ranked samurai birth and began his painting career as a pupil of the Kanō school artist Eisen-in Michinobu. Such privileged background and training were quite unusual among Ukiyo-e painters. Atmospheric Kanō-style ink washes of the mountains complement the delicately detailed depiction of the figure and flowers that surround her. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 439.000 mm Width: 603.000 mm Hosoda Eishi, The Chinese beauty Yang Guifei, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps238946_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1800-20 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1424 (1913.5-1.0405) Japan Edo period, AD 1685 The Ukiyo-e school of pictures of the 'floating world' developed out of the earlier vogue for paintings of urban life. By the end of the seventeenth century, the main subjects were the great pleasure quarters such as Yoshiwara in Edo, and the Kabuki theatres and their neighbouring tea-houses . This painting is a fragment from a handscroll showing scenes from the interior of one of the theatre tea-houses (shibai-jaya). Other sections may have shown onstage scenes in the theatre itself. As in Kabuki all the actors were men, so here the figures are all male, some of them trainee female impersonators (onnagata). The younger onnagata also sometimes worked as homosexual prostitutes, and the tea-houses provided a convenient venue for meetings with their rich patrons. At the centre right a blind masseur is at work on the shoulders of a client attended by one young actor serving sake while another plays the shamisen. Another actor entertains a wealthy samurai client in a bedroom area, furnished with quilts and a large mosquito-net. The painting is also interesting for the depiction of interior decor, with tatami mats, scroll paintings displayed in the alcove at the back, a sliding fusuma door decorated with a scene of snowy pines, and the lacquered furniture. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) William Anderson Collection Height: 315.000 mm Width: 1470.000 mm Hishikawa Moronobu, Scenes in a theatre tea-house, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203275_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1685 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1375 (1881.12-10.1710) Japan Meiji era, late 19th century AD Soon after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the samurai warrior class lost their status, and with it the right to wear two swords. Many metalworkers, who formerly made sword fittings such as tsuba (sword guards) and fuchi/kashira (sword mounts), adapted their skills to making ornamental objects. The basic form of this vase is an iron gourd, with gilt and patinated bronze decoration of a vine, leaves, a snake, birds and insects. An inscription on a metal plate on the back translates as: 'Made by Shōami Katsuyoshi, grandson of Shōami Michiyoshi, the ninth generation of the Shōami family of sword mounters and inlayers'. The extravagance of the design may be a sign of the confusion of taste in the Meiji era, but the technical brilliance of the craftsmanship is dazzling. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Bequeathed by P.T. Brooke Sewell Length: 1.220 m Hanging flower vase http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps195816_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, late 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1969.2-10.1 From Japan 19th century AD Tobacco was probably introduced into Japan from the Philippines or Macao in the late sixteenth century, by Spanish or Portuguese merchants. Smoking sets consisted of a pipe with a bowl large enough only for two or three puffs, and a tobacco pouch or box with a netsuke to attach it to the sash. Like here, they were often lavishly decorated. The Tokugawa shogunate often tried, though without much success, to prohibit the use of such expensive items and to ban smoking itself. The tobacco box (bottom left) is made from two Haliotis shells joined together. They are decorated in makie lacquer with a frog, slug and serpent in high relief. An ivory slug is inlaid on the ebony lid. The box is signed by Shōmōsai, a lacquerer. The accompanying netsuke is also in the form of a frog and is signed by the carver Yoshitada. The carved wooden pouch, signed Ikko, has a shishi (lion-dog) and peonies on the front and an onagodori (a long-tailed bird) on the back. The metal clasp bears a shishi mask. The pouch is attached to a wooden pipe case carved with stylized dragons among clouds. The metal bowls and mouthpieces of the pipes are also elaborately engraved. The upper pipe has a standing figure of a warrior. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Tobacco box and netsuke: Gift of Capt. Collingwood Ingram Length: 5.000 cm (netsuke) Length: 5.000 cm (netsuke) Pipes and smoking sets http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204980_m.jpg From Japan 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1981.2-3.116;Asia JA 1896.7-6.18.a-d From Japan 17th century AD Bugaku is a courtly ritual dance which has survived in Japan since the Heian period (794-1185). In the Edo period it was particularly popular with the samurai and the intellectual middle classes. This is the mask for Ryō-ō, the Dragon King, a character who appears in a Chinese story from the Northern Qi dynasty (550-77). He was so handsome that he had to wear a fearful mask into battle so that his enemies would be terrified and his allies would not be distracted. The mask has a bristling moustache and beard and four enormous black teeth. A moveable chin piece hangs from cords, giving added life to the fierce expression of the mask. The whole is topped by a grotesque horned beast with clawed fore-feet. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Asia JA 1978.4-21.2.a Height: 33.500 cm (excluding chin piece) Bugaku mask of Ryō-ō, the 'Dragon King' http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204104_m.jpg From Japan 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan, 18th-19th century AD This iron model dragon is one of several models made by the Myōchin family of armourers in The British Museum's collection. Here we can clearly see the dragon's scales, reminiscent of the metal scales of samurai armour, which was laced together with silk cords. The neck, body, legs and tail of this creature are all moveable. Note also the extended tongue and bristly lower jaw. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA HG371 Length: 34.500 cm Articulated model dragon, signed by Myōchin Kiyoharu http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps180985_m.jpg From Japan, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Mino school, Japan 16th century AD This dagger blade is signed by the swordsmith Kanefusa I. The hamon, the crystalline pattern on the edge of the blade, is in the hako gunome (box-shaped) style which Kanefusa developed. The Mino school was one of the three leading groups of swordsmiths in Japan from the second half of the fifteenth century, but sword production considerably decreased therein the late sixteenth century, shortly before the country was unified under the Tokugawa shogunate. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Length: 32.100 cm Length: 32.100 cm Tantō (dagger) blade http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204985_m.jpg Mino school, Japan 16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA OA+3792.a Rokuya, Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture), Japan Kofun period, 6th century AD This sword was excavated together with rich gilt copper horse trappings from a stone tomb at Rokuya. Like the pottery of the Kofun period, the metalwork is similar to that of Korea. This is a strong indication of the close relations between the states of Japan and the nations of Korea at the time, which resulted in the importation of technology. Like later Japanese swords, this example is made of steel using a heating and folding technique. Unlike later swords, it has a straight back. There are four rivet holes in the handle. The final one still holds a small rivet. Tiny traces of the wooden scabbard remain attached to the blade. Asia OA+1246 Length: 115.800 cm Sword http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339323_m.jpg Rokuya, Higo Province (Kumamoto Prefecture), Japan Kofun period, 6th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1717 The Kabuki 'armour-tugging' scene originated in the play about the revenge of the Soga brothers. It involved a struggle between the characters Soga no Gorō (right) and Kobayashi Asahina (left). However, it came to be inserted into other unrelated plays and in the summer of 1717 it was due to be performed 'underwater' in the play 'The Battle of Coxinga' (Kokusenya gassen), at the Ichimura Theatre. A large signboard was painted to hang outside the theatre, showing Hiroji bursting out through the side of the boat to grasp Danzō's armour. In the event, the scene was cancelled, but the signboard painting, now lost, may well have been the inspiration for this print, since the Torii artists were responsible for producing all of the signboards, prints and illustrated programmes for the Kabuki theatres in Edo. The characteristic acting style of Edo was known as aragoto ('rough stuff'). The lively drawing style of the early Torii artists admirably catches the boisterous energy of the action. A later Japanese critic describes their figures as typically having 'gourd-shaped legs and wriggling worm lines'. The impact of this print is increased by the application by hand of orange lead pigment (tan). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Narazaki Muneshige, and Yamaguchi Keisaburo (eds.), Ukiyo-e shÅ«ka, vol. 2 (Tokyo, shu eisha, 1979) L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) Arthur Morrison Collection Height: 525.000 mm Width: 315.000 mm Torii Kiyomasu&nbsp;I, The actors ōtani Hiroji and Ichikawa Danzō in an 'armour-tugging' (kusazuri-biki) scene, a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202957_m.jpg Edo (Tokyo), Japan Edo period, AD 1717 British Museum: Asia JA 1906.12-20.018 From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This type pf stirrup was fully developed by the Heian period (794-1185). They provided a firm platform for an archer as he stood to shoot his arrows. The traditional design remained unchanged in the centuries that followed. Like all other elements of a Japanese warrior's equipment, the stirrups were designed to impress. This pair is made of iron with a floral silver inlay. The inner surface is lined with lacquered wood intricately inlaid with a network of triangle-shaped pieces of shell. They are signed 'Osaragi jū Shigetsugu' ('Shigetsugu living in Osaragi'). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Asia JA 1940.12-12.1,2 Length: 28.800 cm Height: 25.500 cm Pair of stirrups http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps115196_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD The commemoration of the death of the Buddha and his entry into nirvana is the most spiritually profound event of the Buddhist calendar. It is marked with special ceremonies and readings of sūtras (nehan-e) on the 15th day of the 2nd month. Large paintings are known to have been used as the focus of worship in such ceremonies since at least the Nara period (710-94). They show beasts, lay persons, monks and deities gathering in lamentation around the golden-hued figure of the Buddha as he lies dying on a jewelled dais. During the Kamakura period (1185-1333), increasingly large numbers were produced. Some, like this example, give evidence of renewed stylistic influence from Song dynasty China. Despite significant areas of loss from the original silk support, many of the assembled figures and animals are still clearly visible, their expressions of grief movingly rendered. Harder to make out is the group of deities descending from the top right corner, led by Anritsu Sonja (Sanskrit: Aniruddha), one of the Buddha's sixteen disciples, and with the Buddha's mother Queen Maya in the centre, wearing a jewelled crown. In the centre of the sky a full moon shines down through pairs of sal trees (which joined together and turned white at the moment of the Buddha's nirvana). Behind these flows the Badaiga River (Sanskrit: Ajiravati), the place in central India where the Buddha is said to have died. The painting relates technically to works by the celebrated Buddhist painter Ryōzen. From 1998 to 2000 this painting was extensively repaired and restored to its original format as a hanging scroll in the Usami Studio at the Kyoto National Museum, with assistance from agencies of the Japanese Government. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) W. Zwalf (ed.), Buddhism: art and faith (London, The British Museum Press, 1985) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) William Anderson Collection Height: 1954.000 mm Width: 1458.000 mm The Death of the Buddha, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps345540_m.jpg Japan Kamakura period, early 14th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 17 (1881.12-10.07) From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD The inrō and netsuke were made by the Somada school of lacquerers, whose work is characterized by fine coloured shell inlay with applied gold foil. The subject, Daikoku Ten, is one of the seven gods of Good Fortune. His attributes are rice bales, a sack of gold, a lucky mallet and rats, all symbols of prosperity. Gift of Captain Collingwood Ingram Inrō and netsuke, Daikoku Ten http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339168_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1981.2-3.28 From Japan Late 18th - early 19th century AD This gold hiramakie inrō has an eye-catching design of a displaying peacock in low takamakie relief. Each ‘eye' of the bird's outspread tail is inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The reverse shows a river scene. The inrō is signed 'Hasegawa Shigeyoshi' and inscribed 'Hōgen Sukekiyo hitsu' ('The brush of Hōgen Sukekiyo'). The ojime (bead clasp) and netsuke toggle attached to the inrō are a matching carved ivory set. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA HG348 Length: 7.800 cm Lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204123c_m.jpg From Japan Late 18th - early 19th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan 18th century AD Guri was a lacquer carving technique which originated in China. A number of layers of lacquer of different colours was built up and when these were carved through in intertwined whorls, the different colours were revealed. The matching netsuke, of the manju type (that is, in the shape of a rice dumpling), is also decorated with whorls. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Asia JA OA+356 Height: 7.300 cm (inrō) Height: 7.300 cm (inrō) Lacquer inrō http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204847a_m.jpg From Japan 18th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD The hare (or rabbit) is a common figure in Japanese folklore, as well as being one of the twelve animals in the Chinese cycle of years. The hare is most frequently depicted in the moon pounding rice with a pestle to make rice cakes. This is because the Japanese words for rice-pounding and for full moon are both pronounced 'mochizuki'.Where Western cultures see the outline of a face in the moon, the Japanese see a rabbit, and at the harvest season and its festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month prints and figurines of the hare in the moon are regularly encountered. Surimono were prints issued in special, limited editions for the enjoyment of a close circle of friends and associates. Frequently, as here, their production was a collaborative effort with members of a group of poets each contributing a verse to record an event or express their sentiments regarding the changing seasons. There are seventeen poems printed on this work. Go Shun (1752-1811) was one of the greatest painters of the late Edo period, and also a skilled poet and calligrapher. He founded the Shijō school of Kyoto, which tried to combine the realism displayed by Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95) with the idealism of the Chinese-style literati school. The Shijō school had a very strong influence on Japanese art in the nineteenth century. Height: 384.000 mm Width: 524.000 mm Height: 384.000 mm Width: 524.000 mm Go Shun, Hare with Pestle in the Full Moon, a woodblock print surimono http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339012_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1993.4-5.01 Japan Edo period, AD 1815 This is a collaborative work by ten artists, all based in Osaka. Since ancient times turtles have been a symbol of longevity, and a variety of shapes and sizes are depicted here. The two that feature an auspicious tail-like growth on their shells are minogame, which were supposed to live for a thousand years. Mori Shūhō (1738-1823), as the senior member of the group, has painted the turtle at the top of the scroll, with an inscription above which reads, 'Hōgen Shūhō nanajū-hachi sai hitsu' ('Painted by Shūhō of hōgen rank at the age of 78 [77 by Western reckoning]') and a seal reading 'Hōgen Takanobu' ('Takanobu of hōgen rank'). Not all of the artists are known from other works, but they seem to be mainly from the Maruyama or Shijō schools. Shūhō was the elder brother of Mori Sosen (1747-1821) and Tetsuzan (1775-1841) Shūhō's son, was adopted by his uncle Sosen. Both Gesshō and Kōchō were pupils of Go Shun (1752-1811), and Hōchū was a talented Osaka painter in the Rimpa style. His turtle is done using the tarashikomi technique, typical of the Rimpa school. The other signatures read as follows, preceded by the artist's surname in brackets, with accompanying seal readings given afterwards: [Nagayama] Kōin - Chō [Nakai] Rankō - Hakuyō [Chō] Gesshō - Gesshō [Fuji] Kyūran - Seibi, Gentsū [Mori] Tetsuzan - Shushin [Mori] Yūsen - Yūsen [Ueda] Kōchō - Kōchō [Nakamura] Hōchū - Tatsutatsu [Yamanaka] Shōnen - [unread] Height: 1222.000 mm Width: 361.000 mm Height: 1222.000 mm Width: 361.000 mm Mori Shūhō and others, Turtles, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338779_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1815 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD906 (1989.10-26.05) Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD Mori Shūhō (1738-1823) was an artist from Osaka who first studied painting with Yoshimura Shūzan (1700-73), an artist of the Kanō school. Later he worked under Tsukioka Settei (1726-86), a prolific artist who was also trained in the Kanō style. Although he has since been overshadowed by the activities of his younger brother Mori Sosen, Shūhō attained the titles of hokkyō ('Bridge of the Law') and hōgen ('Eye of the Law') and was popular with merchant patrons of Osaka. By the late eighteenth century, much Kanō painting was becoming rather conservative and heavy in style and many Kanō-trained painters moved into other schools or became independent machi-eshi ('town painters'). However, Shūhō remained largely within the tradition, using the best aspects of this ink-painting method in a fresh and lively manner. In this light-hearted screen, he takes a favourite Kanō subject, galloping horses, which itself was derived from Chinese originals. He places the ten horses across the screen with a sure eye for balance and movement and the minimum of swift and lively brush-strokes. The signature reads 'Hokkyō Shūhō Takanobu hitsu' ('From the brush of Shūhō Takanobu of hokkyō rank'), and the seals read 'Shūhō betsugō Shūsai' ('Shūhō artname Shūsai') and 'Mori-shi Buntai' ('Mori family, Buntai'). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of Mr K. Kishimoto Height: 1360.000 mm Width: 2648.000 mm Mori Shūhō, Horses, a 4-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338379_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD880 (1988.10-18.01) Japan Edo period, 11th month, AD 1780 Shunshō was the first woodblock print artist to design prints of Kabuki actors which actually captured their likeness (nigao-e). In this example, the immediately recognizable long nose, down-turned mouth and small close-set eyes of Danjūrō V have been superimposed on to the statue-like figure of the deity Fudō Myō-ō. The Buddhist deity Fudō Myō-ō, 'The Immoveable God of Light', is the chastiser of enemies of the faith. He is always depicted carrying a sword to cut through evil and a rope to bind the enemies of enlightenment. He was also regarded as the tutelary (guardian) deity of the leading Danjūrō Ichikawa line of actors. The deity appears in the play Kite kaeru nishiki no wakayaka in an enormously popular scene, 'The stone statue of Fudō' (Sekizō no Fudō). Danjūrō V played this part four times. This print probably celebrates the opening of the season (kaomise) performance at the Nakamura theatre in the eleventh month of 1780. The deity stands on a rock below a waterfall, surrounded by flames, grasping his attributes of a sword and rope. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Height: 328.000 mm Width: 151.000 mm Height: 328.000 mm Width: 151.000 mm Katsukawa Shunshō, The actor Ichikawa Danjūrō&nbsp;V as Fudō Myō-ō, a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202695_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 11th month, AD 1780 British Museum: Asia JA 1902.1-12.0202 From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD This mirror is decorated with a perfect miniature landscape. Peacocks stand beneath a flowering plum tree beside a waterfall and winding stream. To the left irises are coming into bloom. The handle has its original rattan binding. The mirror is inscribed Fujiwara Masashige saku (‘Made by Masashige of the Fujiwara family'). Makers of mirrors often had high status in Japan because the mirror, together with the sword and the jewel, formed part of the Imperial regalia. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1944.4-1.2 Diameter: 15.000 cm Bronze mirror with a handle http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204112a_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Edo period, late 17th or early 18th century AD During the Edo period, some bronze mirrors were made with handles, and without the usual central boss. This allowed a much greater freedom of composition in the design. This mirror depicts a man punting a log by water. Such designs showing people at work were particularly popular among richer townsmen from the late seventeenth century. This unusually large handled mirror is inscribed Tenka-Ichi ('First under Heaven'). Leading mirror-makers were often much revered, since the mirror, together with the sword and the jewel were emblems of Imperial power. From the late sixteenth century an outstanding craftsman could be elected by his guild as Tenka-Ichi. This practice was officially stopped in 1682, but the title was still misused by inferior craftsmen and continues to appear throughout the Edo period. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith and V. Harris, Japanese decorative arts from (London, The British Museum Press, 1982) Gift of Dr. W.L. Hidburgh Length: 32.400 cm (with handle) Bronze mirror decorated with the figure of a boatman http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204106_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, late 17th or early 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1944.4-1.3 From Japan Muromachi period, 15th-16th century AD The eight-petalled lotus is the symbol of Enlightenment in Buddhism. Here it provides a perfect basis for the ornate design of a pair of birds in flight among scrolls of stylized flowers and tendrils. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Gift of H. Yamakawa Diameter: 12.200 cm Bronze mirror in the shape of a lotus http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204114a_m.jpg From Japan Muromachi period, 15th-16th century AD British Museum: Asia JA 1927.10-14.8 From Japan Kamakura period, 13th -14th century AD This mirror is decorated with a pair of stylized birds among floral scrolls. The birds' wings are partly spread as if they are about to take off. The symmetry of the design, in the placing of the birds and of the scrolling, is a feature of mirrors of the period, and a characteristic of Kamakura period applied art in general. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1927.10-14.1 Diameter: 11.500 cm Bronze mirror http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204113d_m.jpg From Japan Kamakura period, 13th -14th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan From Japan Middle Kofun period, 5th century AD Jingles and rattles are found on mirrors of the Kofun period (about 3rd -7th century AD). They possibly had some shamanistic ritual significance, but it was a fashion that quickly died out. One of the rattles on this mirror still sounds when it is shaken. The craftsmen of the Kofun period copied very formal Chinese-style decoration. The surface of the mirror has concentric rings of simple hatching with a softer whorl design in the centre. As mound burials for leaders became more widespread, grave-goods almost always contained a set of mirror, sword and jewel - all symbols of authority, and objects with powerful ritual significance. The mirror, sword and jewel still form the regalia of the Japanese Imperial family. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA OA+544 Diameter: 12.900 cm (excluding jingles) Bronze mirror http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204105a_m.jpg From Japan Middle Kofun period, 5th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, mid-18th century AD This screen was probably one of a pair. Twelve rabbits are shown in different activities, mainly feeding but also chasing each other, and one is amorously climbing onto another's back. It is unusual to find rabbits featuring in such a large-scale composition: they are usually shown as part of a bigger scheme, associated with the fourth year of the twelve-year zodiac cycle (1999 was the most recent rabbit year). The painting is enhanced by the variety of colouring of the rabbits' fur, which is painted with great delicacy. Their eyes, each with a black pupil, give them great animation. The background has a pattern of summer and autumn grasses swaying in the breeze. This is reminiscent of pictures of Musashino Plain, a subject relating to Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise') and other classical literary sources. The sumptuous gold background has a solid gold hill and gold leaf scattered at top and bottom to produce a shimmering effect. The screen is unsigned but the faultless overall design of the painting and the shading of the rabbits' bodies suggest that it was painted by an artist of the Rimpa school working in the mid-eighteenth century, the generation after Ogata Kōrin (1658-1716). L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Presented as a tribute to Laurence Binyon Height: 1540.000 mm Width: 3270.000 mm Rabbits and autumn grasses, a 6-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202685_m.jpg Japan Edo period, mid-18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD88 (1933.9-29.03) Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This was probably originally one of a pair of screens. It shows scenes from episodes 23, 45 and 69 of Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise'), the famous tenth-century literary classic of Japan. Bottom right is a scene from chapter 23, 'Tsutsui-zutsu', (The Well-curb), showing two childhood friends who later become man and wife. Their story, told in the 'Kawachi-goe' (Crossing over to Kawachi) section of the same chapter, continues across the bottom left of the screen. The man starts visiting another woman, but he becomes suspicious of his own wife. So one day he pretends to set off on a journey, but instead hides and spies on her. When he overhears her composing a poem praying for his safety, he is so moved that he gives up his affair with the other woman. Here we see him crouching among bush clover, his face concealed behind a fan. His wife can be seen sitting on the edge of the verandah. Top right shows an episode from chapter 45, 'Iku hotaru' (Fireflies in the Night): a man has just been told that a woman who loved him has died without confessing her love. That evening as the fireflies come out, he sits and mourns. Finally, in chapter 69, 'Kari no tsukai' (The Envoy of the Hunt), a falconer from the Imperial court visits a priestess of the Ise shrine with whom he has a relationship. The elaborate kitchen scene, showing duck being prepared for the pot, is in fact derived from a handscroll of another tale, Matsuzaki Tenjin Engi Emaki, which is not related to Ise monogatari. An inscription by Sumiyoshi Hiromori (1705-77) ascribes the painting wrongly to a certain Tosa Mitsuaki (identity unknown). In fact, it is thought to have been painted by a Rimpa artist of the Sōtatsu school working in the seventeenth century. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Gift of the Hon. Mrs Robert Wood Height: 1510.000 mm Width: 3586.000 mm Scenes from Ise monogatari ('Tales of Ise'), a 6-fold screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps204474_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD299 (1948.11-27.014) Japan Meiji era, around AD 1892 A snowy landscape spreads across the wide expanse of this pair of screens. There is a compositional balance between the massive trunk on the right tied firmly to the ground by its twisting roots and the deer on the left bounding down the hillside, its hooves leaving small prints in the snow. Morikawa Sobun (1847-1902) was born into a Kyoto merchant family. He began to train as a painter from the age of 20, studying under various masters of the Shijō chool, such as Maekawa Gorei and Hasegawa Gyokuhō. He was sufficiently respected to be chosen as a teacher when the Kyoto Municipal School of Painting was established in 1880. Sobun had already gained a reputation as a talented painter of deer with a work shown at the International Exhibition of 1893 in Chicago. He developed the same theme in these screens, perhaps influenced by the earlier example of pine trees in the snow by Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95). The right screen is signed 'Sobun hitsu' ('Painted by Sobun'), and the seals read 'Morikawa Ken in' ('Seal of Morikawa Ken') and 'Go Sobun''. The left screen is signed 'Sobun', with the same seals. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 1665.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 3740.000 mm (each approx.) Height: 1665.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 3740.000 mm (each approx.) Morikawa Sobun, Deer and Pine in the Snow, a pair of 6-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps321261_m.jpg Japan Meiji era, around AD 1892 British Museum: Asia JP ADD813-4 (1985.7-20.01-02) Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD ōshin (1790-1838) specialized in quiet compositions, which frequently featured a poem, as here. Paintings with too individualistic a tone would not be appropriate for added waka verses, but ōshin aimed to create works which harmonized with the poem in their composition and content. He followed the intelligent, simple style of his grandfather, Maruyama ōkyo (1733-95), but tried to inject this with his own particular sensibility. On the right-hand scroll pine and cherry trees lead deep into the picture, and a waterfall emerges at the base of the valley. Temple buildings can be seen among the trees, and birds fly high above. The poem may be translated: 'To paint Arashi-yama alike with Yoshino - smothered by cherry blossom, waterfalls like white threads' On the left-hand scroll there are again pine and cherry trees. They disappear into the mist at the base of the mountains. The tree silhouetted against the moon recalls the paintings of Nagasawa Rosetsu (1754-99), one of ōkyo's pupils. The poem here reads: 'The moon shines over Otoko-yama, Pervading the scene with its sharp brilliance' The signature on both scrolls reads ‘ōshin', and the seals read the same. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1119.000 mm (each) Width: 459.000 mm Height: 1119.000 mm (each) Width: 459.000 mm Maruyama ōshin, Cherry Trees at Arashi-yama, and Otoko-yama by Moonlight, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338891_m.jpg Japan Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD626-7 (1980.7-28.05-06) Japan Edo period, AD 1791 The parrot is not native to Japan, but it was imported from as early as the ninth century, when the birds were presented to the imperial court. Parrots remained rare even during the Edo period (1600-1868), but featured at entertainment stalls in several cities. The white parrot was already a popular theme for paintings, but Sessai may well have observed one in real life at one of these stalls. Sessai was the art-name used by Masuyama Masakata (1754-1819), lord of the Nagashima fief in Ise province. Although Sessai has here followed the thematic tradition of kachōga (bird-and-flower painting), and used conventional monochrome brushwork on the tree, he has adopted a sharply empirical style for the parrot. An inscription on the box by the artist Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924) confirms that it was this desire to use the techniques of realism that led Sessai towards the style of the professional Chinese painter, Shen Nampin (active in Japan 1731-33). Shen Nampin's pupils and followers in the so-called 'Nagasaki style' quickly spread the vogue for meticulous bird-and-flower subjects to all major Japanese cities. The inscription reads 'Kanoto i shunjitsu sha Sessai' ('Painted by Sessai on a spring day, 1791'), and the seals read 'Nagashima kō in' ('Seal of the lord of Nagashima') and 'Sessai'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1119.000 mm Width: 431.000 mm Height: 1119.000 mm Width: 431.000 mm Masuyama Sessai, Birds and Flowers, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338781_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1791 British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD607 (1979.11-12.01) Japan Late Muromachi - early Edo period, late 16th - early 17th century AD A bird rests on a branch of plum blossom. The colourful flowers and the twisting branch make for a decorative composition. Rather than any expressive purpose, or an attempt to depict nature accurately, the artist created an artificial space of decoration by arranging already determined motifs regularly across the surface. This approach was first seen in Chinese paintings of the Song dynasty (960-1278), but here it derives rather from a development of one element of bird-and-flower paintings of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). It was a very popular approach to composition with many Kanō painters in the early Edo period. This attractive study is neither signed nor sealed. An old inscription on the box attributes the work to Kanō Yukinobu (worked late sixteenth century). Yukinobu was the much younger brother, and pupil, of Kanō Motonobu (1476-1559) and became a leading figure in the Kanō school during the Momoyama period (1568-1600) . He was known for his fine kachōga (bird and flower paintings). Though the present work cannot be attributed to Yukinobu with any certainty, it can be firmly placed within the established lineage of bird-and-flower paintings of the Kanō school of the late sixteenth or early seventeenth centuries. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 375.000 mm Width: 594.000 mm Kanō Yukinobu (attributed to), Bird and Flowers, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps114523_m.jpg Japan Late Muromachi - early Edo period, late 16th - early 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 489 (1881.12-10.01266) From Tanzan shrine, Tōnomine, Nara Prefecture, Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD Japanese rooms are traditionally divided by fusuma, paper-covered wooden lattice doors, which were often decorated with paintings. This set depict autumn and winter scenes, with geese and plovers in flight or at the water's edge, ducks on the water, and camellias, chlorantha, cotton roses, bamboo grass, and rushes. The leaves of the maple tree to the left are turning red to indicate autumn, and the snow-laden cypress tree suggests winter. It is likely that originally there were additional doors in the sequence depicting spring and summer. Gold paint and gold leaf are used to create hazy, cloud-like formations which fill the scenery and, together with the vibrant colours, impart a wonderful lustre to the work. The trees to the left anchor the composition, which opens out to the right into the expanse of water. This asymmetrical balance was used frequently in large-scale bird-and-flower paintings. The paintings come originally from the Tanzan Shrine (in Nara Prefecture), and it is thought they were commissioned as part of the restoration of the shrine from 1617 to 1619. On the other side of the same doors were paintings now in the collection of the Seattle Art Museum showing figures engaged in the 'Four Elegant Pastimes' (Kin-ki-sho-ga). Fusuma were rarely signed, but these panels have been attributed to Kanō Takanobu (1571-1618), eldest son of the famous Kanō Eitoku (1543-90), or a leading pupil of his atelier. Takanobu was father of three important Kanō painters, the highly successful Tan'yū (1602-74), Naonobu (1607-50) and Yasunobu (1613-85). The paintings have recently undergone a thorough process of repair and conservation in The British Museum's Hirayama Studio, and have been remounted onto new lattices. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Gift of the National Art Collections Fund Height: 1735.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 1410.000 mm (each approx.) Kanō school, Birds and Flowers of Autumn and Winter, 4 fusuma (sliding door panel) paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps345551_m.jpg From Tanzan shrine, Tōnomine, Nara Prefecture, Japan Edo period, early 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD129-132 (1937.10-9.01-04) Japan Edo period, about Kambun era, AD 1661-1673 This large impressive pair of eight-fold screens shows the boat procession on the Tenno River that was the climax to the festival at the Tsushima shrine. This grand festival was of the three famous festivals of the province of Owari (modern Aichi Prefecture) located between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. Tsushima is to the west of the city of Nagoya. It originated as a shrine town and became an important post town on the Tōkaidō highway during the Edo period (1600-1868). The boat procession was held overnight from the 14th to the 15th day of the sixth month (late summer). Floats were mounted on pairs of boats lashed together. On the evening of the 14th, there were five floats, decorated with hundreds of lighted lanterns (right screen). On the morning of the following day six floats came like great towers, some surmounted with dragon sculptures (left screen). Each tower had platforms for puppet shows and other entertainments. One of the floats carried a number of young men armed with cloth-bound halberds. One after the other they leapt into the water and swam to Nakanoshima where they dedicated their halberds at the shrine. The young men were warmly welcomed as it was thought that water from the cloth had the power to heal wounds. Along the river banks there are numerous places of entertainment such as a Kabuki dance stage, and stalls and shops selling all kinds of food and other goods. Although the Tsushima Festival is shown in several prints and printed books, this pair of screens is one of only eight known paintings of the event. The Festival is still held annually in Tsushima every July, when boats, carrying towers and floats decked with lanterns, attract large numbers of tourists. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 1510.000 mm Width: 4650.000 mm Height: 1510.000 mm Width: 4650.000 mm The river festival at Tsushima shrine, a pair of 8-fold screen paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps182517full_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about Kambun era, AD 1661-1673 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1379-80 (1881.12-10.1717-1718) From the Ryūkyū Islands, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD The Ryūkyū Islands (now known as Okinawa prefecture) are a chain of islands extending to the south-west from Kyūshū. Until the late nineteenth century they formed a kingdom with a certain degree of independence. However, their kings did pay tribute to China from the seventh century, and from 1609 they became vassals of the Satsuma fief at the southern tip of Kyūshū. Because of their geographical position, the Ryūkyūans were heavily involved in trade in the whole region and provided a staging post between China and Japan not only for trade but also for the transmission of artistic styles and techniques. This cup stand, for example, is decorated using the chikinbori ('carved sunken gold') technique which originated in China and reached Japan via the Ryūkyū Islands. The technique consists of engraving fine lines in the lacquer and then filling the lines with gold powder. The design is based on the chrysanthemum motif, and the 'saucer' itself is in the shape of a stylized bloom. There are two marks on the base. Only one is legible. It reads ten ('Heaven'), suggesting possible use by the royal house of Chūzan. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1974.2-26.74 Diameter: 18.000 cm Height: 7.000 cm Red lacquer cup stand http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps179364_m.jpg From the Ryūkyū Islands, Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Ainu, 19th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan Often known in Emglish as a Jew's harp, the mouth harp is an instrument commonly found throughout the world. To play a mouth harp such as this, the instrument is placed in front of the mouth and the semi-detached reed in the centre is jerked with a string to make it vibrate. A variety of sounds are produced by widening and narrowing the opening of the mouth and controlling the passage of air. It could be used, for example, to imitate animal calls while hunting. Among the Ainu the mouth harp is part of a larger musical tradition which includes other instruments, song and dance. Song in particular played an important role in Ainu life: impromptu songs and well-known tunes were sung during the course of the day, while ceremonies provided a focus for group performances. Links with animal spirits, such as the bear and the owl, are reinforced, for example, through the imitation of their movements by the dancers or of their calls in music. Since the 1990s, Ainu culture is receiving increasing official recognition from the Japanese government. Groups of Ainu singers and dancers are now integrated within the national heritage system which works for the preservation of local performing arts by encouraging the learning and recording of living traditions. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) AOA 1972.Q.2128 Length: 12.750 cm Bamboo mouth harp http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm039739_m.jpg Ainu, 19th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Africa, Oceania and Americas Ainu, early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan Sacred girdles are said to have been worn by Ainu women from puberty onwards. These belts were never to be seen by men and only rarely by other women of one's mothers family, their secrecy reinforcing their ritual significance as powerful amulets to ward off misfortune and disasters, such as sickness or fires. Unusually, through the help of his Japanese wife and with the free medical advice he gave the Ainu, Neil Gordon Munro was able to obtain information about the ritual belts at the time he lived in Hokkaidō in the 1930s. He recorded this belt as attributed to Fuchi, a female fire deity associated with household hearths. Fuchi is also a mediator between humans and other deities in some ritual ceremonies. This is one of a number of belts that Munro acquired, and he also odered copies of some belts. Made from a kind of hemp fibre, the girdles vary in the design of the tags at the end of the cord and in the way each woman folded the cord round her body, a way of doing things she inherited from her mother or other older women. Munro's interest started when he first visited Hokkaidō in 1898 and the products of five decades of collecting of objects and information can be found in museums in Britain and Japan. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) B. Ohlsen (ed.), Ainu material culture from the, British Museum Occasional Paper 96 (, 1994) AOA 1963.As76.10 Length: 37.000 cm Width: 2.500 cm Sacred belt http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm039741_m.jpg Ainu, early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Africa, Oceania and Americas Ainu, early 20th century AD From Japan Before the widespread use of photography in the late nineteenth century, model houses were made for large international fairs and acquired by museums to illustrate different architectural forms and techniques across the world. This model is of an Ainu house, as could be seen at the end of the nineteenth and early twentieth century on the island of Hokkaidō in the north of Japan. Most villages had fewer than a dozen houses like this, along with other buildings such as storage houses. They were usually located near rivers, which provided essential transport routes and an abundant supply of fish. Until the early twentieth century, the livelihood of the Ainu was based on hunting, fishing and on gathering a variety of plant products. The equipment needed for these activities included traps, spears, baskets, etc., and much of this would have been kept in the shed on one side of the building. The family, usually a couple and their unmarried children, lived in the main part of the house. Although most buildings in Hokkaidō are now built according to Japanese styles, the Ainu continue to perform some of the building rituals (different from Japanese foundation ceremonies) that were associated with the traditional wooden thatched houses. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) AOA 1910.11-19.75 Height: 44.500 cm Model house http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm039754_m.jpg Ainu, early 20th century AD From Japan British Museum: Africa, Oceania and Americas Ainu, late 19th - early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan Baskets are commonly found in museum collections of Ainu material; they are very light, for easy transport by collectors of artefacts, and for the Ainu, easily replaceable. This basket, a saranip, is made of the inner bark of a lime tree, although elm, reeds and thin wood splints were also used to make a variety of containers. Twined and woven together, the fibres make a strong fabric and the closing draw-string made saranip particularly suitable for collecting and storing food. Edible wild plants and garden produce were collected by women and dried during the summer months to supplement the winter diet. These practices changed dramatically with the establishment of agriculture at the end of the nineteenth - early twentieth century. In the words of Neil Gordon Munro, a Scottish physician who lived in Hokkaidō in the 1930s and studied the history and traditions of the Ainu throughout the first half of the twentieth century, 'what are usually called Ainu baskets are mostly as soft as bags'. Ainu basket makers sold them to tourists from the early twentieth century and the craft was vigorously revived in Hokkaidō in the 1990s. The twined and woven technique was known to all Ainu groups in Hokkaidō and nearby islands, but also to communities living all around the north Pacific rim from coastal Japan to California. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) B. Ohlsen (ed.), Ainu material culture from the, British Museum Occasional Paper 96 (, 1994) AOA 1910.11-19.61 Length: 25.000 cm Width: 16.500 cm Bark basket (saranip) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm039761_m.jpg Ainu, late 19th - early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Africa, Oceania and Americas Ainu, 19th - early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan Necklaces were important heirlooms in Ainu society and were occasionally put out on display inside houses along with other prized possessions. They were worn by women on traditional formal occasions, but also to pose in front of the cameras of early travellers to Hokkaidō. These necklaces are most commonly made of blue, black or white glass beads. An additional wooden medallion decorated with metal rosettes is sometimes added to the string, as is the case in this example. The glass beads were mostly obtained from China and mainland Japan and imported to Hokkaidō through the extensive trade links established by the Ainu with distant communities in Sakhalin, Manchuria, and closer neighbouring groups. The Matsumae clan ruled over Hokkaidō as part of their fiefdom, occupying mainly the coastal areas. The role of the Matsumae retainers and the increased trading power of communities in Sakhalin during the eighteenth and nineteenth century narrowed the commercial exchanges of the Ainu. The prestige for the Ainu of goods from further afield, and of glass beads from China in particular, meant that the Matsumae would claim the beads were of imported origin even when they had been made in Hokkaidō itself. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) AOA 1910.11-19.3 Length: 53.500 cm Diameter: 13.500 cm (pendant) Necklace http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm032155_m.jpg Ainu, 19th - early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Ainu, early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan The Ainu live on the island of Hokkaidō in northern Japan. The climate there is influenced by the proximity of Siberia, sharing its long harsh winters and heavy snow falls as well as its warm summers. Adaptation to this environment is evident in the skills developed by the Ainu and other populations living in sub-Arctic regions. Suitable clothing was particularly important and waterproof material in particular: for example, salmon skin, once dried and stretched, was used to make boots. Different kinds of snow called for a variety of shapes of wooden frames for snow shoes, such as these with leather straps. Hunting was one of the main activities carried out by men, and required the ability to move easily and rapidly across the snow in winter and early spring. Although deer and small animals provided most of the meat in their diet, they also hunted bear, and bear hunting was the focus of elaborate rituals. Hunting disappeared among the Ainu in the early twentieth century, partly because the massive influx of Japanese settlers led to a reduction of natural resources. However, the increasing concern over environmental degradation in contemporary Japan has generated new interest in the Ainu's traditional close relations with their natural environment. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) AOA 1885.12-19.35.a, b Length: 48.500 cm Snow shoes http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm039747_m.jpg Ainu, early 20th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Africa, Oceania and Americas Ainu, late 19th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan Dr John Anderson was a physician working in India between 1863 and 1886, during which time he also travelled further east. This coat is part of a substantial collection of Ainu material which he presented to the British Museum in 1885, most of which is from Hokkaidō. The Ainu used the bark of elm trees to make a very fine light cloth, known as attush. Lime tree bark and nettles also provided a source of fibre. After the bark of young trees had been collected, it was softened in water, later dried in the sun and the fibres delicately separated and twisted to form a skein. Long strips were woven by women, providing the basic material from which these coats were made. The cloth was also occasionally used to make light working clothes for people outside the Ainu communities. Traditional clothes are still worn for some celebrations, and the bark cloth and its designs have also been adapted by contemporary designers. The patterns used to decorate formal clothing were handed down from mothers to daughters and now have aesthetic rather than symbolic value. The intricate embroidered designs and appliqué were most commonly made using cotton obtained by trade; the silk remnants, silk thread and velvet borders used on this coat would have made it a prized item. W.W. Fitzhugh and C.O. Dubreuil, Ainu: spirit of a northern peo (Smithsonian Institution, Washington D.C., 1999) J. Kreiner (ed.), European studies on Ainu langu, Monographien aus dem Deutschen Institut für Japanstudien der Philipp-Franz–von-Siebold-Stiftung, Band 6 (Munich, Iudicium, 1993) B. Ohlsen (ed.), Ainu material culture from the, British Museum Occasional Paper 96 (, 1994) AOA 1885.12-19.19 Length: 138.000 cm Width: 126.000 cm Embroidered coat http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/mm032154_m.jpg Ainu, late 19th century AD From Hokkaidō, Japan British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD The bear is a relatively unusual subject for Japanese painting. This one seems to be a higuma (Ursus arctos yesoensis) from the Ezo region (modern Hokkaidō), the island in the far north of Japan. The hawk perched on a rock is reminiscent of works by the artist Sō Shiseki (1712-86), who painted in the Chinese-influenced Nagasaki style, but the composition gains added movement and tension from the waterfall in the background. Bun'yō (1783-1852) served the same Tayasu family as did the celebrated artist Tani Bunchō (1763-1840). Bun'yō became one of Bunchō's most talented pupils, and took the first character of his teacher's name. Although Bunchō allowed his pupils an unusual amount of freedom to develop their own artistic style, Bun'yō remained comparatively loyal in his approach. Around the time of this painting, Ezo was being explored and colonized by the bakufu regime of mainland Japan, and artists, including Bunchō's younger brother Genta (1778-1840), were being sent to record the landscape and wildlife. Bun'yō may well have used one of Genta's sketches or a published work on the region for reference when executing his painting. The signature on each scroll reads ‘Bun'yō', and the seals read ‘Bun'yō gain' ('Painting-seal of Bun'yō') and 'Jūyū gabō' ('Painting Studio of Ten Friends'). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 904.000 mm (each scroll) Width: 290.000 mm Tōsaka Bun'yō, Hawk and a Bear, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338966_m.jpg Japan Late Edo period, early 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1887-8 (1913.5-1.0424-5) Japan Edo period, late AD 1770s or early 1780s This rare six-fold screen can be firmly attributed to Utagawa Toyoharu (1735-1814) and is one of the most important surviving Ukiyo-e paintings of its period. A group of high-ranking courtesans are seated on the red carpet in the centre, surrounded by their apprentices (shinzō) arranged in pairs with matching kimonos around the walls. The women are in the harimise, the latticed display room of a brothel in the Yoshiwara pleasure quarter, where they would sit waiting for clients. It appears to be the quiet middle period of the day, and the courtesans are amusing themselves in various ways - smoking, playing the shamisen, dressing a doll. One of the teenage apprentices has dozed off. Among the lacquered accessories depicted in the front, to the right of the smoking set, is a small box decorated with the emblem of a flying crane. According to Keisei Kei, a printed guide to courtesans published by Santō Kyōden in 1788, this was a crest used by Komurasaki, a high-ranking courtesan in the house run by Tamaya Sansaburō. The name of the house appears, albeit playfully half-hidden, on the entrance curtain towards the centre back. The painting can be dated on the basis of its style and the fashions portrayed to the late 1770s or early 1780s. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA JP ADD687 (1982.7-1.02) Height: 1441.000 mm Width: 3146.000 mm Utagawa Toyoharu (attributed to), Courtesans of the Tamaya House, a screen painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202682_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late AD 1770s or early 1780s British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD These scenes come from a handscroll of comic pictures, a popular subject in itself, but unusual for an artist of the Kanō school. In one, a demon has been surprised by Raijin, the Thunder God, and flees in fear. Raijin can be identified by the ring of drums which he beats to sound like thunder. In the other, warriors on horseback represent the battle at the Uji River. The rest of the scroll is taken up with other, similar scenes taken from Chinese and Japanese classics, parodied in amusing ways. Although the pictures are charmingly done, the technical skill demonstrated in the scroll is not exceptional. There seems to be no logical connection between the different scenes - it is not a narrative sequence - and this suggests it was intended as a model for other artists to copy, as practice. Kanō Tan'yū (1602-74) did produce a scroll of giga, and such humorous treatment can be found occasionally in certain other Kanō school works, but it remains unusual, which makes this work all the more interesting. Chikanobu (1660-1728) was the third generation head of the Kobiki-chō branch of the Kanō school in Edo (modern Tokyo), and in 1719 was awarded the highest court title, hōgen ('Eye of the Law'). The signature reads 'Chikanobu hitsu' ('Painted by Chikanobu') and the seal reads 'Josensai'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Bequeathed by Sir A.W. Franks Height: 312.000 mm Length: 5091.000 mm Kanō Josen Chikanobu, a handscroll painting of Giga (Comic Pictures) http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339592_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 657 (1902.6-6.012) Japan Early Edo period, late 17th century AD The subjects of these scrolls are all auspicious. In the centre stands Hotei (Chinese: Budai) holding his staff, to the right is a pheasant on a pine tree, and to the left are a cockerel and hen among bamboo. Hotei is one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, named after the linen bag in which he stores 'precious things'. He is always shown laughing, and with a huge stomach. Tsunenobu (1636-1713) was the eldest son of Kanō Naonobu (1607-50), younger brother of the renowned artist Kanō Tan'yū (1602-74). When his father died, Tsunenobu became a pupil of his uncle, and derived elements from the style of both men. In this work, the gnarled bark of the pine tree and the rough shading show the influence of Tan'yū, but the delicate lines of Budai's body and the light treatment of the bamboo and fowl are essentially Tsunenobu's own style. The signatures all read 'Tsunenobu hitsu' ('From the brush of Tsunenobu') and the seals all read 'Kosen kinjū' ('Following with balance an old river'), implying a fidelity to traditional styles. These scrolls are thought to date prior to 1704, when Tsunenobu received the title hōgen which is not included here. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 1148.000 mm (each) Width: 560.000 mm (each) Kanō Yōboku Tsunenobu, Hotei / Pheasant / Cock and Hen, a triptych of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338367_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, late 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 637-9 (1913.5-1.0228-30) Japan Early Edo period, mid-17th century AD The practice of making shukuzu, or reduced-size copies, is thought to have begun in ancient times, and possibly had its origins in collections of 'secret images'. Only religious shukuzu have survived from earlier periods, and the first artist before the modern period to invest them with any real energy was Kanō Tan'yū (1602-74). Tan'yū put much effort into his shukuzu because they served three purposes: firstly, they provided inspiration and ideas to help his creative activities; secondly, they were an important reference in the task of evaluating paintings (Kanō artists gained extra revenue from passing judgement on the authenticity and value of old paintings); lastly, they could be used as materials to instruct students. The copies illustrated here nearly all date from the Kambun era (1661-73). Although Tan'yū did produce shukuzu before this, they were largely destroyed in fires. This section of the scroll features mainly dragon and tiger compositions. The notes record who brought the painting to him and when, and a short assessment of the quality. Tan'yū was the foremost artist of his day, and completed many large-scale commissions to decorate castles, palaces and temples for the newly established Tokugawa regime at the beginning of the sixteenth century. Even in these hasty sketches, however, his outstanding ability is clearly evident. Many of the drawings bear a small gourd-shaped seal reading 'Seimei' )one of Tan'yū's art-names). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 303.000 mm Width: 4111.000 mm Kanō Tan'yū, a handscroll of shukuzu http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps340040_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, mid-17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 567 (1913.5-1.0208) Japan Early Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD Shuten dōji ('The Sake-Drinking Boy') was a popular medieval narrative work telling the tale of a boy who acquired supernatural powers and grew up to be a fearsome ogre. The story was illustrated many times, and is known in two main versions, locating the site of his youth as either Mt. Ibuki in ōmi province or Mt. ōe in Tamba province. This set of scrolls is unusual, however, because it focuses on the boy's birth and upbringing, and incorporates both locations. The pictures are interspersed with passages of text, describing how the boy was abandoned on Mt. Ibuki, and was attended by various supernatural beings. He learns how to fly, but is chased away by various divinities, and eventually settles on Mt. ōe. Here, we see a scene from the second scroll where the perpetually drunken boy is causing havoc in the street of a village, wildly waving a stick which he uses to beat the horses and oxen. The people immediately recognize him and fall over themselves to get away. Only a dog sits unmoved, barking at the commotion. The scroll is lavishly executed with richly coloured illustrations and extensive use of gold. This was the style of the Kanō school, and versions survive by major artists such as Kanō Motonobu (1476-1559) and Kanō Tan'yū (1602-74). This set, however, is thought to date from around the time of Kanō Tsunenobu (1636-1713). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) Height: 312.000 mm (each) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Height: 312.000 mm (each) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Width: 868.000 mm (first scroll) Kanō school, Ibuki-dōji ('Boy from Mt. Ibuki'), a set of 3 handscroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339714_m.jpg Japan Early Edo period, late 17th - early 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 174-6 (1881.12-10.0269-0271) Japan Edo period, 17th century AD This handscroll illustrates the legend of how an ogre called Shuten Dōji ('The Drunken Boy') was killed by the warrior Minamoto Yorimitsu (who actually lived AD 948-1021). Shuten Dōji lured young women to his lair in the mountains where he kept them prisoner and sometimes ate them. Yorimitsu and his four companions deceived the monster by disguising themselves as yamabushi ('mountain monks'). They made him drunk, then cut off his head, freeing the district from this terrible peril. In this scene the warriors, disguised as monks, cross a ravine by way of a fallen pine trunk. They carry portable shrines on their backs. Some locals point and welcome them with obvious pleasure and relief. The historical Yorimitsu was a warrior who served the Heian court by getting rid of robbers and pirates, suggesting why this legend was attached to him. The composition of the scroll is based on a famous set of scrolls attributed to Kanō Masanobu (1476-1559). The lively detail and energy are clearly Kanō' in style, but the earthy vigour suggests that it was commissioned by a rich townsman rather than by a daimyō. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) William Anderson Collection Height: 268.000 mm Shuten Dōji ('Yorimitsu and the drunken monster of Mount Ibuki'), a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203296_m.jpg Japan Edo period, 17th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 453-87 (1881.12-10.383-416) Japan Late Edo - Meiji period, late 19th century AD Hina dolls are the main feature of the annual hina-matsuri (Doll Festival), which traditionally took place on the 3rd day of the 3rd (lunar) month, at cherry-blossom time. The practice of making paper dolls is thought to derive from Chinese rites where impurities were transferred to paper images which were then cast away on a river. The dolls were a popular theme among artists of the later Rimpa school, such as Shin'ichi (1821-99) working in Edo (modern Tokyo), and many examples survive. The dolls' robes are decorated with a pattern of wisteria hanging from pine trees. Both the male doll's hakama (wide trousers) and the female doll's obi (sash) have a chrysanthemum design in gold leaf. On the red ground are clams and seaweed done in fine gold lines. The branches of cherry to either side are contrasting - one thick, one slender. The composition of the left-hand scroll is taken from works by Sakai Hōitsu (1761-1828), founder of the Edo Rimpa school, and his influence can be seen too in the use of the tarashi-komi ('puddled ink') technique to create a marbled effect on the trunk. The central signature reads 'Mu-ni Shin'ichi' ('Shin'ichi without equal'), and the seal beneath reads 'Anjo ga in'. The other two signatures read 'Shin'ichi'. The circular seals read 'Rinrin'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) William Anderson Collection Height: 972.000 mm (each) Width: 329.000 mm (each) Nozaki Shin'ichi, Paper Hina Dolls and Cherry Blossoms, a triptych of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps232072_m.jpg Japan Late Edo - Meiji period, late 19th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP 1301-1303 (1881.12-10.02118-02120) Japan Edo period, AD 1811 In 1811 the publisher Hirabayashi Shōgorō commissioned this painting from Hokusai to celebrate the completion of the best-selling serial novel Chinsetsu yumihari-zuki ('Strange Tales of the Bow Moon'), which was published in twenty-nine volumes between 1807 and 1811. The text was by a leading popular author, Takizawa Bakin (1767-1848) and the illustrations by Hokusai. Passages in Bakin's Edo sakusha burui state that he was paid an extra ten gold ryō for his work, and Hokusai was asked to do this painting. When the scroll was completed, Bakin inscribed a poem phrased in mock-military terminology appropriate to the subject to celebrate his friendship with the publisher (see below). Minamoto no Tametomo was a real-life warrior renowned for his bowmanship. This scene, from Bakin's fictionalized account of his exploits, shows three inhabitants of the island of Onigashima all trying in vain to pull his bowstring, while the young hero nonchalantly steadies the bow with one hand. Hokusai's painting skilfully combines the suggestion of powerful energy - the straining muscles of the islanders and the strong wind that tosses the landscape - with exquisite attention to detail, as seen in the basket of fish. The rich pigments and generous scattering of cut gold-leaf reflect the publisher Hirabayashi's wealth, which had no doubt been substantially increased by the success of the newly-completed novel. The inscription translates: 'A word gives great pleasure and friendship profits. The distribution of forces at this time, Observes the wishes of the Lord. On the island in the Eastern Sea where Hachirō holds court, Truly this years blessings are so profuse that The could of the devil-ridden hear clear away And the light of the bow-moon shines bright.' The signature reads 'Katsushika Hokusai Taitō ga' ('painted by Katsushika Hokusai Taitō'). the seal reads 'Raishin'. The inscription signature reads 'Bunka kanoto hitsuji ryūtō joya Kyokutei Bakin dai' ('Inscribed by Kyokutei Bakin on the last night of the year in deep winter, Bunka 8 (1811)') L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) William Anderson Collection Height: 549.000 mm Width: 821.000 mm Katsushika Hokusai, Tametomo and the inhabitants of Onigashima Island, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps238926_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1811 British Museum: Asia JA JP 1479 (1881.12-10.1747) Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD Aiseki (worked late eighteenth century) probably studied painting with Noro Kaiseki (1747-1828), who was from the same province of Kii in central Japan, and took the second character of his teacher's name. Kaiseki in turn had been taught by the famous bunjin (literati) painter, Ike no Taiga (1723-76); this work clearly shows the overwhelming influence that Taiga had on Aiseki's art. The painting uses the landscape technique where in addition to the basic black ink, the artist uses red ochre (for shading) and indigo (for the foliage of trees). The composition of the painting, the 'axe-cut' strokes used on the mountains, and the treatment of the trees all follow closely the style of Ike no Taiga. The bunjin artists were concerned with evoking an ideal of retreat from the toils of the day-to-day world, of a place (perhaps only in the mind) where the scholarly individual could contemplate in quiet solitude. The Shaxi is a river in China which rises in Zhejiang province and flows to the south-east, eventually joining with the Daxi river. It runs through a tea-producing region, and the name also conjures up images of the tea enjoyed by such hermits. The inscription reads 'Shakei sei-in, Aiseki' ('Unsullied Retreat by the Shaxi, by Aiseki'), and the seal reads 'Aiseki'. I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-2, vol. 3 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1993) Height: 1302.000 mm Width: 570.000 mm Height: 1302.000 mm Width: 570.000 mm Aiseki, Hermitage by the Shaxi River, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps338905_m.jpg Japan Edo period, late 18th century AD British Museum: Asia JA JP ADD593 (1979.7-23.03) Japan Taishō era, AD 1920 Goyō (1880-1921) started out as an illustrator using a variety of media other than woodblock printing. However, he later became a devotee of the bijinga (pictures of beautiful women) of Kitagawa Utamaro (died 1806) which led him to master traditional woodblock techniques. Between 1918 and his early death in 1921, he produced a small number of bijinga which, perhaps more than the work of any other twentieth-century Japanese print artist, recapture that blend of adoration, mysticism and detachment which characterized Utamaro's attitude to women. As a craftsman, Goyō was a perfectionist. Following the practices of the new Sōsaku Hanga ('Creative Print') movement, he performed every part of the process of print production himself. In particular, as in this print, he revived the traditional Ukiyo-e tradition of the fine cutting of the black blocks to represent the intricacies of women's hair. The combing of the hair, part of a Japanese woman's very private toilette routine - in public the hair would only be seen swept up in a triple bun - was another of Utamaro's favourite subjects. To further focus the viewer's attention on the hair, Goyō depicts the girl in a simple bath-robe of soft blue against a silvery mica background. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) L. Smith, The Japanese print since 1900: (London, The British Museum Press, 1983) Height: 448.000 mm Width: 348.000 mm Height: 448.000 mm Width: 348.000 mm Hashiguchi Goyō, Kamisuki (Combing the hair), a colour woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203281_m.jpg Japan Taishō era, AD 1920 British Museum: Asia JA 1930.9-10.01 Japan Edo period, about AD 1795-96 Utamaro depicted more types of women, in various activities, than any other Ukiyo-e artist. A group of respectable married women, surrounded by their children and even a pet cat are working together on a hot summer's day folding and mending obi sashes. On the right, two of them stretch and fold a red silk sash tie-dyed with a white 'starfish' pattern. On the left, the sewing equipment scattered on the floor suggests that this woman is holding up the sash to check a mend she has just made in the fine gauze This gives Utamaro a chance to exploit one of his favourite technical tricks of depicting figures seen through gauze. Ateenage girl examines an insect, perhaps a firefly, in its tiny cage. A little boy teases a cat with its reflection in a mirror, while a baby plays with its mother's fan. Although the scene is one of warm domesticity, Utamaro still introduces a note of eroticismin the partially revealed breasts and legs of the figures clad lightly against the summer heat. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Narazaki Muneshige, and Yamaguchi Keisaburo (eds.), Ukiyo-e shÅ«ka, vol. 2 (Tokyo, shu eisha, 1979) S. Asano and T. Clark, The passionate art of Kitagawa (London, 1995) Height: 370.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 245.000 mm (each approx.) Height: 370.000 mm (each approx.) Width: 245.000 mm (each approx.) Kitagawa Utamaro, Women sewing, a triptych of colour woodblock prints http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202958_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1795-96 British Museum: Asia JA 1912.4-16.0220 Japan Edo period, around AD 1690 Very few large sheet-prints survive by the pioneering print artists of the late seventeenth century, Hishikawa Moronobu (died 1694) and Sugimura Jihei. This is the only known impression of this rare work attributed to Jihei, who worked between 1680 and 1705. Slight hand-colouring has been added after printing. The subject is from the touching story of Tokiwa, who was the mistress of the warrior Minamoto no Yoshitomo. After Yoshitomo's defeat in the Heiji war of 1159, she fled with her three sons and was given shelter from a snowstorm by an old couple at Fushimi. The tale became popular among ballad singers, and this print may have been produced to accompany such a recitation. Tokiwa is shown leading two of her sons by the hand, buffeted by a snow-laden gust. She carries her third at her breast, snuggled inside the collar of her kimono. In the background the old couple sit cosily in their humble hut, the old man stirring the charcoal in the hibachi. Tokiwa is not dressed in costume of the twelfth century, but in a kimono fashionable at the time that the print was made. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) Purchased with the assistance of the Brooke Sewell Fund Length: 555.000 mm Width: 305.000 mm Sugimura Jihei (attributed to), 'Tokiwa at Fushimi' (Fushimi Tokiwa), a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154539_m.jpg Japan Edo period, around AD 1690 British Museum: Asia JA 1968.10-14.02 Japan Edo period, AD 1756 Two geisha are on their way to perform at a New Year party. A young servant boy carries theshamisen case. One of the geisha is reading with great interest a playbill for the 1775-6 season at the Nakamura Theatre. The comic senryū poem suggests that they would much prefer to be going to the theatre than working: Hikizome ya Omou shibai e Shinobi-goma (First tune of the year; / Stealing off to the theatre we adore; / Mute on the shamisen!) Early colour prints of the 1740s and 1750s used very few colours. This one has only red and green, with white and the usual black outlines. However, the striking kimono designs - waves and plum blossom on the right and seasonal flower motifs scattered across a black and white chequered background on the left - produce a gloriously rich effect. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) L. Smith (ed.), Ukiyo-e images of unknown Japa (London, The British Museum Press, 1988/89) Height: 423.000 mm Width: 302.000 mm Height: 423.000 mm Width: 302.000 mm Okumura Masanobu, Two geisha and a boy carrying a shamisen case, a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps154269_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1756 British Museum: Asia JA 1910.6-14.01 From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD The figure forms a bottle which can be filled by removing the boy's head. The sake (rice wine) is then poured through the bottle that he holds in his hands. The humorous application of such fine quality lacquerware is characteristic of the pleasure-loving society of Japan in the Edo period (AD 1600-1868). Bequeathed by Sir A. W. Franks Gold and coloured lacquer sake pourer in the form of a boy attendant http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339676_m.jpg From Japan Edo period, 18th-19th century AD British Museum: Asia FB2 From Japan 16th-17th century AD Negoro ware is named after its original place of manufacture at the Negoro temple in Japan's Kii Province during the fourteenth century. The objects are carved or turned from wood and then lacquered, first with black and then with vermilion. This sake bottle would have been for the priest's own use. Later such bottles came to be made as altar pieces in Shintō shrines. Negoro wares are greatly prized for their appearance of antiquity, when with time the black layer becomes visible in patches through the vermilion layer. In modern times their simple yet powerful shapes are greatly admired. L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) Asia JA 1978.4-21.1 Height: 33.500 cm Diameter: 17.900 cm (base) Negoro ware sake bottle http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps203936_m.jpg From Japan 16th-17th century AD British Museum: Rooms 92-94: Japan Japan Edo period, AD 1798 This view is taken from a scroll illustrating the group of islands known as Tomo-ga-shima, located off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture in western Japan. The islands were mentioned by this name in ancient poems, and are known principally as a site used by Buddhist monks to practise mountain asceticism (Shugendō).The Western-influenced low horizon and perspective form a similar style to that used by the Edo painter Tani Bunchō (1763-1840) in the famous handscroll depicting the coastline of Izu and Sagami, which he did to the commission of Senior Councillor Matsudaira Sadanobu in 1793. In this view we see the island Torajima to the right, with Kamijima lying in front of Okijima. The scroll continues with views of particular well-known sites on the islands, combining both near and far views in one work. There are labels between each view, and spaces probably intended for brief descriptions. A modern version of the ancient 'blue-and-green landscape style' is used, with distant peaks in dark blue, and closer rocks and slopes in lighter greens. The long preface by Kawai Shunsen (1749-1824) is dated 1798, but does not reveal the artist. Perhaps it was an official painter to the Kii clan who ruled the area. In Shōgoin Temple, Ktyoto, there is another scroll of Tomo-ga-shima dated 1661, by the celebrated artist Kanō Tan'yū (1602-74). I. Hirayama and T. Kobayashi (eds.), HizÅ Nihon bijutsu taikan-1, vol. 2 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1992) William Anderson Collection Height: 275.000 mm Length: 8640.000 mm Views of Tomogashima, a handscroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339573_m.jpg Japan Edo period, AD 1798 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2384 (1881.12-10.02361) Japan Hōei-Shōtoku era (AD 1704-16) A mosquito-net tent has been set up over tatami mats spread with summer quilts. A courtesan turns to glance backwards as she enters. She is wearing a kimono of cool summer colours patterned with boughs of wisteria. The design uses yūzen dyeing techiques and tie-dyed knots enriched with gold embroidery, all of which have been skilfully differentiated by the artist. The gold roundels are built up in three-dimensional swirls of gesso covered in gold paint. The courtesan's fan (uchiwa) has a design of seasonal vine leaves. The compositions of Kaigetsudō Ando's paintings of beautiful women were more inventive than those of his pupils who normally adopted the standing figure pose. Here Ando uses a delicacy of line which gives a gracefulness to the ample figure, as she raises the net with a slender hand. She is framed by the arching shape of the opening in the mosquito-net, while the thick skein of her hair is echoed in the curving folds of netting on the floor. The signature reads: 'Nihon giga Kaigetsudō Ando kore [o] zu [su]' ('Light-hearted painting in Japanese style, this picture was done by Kaigetsudō Ando'). T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) Arthur Morrison Collection Gift of Sir W. Gwynne-Evans, Bt. Height: 1060.000 mm Width: 450.000 mm Kaigetsudō Ando, Courtesan entering a mosquito net, a hanging scroll painting http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps239947_m.jpg Japan Hōei-Shōtoku era (AD 1704-16) British Museum: Asia JA JP 1387 (1913.5-1.0348) Japan Shōwa era, AD 1967 (16/50) The prints of Mori Yoshitoshi (1898-1992) show influences from a number of different stages in his life. In his early years, through his aunt, he came into contact with Kabuki theatre in the Nihombashi district of Tokyo. He also became interested in stencils through his work as a textile designer using stencil dyeing techniques. His textile work brought him in touch with the mingei ('folk crafts') movement where he met the print artist Munakata Shikō (1903-75). This stencil print is a depiction of the shibaraku ('wait a moment!') scene - one of the most famous in all Kabuki drama. The hero, Kamakura no Gongorō Kagemasa, appears in the nick of time to thwart the villain Kiyohara no Takehira. The part of Kagemasa is always played by a member of the Ichikawa actor family. Mori uses two stencils: the base is red-ochre over which a black stencil is printed. The black contains an adhesive to give it the appearance of shiny black lacquer used in the popular eighteenth-century urushi-e ('lacquer prints'). The paper is specially textured hosokawa-gami from Sendai. It is made from mulberry, with the bark fibres standing out conspicuously on the surface. L. Smith, and V. Harris, Modern Japanese prints, 1912-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1994) Gaston Petit Collection Height: 696.000 mm Width: 852.000 mm Mori Yoshitoshi, Mie o kiru ('Posturize'), a stencil print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps255176_m.jpg Japan Shōwa era, AD 1967 (16/50) British Museum: Asia JA 1986.3-21.0494 Japan Shōwa era, AD 1964 (5/10) Ever since the great series of views along the 'Fifty-five Stations along the Tōkaidō Highway' by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), Japanese painters and print artists had been inspired to do new and original versions. Munakata Shikō (1903-75) increased the number to sixty-two when asked to do a set for the Suruga Bank. He did another set in 1966. Here, the cone of Mt. Fuji on the horizon is reduced to a starkly geometrical shape which would have astonished Hiroshige. Munakata experimented with various methods of colouring his prints. One way was to paint them on the back, so that the pigments showed through with a strangely intense glow. Here he applied the colours directly from the front, so strictly this is a cross between a print and a painting. L. Smith, and V. Harris, Modern Japanese prints, 1912-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1994) T. Clark, 100 views of Mount Fuji (London, The British Museum Press, 2001) Height: 630.000 mm Width: 480.000 mm Height: 630.000 mm Width: 480.000 mm Munakata Shikō, 'Kanaya' (Kanaya), a woodblock print http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps253676_m.jpg Japan Shōwa era, AD 1964 (5/10) British Museum: Asia JA 1981.7-30.012 Japan Shōwa era, around AD 1937 Onchi Kōshirō (1891-1955) was one of the most influential twentieth-century Japanese print artists, also active as a poet, painter, illustrator, book designer, and critic. He was the leading figure in the Sōsaku Hanga ('Creative Print') movement. These artists carried out all stages of print production themselves, whereas traditionally the process was divided between publishers, artists, block-cutters and printers. They saw the woodblock print as a form of artistic expression with a potential equal to painting. Onchi aimed to create prints as original works of art in themselves, and it is unusual that in this case the central print was based on an oil painting. The Sea is the only triptych that he made, and only two full printed versions are believed to have been produced. The British Museum has the preparatory oil painting for the central panel, but not the final print. The smaller, square left and right panels featuring fish and shells seen in rock pools, on either side of the nude female bathers, mark the beginning of the abstraction based on natural forms which characterized Onchi's later work. He was interested in the sea from his youth, and already in previous works linked the sea with the female body. The contrasts between the central and flanking panels are striking - of subject, technique and colour. L. Smith, and V. Harris, Modern Japanese prints, 1912-1 (London, The British Museum Press, 1994) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Height: 955.000 mm (painting) Width: 640.000 mm (painting) Onchi Kōshirō, The Sea, a triptych, 1 painted study and 2 colour woodblock prints http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps339009_m.jpg Japan Shōwa era, around AD 1937 British Museum: Asia JP ADD1135 (1998.7-16.01);Asia 1989.3-14.067 (left sheet);Asia 1989.3-14.068 (right sheet) Japan Edo period, about AD 1818-30 Although they are slightly different in size, these two paintings seem to form a pair of scenes showing geisha in and out of doors. Their poses, too, appear to be complementary, with the right-hand pair leaning in towards each other, while the left-hand pair face out to the viewer. The colouring of the kimonos is similar; the dull greens and purples set off the elaborate under-garments and accessories. In the right-hand indoor scene, the standing figure carries a richly worked silver kettle on a lacquer stand. Her companion has an over-sized metal tobacco pipe and a small brocade purse. The startling blue of the obi (sash) of one is picked up by the more sombre pattern of the other. Their ornamental hair-pins are particularly striking. On the left, one geisha is seated on a garden bench, her foot drawn up under her leaving the high geta (clog) on the ground. She carries a fan painted with a blossoming plum picked out in gold. The red background takes the eye through the painting, from the neck opening of one woman to the lower under-robe of the other. Tsukimaro (worked about 1794-1836) started his career as a woodblock print artist in the school of Utamaro, but later took to painting beautiful women in the style of the Maruyama-Shijō school of painting of Kyoto. For these later paintings he used the signature ‘Kansetsu', as here. Signature: Kansetsu sha ('painted by Kansetsu') Seals: Kansetsu no in, Shisen-uji L. Smith, V. Harris and T. Clark, Japanese art: masterpieces in (London, The British Museum Press, 1990) T. Clark, Ukiyo-e paintings in the Briti (London, The British Museum Press, 1992) M. Narasaki (ed.), HizÅ Ukiyo-e taikan, vol. 1 (Tokyo, Kodansha, 1987) William Anderson Collection Height: 1242.000 mm Width: 541.000 mm Height: 1242.000 mm Width: 541.000 mm Kitagawa Tsukimaro, Geisha, a pair of hanging scroll paintings http://www.britishmuseum.org/images/ps202929_m.jpg Japan Edo period, about AD 1818-30 British Museum: Asia JA JP 2632 (1881.12-10.02311);Asia JA JP 2633 (1881.12-10.02312) Unknown late 19th century-early 20th century This Japanese textile is called a ‘noren’. It would have hung at the entrance to a shop or restaurant to indicate that the establishment was open for business. Noren, still used in Japan today, give protection against rain and dust and shade from the sun. They also dissuade prying eyes, yet can easily be brushed aside to allow people to enter. Noren are made from separate panels of cloth sewn together at the top. They have simple, bold designs that suit their function as advertisements. This noren, with its stiking octopus motif, probably hung at the entrance to a shop or restaurant specialising in seafood. FE.49-1982 Length 95.0 cm Width 63.0 cm Noren http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6637.jpg Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown 1900-1945 This exuberantly decorated garment is known as a ‘maiwai’, which means 'a thousand congratulations'. It would have been worn by a Japanese fisherman on the coast of the Bôsô peninsula near Tokyo on New Year's Day and other festive occasions. Maiwai are decorated with colourful sea motifs and auspicious symbols. This robe depicts two of the seven gods of good fortune in treasure ships. Overhead, a crane flies carrying a banner bearing the name of the ship on which the fisherman worked. FE.102-1982 Length 136.0 cm Width 131.0 cm Fisherman's festival garment Maiwai http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV7159.jpg Japan Cotton, with stencil-dyed decoration (katazome) Unknown early 20th century This colourful jacket would probably have been worn on a festive occasion. The motifs - a samurai helmet and arrows - are associated with the Boys Festival, which takes place on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. The pattern has been created using a technique called ‘tsutsugaki’. In this method a design is drawn on the cloth with paste squeezed from a tube (tsutsu). The tube is made from paper treated with persimmon juice to make it water resistant; it has a nozzle of bamboo or metal through which the paste is extruded. The paste, made of rice flour, lime and water, forms a protective coating that prevents the colour penetrating when the cloth is dyed. FE.103-1982 Length 76 cm Width 62.5 cm Jacket http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV7158.jpg Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown late 19th century-early 20th century The futon is the traditional form of Japanese bedding and consists of a mattress and cover both stuffed with raw cotton. This futon cover was probably part of a bride's trousseau, and would have been used on the wedding night. Its auspicious motif, that of a hôô bird, was designed to bring good fortune to the couple in their new life together. The hôô, translated as a phoenix in English although it bears little relation to its western equivalent, represents peace and prosperity. This mythical bird is the female counterpart of the dragon, and its many feathers represent the virtues of truthfulness, propriety, righteousness, benevolence and sincerity. It is generally depicted, as here, with a paulownia tree, which, according to legend, is the only plant on which the bird will sit. FE.71-1984 Length 146.0 cm Width 132.0 cm Futon cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6518.jpg Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown 1850-1900 The motifs on this kimono illustrate the tale of Urashima Taro. Urashima was a fisherman who one day mistakenly caught a tortoise, which he kindly returned to the sea. The following day he saw a beautiful woman clinging to a wreck. The woman was Otomine, one of the princesses in the court of the Dragon King of the Sea. Otomine and Urashima were married and lived for three happy years in the Dragon King's realm until the fisherman began to feel homesick. Otomine begged him not to go and revealed that she was the tortoise he had rescued. Urashima was not dissuaded however, and he left taking a treasure box given by Otomine with the strict instructions that if he wanted to see her again he must not open the box. When he returned home Urashima found all his family had died and even discovered his own grave. Frightened and puzzled he forgot his promise to Otomine and opened the box hoping for an explanation. He discovered that in the three years he had lived with his wife, three hundred years had passed in the real world. He was now a very old man and his spirit left him, leaving him lying dead on his own tomb. T.155-1965 Given by Bernard Leach Length 165 cm (neck to hem) Width 122 cm (across the shoulders) Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1529.jpg Japan Silk crepe, resist-dyed with paste-resist dyeing (yuzen), stencilled imitation tie-dyeing (kata kanoko) and embroidery Unknown 19th century This style of cape was adapted from those worn by Portuguese missionaries in 16th-century Japan. It is called a ‘bôzukappa’, from the Japanese word for priest (bôzu) and the transliteration of the Portuguese for cape (kappa). Their use was initially restricted to members of the military (samurai) class, but by the 18th century other sections of society were wearing them for travel along the expanding network of roads that linked Japan’s towns and cities. The cape is reversible and is patterned on one side using the kasuri technique, whereby yarns are selectively dyed prior to weaving, and on the other with fabric striped in blue, black and orange. The design on the patterned side is the face of Okame, the goddess of mirth, which was no doubt chosen to cheer the traveller on his journey. FE.1-1988 Length 90.5 cm Circumference 252 cm (around hem) Cape http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6475.jpg Japan Cotton woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) 1920-1940 This 20th century kimono would have been worn by a young woman. The design of open fans, flowers and a meandering stream is a traditional one, but the dense, lively pattern and brilliant colours would have made it a very modern garment. FE.127-1988 Length 142 cm Width 123 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1472.jpg Japan Monochrome figured satin silk or artificial silk, with printed decoration Unknown 1860-1920 This length of fabric was woven for use as an obi, the sash that secures a kimono. It may have been woven in Nishijin, the weaving district of Kyoto, which was fanous for the production of nishiki. This term is usually translated as brocade but is actually used to describe a wide variety of silk fabrics woven with supplementary patterning warps, or more commonly, wefts of polychrome silk or metallic threads. Obi made from these colourful fabrics were very popular. T.208-1934 Given by T. B. Clarke-Thornhill Length 427 cm Width 68.6 cm Width 69.5 cm Length of silk http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1221.jpg Japan Figured silk Unknown 1830-1880 The elegant design of pine trees on this kimono was created using a technique called yuzen. This involves drawing the pattern on the cloth with rice paste extruded through the metal tip of a cloth bag. The paste forms a protective coat that prevents the dye penetrating. The large pattern areas were then completely blocked with paste before the background colour was applied. The cloud areas have been created using gold leaf and tiny parts of the design have been highlighted with touches of embroidery. T.266-1968 Height 155.0 cm Width 124 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BK5189.jpg Japan Crêpe silk, with paste-resist decoration (yuzen), areas of scored gold and touches of embroidery in silk thread Unknown late 19th century The design on this bedding (futon) cover has been created using a technique called tsutsugaki, or ‘tube drawing’. In this method woven fabric is stretched on a frame of bamboo and a design drawn on the cloth with paste squeezed from a tube (tsutsu). The tube is made from paper treated with persimmon juice to make it water resistant; it has a nozzle of bamboo or metal through which the paste is extruded. The paste, made of rice flour, lime and water, forms a protective coating that prevents the colour penetrating when the cloth is dyed. Before the dye is applied, the surface of the fabric is brushed with soya bean liquid to seal the paste and help fix the dye. Once the dyed cloth is dry the rice paste is washed off. The process is repeated for the various shades of blue. The other colours are then brushed on. T.199-1964 Length 218 cm Width 151 cm Futon cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6520.jpg Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown early 20th century This length of cotton, now mounted as a hanging scroll, probably once formed part of a bedding cover, or futonji, created to celebrate a wedding. The design is of a shell-matching game which was played with a set of clam shells. Identical pictures were painted on the inside of each pair of shells, the aim of the game being to match up the pairs. The imagery would have been auspicious for a newly married couple. T.212-1964 Height 195.5 cm Width 36.2 cm Hanging scroll http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6647.jpg Japan Cotton, with paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown 1800-1920 This length of cotton fabric may once have formed part of a bedding cover, or futonji, created to celebrate a wedding. The motif of a ship's anchor symbolised the desire for stability in the marriage. The anchor image was also used in Izumo, on the Japan Sea coast of western Honshu (the main island of Japan), on nappies given by the child's maternal grandparents. Here the motif was symbolic of longevity, of 'anchoring' one's life. The fabric is now mounted as a decorative scroll. T.213-1964 Length 158.5 cm (scroll) Width 42.5 cm Width 42 cm (scroll) Length 43.4 cm (textile) Width 30 cm (textile) Scroll http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6645.jpg Japan Cotton, free hand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown 1800-1920 This length of cotton fabric was once part of a bedding cover, or futonji. It is possible that when the cover become worn it was cut up and mounted as a scroll to be displayed in the home, but this re-use of the fabric may have been carried out in the twentieth century by a dealer conscious of the growing popularity of textiles of this kind among collectors. T.216-1964 Length 104 cm (scroll) Width 32.4 cm Width 32 cm (scroll) Length 44.5 cm (textile) Width 27 cm (textile) Scroll http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1215.jpg Japan Cotton, free-hand paste-resist (tsutsugaki) Unknown 1920-1930 A haori is a jacket that is worn over a kimono. This example dates to the 1920s and demonstrates that, while the shape of such garments remained traditional, their decoration often bore an unmistakable contemorary feel. The art deco style featured here was very popular with young women living in major cities such as Tokyo. FE.163-1988 Length 92.5 cm Width 125 cm Jacket Haori http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL4777.jpg Japan Figured crêpe silk, with printed decoration 1890-1920 The cloth for this kimono was made in Niigata, a mountainous area in north-west Japan. In the 19th century, Niigata, or Echigo as it was then known, became famous for its fine quality ramie cloth characteristically patterned with a small hatched design. Although woven in quite a remote rural area, this linen-like fabric was used for kimono worn by wealthy merchants and samurai in large cities such as Edo (present-day Tokyo), Osaka and Kyoto. FE.52-1982 Length 145.0 cm Width 120.0 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6472.jpg Niigata (prefecture), Japan (possibly) Ramie woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) Unknown 1880-1920 This kimono was made in the Ryukyuan islands, the archipelago that stretches to the south of mainland Japan. The cloth known as bashofu is unique to the islands, the fibre being obtained from the leaves of the thread banana plant. The staggered diamond design, reserved in white on a dark blue ground, was created using rice-paste and stencils. The elegance of the design and the fineness of the bashofu cloth suggest that this garment would have been worn by a member of the elite. FE.7-1983 Length 147.5 cm Width 110.0 cm Width 116.5 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6471.jpg Ryukyu Islands, Japan Banana fibre (bashofu), woven in plain weave with design reserved in white on a blue ground in Ryukyuan resist stencil technique (aigata). Lined in soft white cotton with a design in blue Unknown late 19th century-early 20th century This robe was made and worn in the Ryûkyû Islands, the archipelago to the south of mainland Japan. The fabric is woven from the fibres of the thread banana plant. This cloth, known as ‘bashôfu’, was worn by all sections of Ryûkyûan society, although the simple, striped pattern of this garment suggests it belonged to a commoner. The Ryûkyûa Islands were an independent kingdom until 1879, when they were annexed by Japan. This robe has sleeves similar to a Japanese kimono, which indicates that it was made after 1879. FE.12-1985 Length 128.0 cm Width 112.0 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6473.jpg Ryukyu Islands, Japan Banana fibre, plain weave with brown variegated stripes Hamada, Shinsaku, born 1929 1985 Hamada Shinsaku, who made this stoneware jar, is the second son of Hamada Shoji, one of Japan's most famous twentieth century potters. He continues in his father's footsteps as an important mingei or folk craft artist. The use of overlapping light and dark glazes seen on this jar is characteristic of much Japanese mingei pottery. FE.3-1986 Given by the Satoh Artcraft Research and Scholarship Foundation Height 24.8 cm Jar http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV3603.jpg Mashiko, Japan Stoneware, glazed Miura, Koheiji, born 1933 1986 Miura Koheiji is one of Japan's leading makers of celadon wares. The blueish-green glaze and widely spaced brown crackle on this lidded jar are inspired by the guan (official) wares created for the imperial court in China in the Southern Song period (1128-1279). The globular shape of the jar is a perfect vehicle for the softly textured glaze. Miura's work is rarely without a touch of playfulness, seen here in the donkey-shaped knob which is based on sketches made during one of his trips to Central Asia. FE.15A&B-1986 (Jar) Height 18.3 cm Jar and cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV3601.jpg Tokyo (city), Japan Stoneware, with crackled celadon glaze Unknown 1850-1900 The quilting technique used on this jacket is known as ‘sashiko’. This method of sewing layers of cotton fabric together was used to make work clothes warmer and more durable. This jacket was designed to be worn when pulling sledges. The diagonal band reinforces the fabric against the tension created when the jacket is in use. FE.108-1982 Length 87.0 cm Width 46.0 cm Jacket http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV7157.jpg Shonai, Japan (region, possibly) Indigo-dyed cotton, quilted in blue and white cotton thread (sashiko) Unknown late 19th century This length of kimono fabric has been patterned using a method known as ‘kasuri’. In this technique sections of yarn are bound or tightly compressed prior to being dyed. The dye does not penetrate these areas when the skein is dipped in the dye bath. The binding is then removed, leaving a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. This is then used as the warp and / or the weft, and a pattern emerges as the cloth is woven. Great skill is required on the part of the dyer, and the weaver, to ensure that the design appears as planned. T.99-1957 Length 140.0 cm Width 33 cm Length of textile http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN4736.jpg Kyushu, Japan Bast fibre (asa) woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) Unknown 19th century This robe was made and worn in Okinawa, the largest of the islands in the Ryûkyûan archipelago that stretches to the south of mainland Japan. Until 1879, when it became part of Japan, the islands were an independent kingdom. Robes such as this were worn only by members of the Ryûkyûan royal family. The pattern of maple leaves has been created using stencils and bright mineral pigments. This technique is known as ‘bingata’. T.295-1960 Length 132.0 cm Width 124.5 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AV8270.jpg Shuri, Japan Cotton, with stencilled decoration (bingata) Unknown 19th century This cotton robe was made and worn in Okinawa, the largest of the islands in the Ryûkyûan archipelago that stretches to the south of mainland Japan. Until 1879, when it became part of Japan, the islands were an independent kingdom. Robes such as this were worn only by members of the Ryûkyûan royal family. The pattern - flowers on a pink ground of leaves - has been created using stencils and bright mineral pigments. This technique is known as ‘bingata’. T.296-1960 Length 138.5 cm Width 124.5 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BG3008.jpg Shuri, Japan Cotton, with stencilled decoration (bingata) Unknown late 19th century This length of fabric, originally part of a bedding cover, has been patterned using a method known as kasuri. In this technique, sections of yarn are bound or tightly compressed prior to being dyed. The dye does not penetrate these areas when the skein is dipped in the dye bath. The binding is then removed, leaving a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. This is then used as the warp and / or the weft, and a pattern emerges as the cloth is woven, great skill being required on the part of the dyer, and the weaver, to ensure that the design appears as planned. The geometic pattern on this fabric represents rice measures. T.326-1960 Length 200.0 cm Width 93.5 cm Quilt cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6469.jpg Kyushu, Japan Cotton woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) Unknown 1850-1900 The fabric of this kimono was probably woven in Echigo (present day Niigata), a mountainous area in north-west Japan famous for cloth such as this. The pattern was created with a technique known as ‘kasuri’, which involves the binding of certain sections of yarn prior to dyeing. When the skein is dipped in the dye bath the colour does not penetrate the bound areas, creating a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. A pattern, here of chrysanthemums and hatched lines, then emerges as the cloth is woven. The woman who wore this kimono may have lived in Echigo. However, it is equally likely that she lived in Edo, Kyoto, Osaka or some other city, for kasuri kimono were very fashionable among urban women in the 19th century. T.329-1960 Length 133.5 cm Width 122.5 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN4735.jpg Honshu, Japan Hemp woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) Unknown late 19th century The textile was used either as a bedding cover (futon-ji) or as a cover for furniture (yutan). It was probably part of a bride's trousseau, and its auspicious motif was designed to bring good fortune to the couple in their new life together. The design is of noshi, dried slices of abalone meat. A homophone (a word with the same sound as another word of a different meaning) of noshi means ‘extend’, so strips of dried abalone were traditionally tied to gifts to increase the wishes for a good and long life. T.330-1960 Length 158 cm Width 124 cm Quilt cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6641.jpg Honshu, Japan Cotton, with freehand paste-resist decoration (tsutsugaki) Unknown 19th century This robe was made and worn in Okinawa, the largest of the islands in the Ryûkyûan archipelago that stretches to the south of mainland Japan. Until 1879, when it became part of Japan, the islands were an independent kingdom. Robes such as this were worn only by members of the Ryûkyûan royal family. The striking pattern, of cranes, pine trees, clouds and chrysanthemums, has been created using stencils and bright mineral pigments. This technique is known as ‘bingata’. T.18-1963 Length 132 cm Width 128 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT0602.jpg Shuri, Japan Cotton, with stencilled decoration (bingata) Unknown 1850-1900 This fragment would have originally been part of a bedding cover (futon-ji). It depicts a lion-like creature known as a shishi or karashishi (Chinese lion) which are characterised by their fierce expression, prominent eyes and curly manes and tails. Pairs of stone shishi often guard Buddhist temples while in art they are frequently depicted, as here, gambolling among peonies. The shishi symbolises energy and valour while the peony beauty and riches so the combination was considered a very auspicious one. The design was created with a technique knows as ‘kasuri’, which involves the binding of certain sections of yarn prior to dyeing. When the skein is dipped in the dye bath the colour does not penetrate the bound areas, creating a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. A pattern then emerges as the cloth is woven. T.126-1968 Height 37 cm Width 30.8 cm Width 31 cm Quilt cover, fragment http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1279.jpg Fukuoka (prefecture), Japan Plain weave cotton woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) Unknown 1800-1920 This length of cotton fabric was once part of a a bedding cover, or futonji, created to celebrate a marriage. Such textiles were decorated with auspicious images chosen to bestow good fortune on the newly-wed couple. This fabric is patterned with the image of a tortoise. In Japn this animal is a symbol of longevity and is believed to carry good wishes on its back. T.134-1968 Length 138.5 cm Width 31.7 cm Width 31 cm Length http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1247.jpg Japan Cotton, free-hand paste-resist decoration Unknown 1800-1950 The futon is the traditional form of bedding in Japan and consists of a cotton mattress and cover, both stuffed with raw cotton. The cover is characteristically patterned with auspicious motifs, the pine trees, cranes and tortoises here being popular symbols of good luck and longevity. These alternate with a bold geometric pattern of paired squares. The design was created with a technique knows as ‘kasuri’, which involves the binding of certain sections of yarn prior to dyeing. When the skein is dipped in the dye bath the colour does not penetrate the bound areas, creating a yarn that is partly white and partly coloured. A pattern then emerges as the cloth is woven. T.98-1969 Height 174.0 cm Width 60.0 cm Width 160 cm Quilt cover http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1547.jpg Fukuoka (prefecture), Japan Plain weave cotton woven with selectively pre-dyed yarns (kasuri) 1910-1930 This kimono, which dates from the early 20th century, has long 'swinging sleeves' (furisode), which indicate that it would have been worn by a young, unmarried woman. The designer has composed an entire landscape across the surface of the garment, the image of cranes, rippling water, rocks and cherry blossoms being created with a technique called yuzen. This involves drawing the pattern on the cloth with rice paste extruded through a metal tip attached to a cloth bag. The paste forms a protective coat that prevents the colour penetrating when the dyes are applied. The pastel colours of this design were very popular in the early 20th century. FE.233:1-1974 Hardcastle Gift Length 160 cm Width 124 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1387.jpg Japan Silk crêpe, with paste-resist decoration (yuzen) and touches of embroidery in silk thread Utagawa Kunisada (I), born 1786 - died 1864 (designers) Honya Naoshichi (publishers) 1851 (printing) This print depicts two Kabuki actors performing the Lion Dance (Shishi-mai) as part of a performance given at the Nakamura-za theatre in the fourth month of 1851. The actor carrying the shishi mask has been identified as Ichikawa Kodanji IV. The Lion Dance was known throughout Japan, and has been in use since the eighth century, originally as a type of religious exorcism. It later became celebrated as an entertainment at popular festivals, particularly at New Year. E.6419:1, 2-1886 Height 37.5 cm Width 26.2 cm Woodblock print http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT8353.jpg Tokyo (city), Japan (published) Woodblock print Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publishers) 1851 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design shows Tonosawa, one of the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hiroshige has used shades of blue, grey and purple to depict Tonosawa nestling at dusk beyond the reaches of the Haya River. Hakone is still one of the most popular resorts in Japan. It is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture. From certain vantage points, it offers spectacular views of Mount Fuji some 40 kilometres away. Hakone was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it relatively easily. Many of its inns were built around its hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e' ('pictures of the floating world') artists. They made paintings and woodblocks aimed at the popular urban market. E.12065-1886 View of Tonosawa A Tour of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM6086.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1851 This 'aizuri' or monochrome blue 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design depicts Kiga. It was one of the seven hot springs of Hakone. The high vantage point offers a sweeping view over the enclosing cliffs and the mountains beyond. The characters in the red cartouches read, from left to right, 'Ashisokokuraya', 'yushuku', 'Sugawa', 'Hayakawa' and, once again, 'yushuku'. 'Yushuku' means 'hot spring inn'. Ashisokokuraya appears to be a place name. Hayakawa, or Haya River, is the name of the river downstream of the bridge. Sugawa is the name of its upper reaches. Hakone is still one of the most popular resorts in Japan. It is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture. From certain vantage points, it offers spectacular views of Mount Fuji some 40 kilometres away. Hakone was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it relatively easily. Many of its inns were built around its hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e' ('pictures of the floating world') artists. They made paintings and woodblocks aimed at the popular urban market. E.12066-1886 Kiga Spring A Tour of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0985.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publishers) Hori Mino (Engraver) 1854 The night view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print design) by Hiroshige is from the western side of the Sumida river, taken from the upper floor of one of the restaurants to the north of the Imado Bridge in Edo's Imado Asakusa district. The vertical blue banner tells us that the speciality of the restaurant is soba, or buckwheat noodles. The torii gate (the two-column entrance) of the Mimeguri Shrine can be seen across the river, partially cut off by the wooden pillar in the foreground. Steps marking the start of the Takeya ferry crossing lead up to the Shrine from a break in the row of stakes protecting the river-bank. E.12072-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Mimeguri Shrine from the Opposite Side of the Crossing Ferry Crossings in Katsushika in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0489.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publishers) Hori Mino (Engraver) 1854 The location depicted in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is the Niijuku ferry crossing, the point at which the Mito Highway met the Naka river to the north-east of Edo. It is not clear whether we are looking east from the Kameari (Edo) side of the river or west from Niijuku, the village from which the crossing took its name. The restaurants in this area, part of one of which is visible on the right, were well known for the delicious carp they served to customers. E.12073-1886 The Niijuku Crossing Ferry Crossings in Katsushika in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0855.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publishers) 1854 The view of the Hashiba ferry crossing in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the embankment that marked the western edge of the Mukojima district in north-east Edo. In the centre, across the Sumida river, is the Massaki Shrine, while on the near bank are the thatched roofs of the huts in the immediate vicinity of the crossing. The tall trees that are usually shown surrounding the huts have been dispensed with in this design in order to give prominence to the figures under the blossoming cherry tree in the foreground and to give a clearer view across the river. This is evidence of the license commonly exercised by Hiroshige and other artists in the interests of compositional effect. E.12074-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Hashiba Crossing Ferry Crossings in Katsushika in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0445.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publishers) 1854 The view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the northern bank of the Onagigawa Canal at the point at which it meets the lower reaches of the Naka river on the eastern side of Edo's Honjo Fukagawa district. Sailing-boats ply the river, which flows southwards into the middle distance. The stretch of water just visible to the rear left is the Shinkawa Canal, the eastward extension of Onagigawa Canal. These canals were dug in the early 17th century to create a transport link with the river systems to the east and north of Edo. E.12075-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Nakagawa Crossing Ferry Crossings in Katsushika in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0488.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanpei (publishers) 1856 The commanding view of Edo Bay in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the top of Mount Goten in the southern (Shinagawa) part of the Takanawa district in south Edo. When the villa that occupied the site burnt down in the late 17th century, it became a popular place for viewing cherry blossoms open to the citizens of Edo at large. Like the view taken from the opposite direction in Hiroshige's One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, the focus here is less on the blooming cherry trees than on the scarred landscape that resulted from huge quantities of earth being dug away to build the cluster of island fortresses visible in the distance. Known as odaiba, these were built as an emergency measure following the arrival of Commodore Perry and his American warships in 1853. E.12079-1886 Cherry Trees on Mount Goten Flower Siblings at Famous Places (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0881.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanpei (publishers) 1856 The setting in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is the Omurai plum garden behind the Azuma Shrine in the south-east corner of Edo's north-easterly Mukojima district. The courtesans in the foreground are well wrapped on the cold winter's day. Behind them, across a stretch of water, are small figures climbing up a grassy hill. This is, in fact, an artificial replica of Mount Fuji, one of many such constructions dotted about Edo in Hiroshige's time. The first of these was built in Takada in the western part of the city in 1779. It was the brainchild of a follower of a popular religious cult whose worship focused on Mount Fuji and for whom the climb to its 3,776-metre summit was the ultimate undertaking. This journey was more than could by managed by the young, the infirm and the elderly, and it was for their benefit that miniature versions of Mount Fuji like this one were built. The slip of folded paper in the hair of the woman on the left is a talisman from the Myogi Shrine, located in the grounds of the nearby Kameido Tenjin Shrine. Talismans from the Myogi Shrine were believed to provide protection against thunder and lightning. They were obtainable on the first Rabbit Day of each month. E.12080-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Plum Garden at Omurai Flower Siblings at Famous Places (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0883.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanpei (publishers) 1856 The view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is south-west across a grove of blossoming peach trees towards Mount Fuji. The woman standing on the right is smoking a pipe, while her seated companion sips tea. The location of this peaceful scene is to the west of Edo in what is now part of Mitaka. Mount Fuji, clad in snow and geographically relatively close, appears larger than in views taken from the centre of the city. E.12081-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Peach Blossoms at Momonoi in Osawa Flower Siblings at Famous Places (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0496.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publishers) 1857 The night view looking westwards along the Kanda Water Supply in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken just upstream from where the watercourse divided into two at Sekiguchi on the southern border of Edo's Zoshigaya district. The northern branch of the Kanda Water Supply, which was constructed in the early 17th century, flowed east towards Suidobashi and then turned south over a wooden aqueduct. The southern branch, effectively the overspill, flowed over a dam and joined the Sotobori Outer Moat at Iidabashi. In the middle distance we can see the Komadome Bridge, and to the right the edge of the high ground occupied by the Suijin Shrine, dedicated, like its counterpart on the east bank of the Sumida river, to the god of water. The Kerria Village of the title refers to a legend concerning the medieval warlord Ota Dokan (1432-1486), whose aspiration to become a poet is said to have been inspired by a chance meeting with a young girl who gave him a sprig of kerria blossom. The three known designs from this series, published the year before Hiroshige died, are remarkable for the quality of calm engendered by their wide horizons and the unusual way in which their female subjects gaze into the distance with their backs turned to the viewer. E.12083-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of the Kanda Water Supply Flowing through Yamabuki (Kerria) Village in Mejiroshita A Mirror of Famous Rivers in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0854.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publishers) 1857 The location in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is the high ground at the southern (Shinagawa) end of the Takanawa district in south Edo. It is early morning and the summer sun is about to rise over Edo Bay and the Boso Peninsula far away to the east. A prostitute, still dishevelled from sleep, is lifting the netting that has protected her against mosquitoes during the night. Below on the left one can just discern among the pine trees the top of a torii gate (a two-column entrance) and a small shrine. This is the Susaki Shrine, dedicated to Benten, the goddess of water. Not visible, like the customer with whom the woman has probably spent the night, is the mouth of the Meguro river. As suggested by the title, this flows into the sea through a channel to the immediate left of the shrine. The three known designs from this series, published the year before Hiroshige died, are remarkable for the quality of calm engendered by their wide horizons and the unusual way in which their female subjects gaze into the distance with their backs turned to the viewer. E.12084-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) All Rivers Converge and Flow into the Sea A Mirror of Famous Rivers in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0495.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publishers) 1857 The ribmarks faintly visible in the sky add a certain drama to the strongly receding view of the upper reaches of the Sumida river in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. To the north-east, some 65 kilometres away, the distinctive shape of Mount Tsukuba rises on the darkening horizon. From our position in the middle of the Azuma Bridge, the northernmost of the four bridges that spanned the Sumida river, we can see among the trees to the left the roof of the Shoten Shrine at Matsuchiyama. Just beyond lies the entrance to the San'yabori Canal, the point at which travellers to the Yoshiwara licensed pleasure quarter would alight from their boats to make the final part of their journey by foot along the Nihon Embankment. On the right we can see the more open space of the Mukojima district. Two sets of steps lead down to the river, the nearer being those of the Takeya ferry crossing, behind which, over the top of the embankment, the torii gate (a two-column entrance) of the Mimeguri Shrine is just visible. The reedy strands in the middle of the river force even the smallest of sculls to steer a careful course across the waters. E.12087-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Banks of the Sumida River Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0444.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Tsujiya Yasubei (publishers) 1857 This moonlit view in Hiroshige's uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design shows the landing-point of the Onmayagashi ferry crossing on the western bank of the Sumida river just north of the shogunate's rice granary in Edo's Asakusa district. Three courtesans in summer attire, one of them holding an umbrella and another a fan, are about to alight from the boat. Behind them, just visible on the horizon to the south, is Ryogoku Bridge, and to the left the 'Okawabata' or Great River-bank area. E.12088-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Onmayagashi Crossing A Compendium of Ferry Crossings with Sun, Moon and Flowers (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0494.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Keisai Eisen, born 1790 - died 1848 (designers) Matsumura Tatsuemon (publishers) 1818-1821 Woodblock prints such as this were produced in large numbers in 18th- and 19th-century Japan. This print was published in the early 1800s, by which time the techniques of full-colour printing had been perfected. Prints such as this are sometimes called ukiyo-e, which means 'pictures of the floating world’. This world was one of transient delights and changing fashions centred on the licensed pleasure districts and popular theatres found in the major cities of Japan. This print is taken from a series examining 'forty-eight techniques of the Floating World'. The two women seem to be sharing a secret; perhaps the woman in the foreground (whose blackened teeth and shaved eyebrows indicate that she is married) has told the woman in the background that her lover is waiting for her in a tea shop. Images of beautiful women like this served as guides to and souvenirs of the faces and changing hair- and dress-styles of the women who worked in the pleasure quarters. E.12976-1886 Height 386 mm Width 260 mm Meeting at a Tea House Forty-eight Techniques of the Floating World (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AW2254.jpg Japan (published) Colour print from wood blocks Unknown 19th century This textile is a ‘kesa’, a rectangular garment worn by Japanese Buddhist priests. Kesa are made of a sewn patchwork of cloth, the arrangement of the sections of fabric into columns surrounded by a border serving as a mandala, a symbolic rendering of the universe. The central column represents the Buddha, the two square patches of other fabric either side his attendants, and the four at the corners the cardinal directions. The act of sewing the garment is in itself a devotional pursuit. This kesa is woven with gold, which would have shimmered in the light of the temple candles. T.84-1927 Given by T. B. Clark-Thornhill Length 117 cm Width 272 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AR9410.jpg Japan Polychrome figured silk Fujita Kyohei, born 1921 1988 Fujita Kyohei is one of Japan's leading glass makers. He has worked extensively in both Japan and the West and is known for the lavish and highly decorative nature of his work. The two halves of this box were made by blowing molten glass into metal moulds. The rich surface decoration was achieved by the application of small pieces of red and white glass in combination with silver and gold leaf. Mattness and texture were provided by masking out the areas covered in metal leaf with wax resist before dipping in an acid bath. This decorative scheme and the title of the box, 'Red and White Plum Blossoms', allude to a famous pair of screens by the painter Ogata Korin (1658-1716), demonstrating the enduring vitality of traditional Japanese artistic styles in late twentieth century Japan. FE.6A, B-1989 Acquired through the generosity of Mitochu Koeki Company and the artist Height 26.8 cm Width 22.8 cm (from centre to centre of opposing facets) Red and White Plum Blossoms (Box) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT8128.jpg Tokyo (city), Japan Mould-blown glass Shimura Fukumi 1988 Shimura Fukumi, the designer of this kimono, weaves with tsumugi, a type of silk drawn from wild cocoons or the spoiled leftovers of cultivated silk production. Apart from indigo, which she obtains from a specialist supplier, Shimura makes all her dyes from plants grown in her own garden. This kimono is woven with yarns of indigo blue, yellow derived from eulalia, brown from onion skins and green produced by dyeing with eulalia over indigo. The name of the kimono, 'Ise', is inspired by the 10th century Tales of Ise, one of the most famous works of Japanese literature. In 1990 Shimura was awarded the title of Living National Treasure, Japan's highest accolade for those working in the field of traditional crafts. FE.11:1-1989 Length 167.5 cm Width 138 cm Ise (Kimono) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1465.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Plain-weave tsumugi silk Unknown ca. 1870 844-1872 Width 105.8 cm Height 79.2 cm Depth 41 cm Tray http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT9075.jpg Nagasaki (prefecture), Japan (possibly) Tortoiseshell, with lacquer and ivory appliqué Weil, Daniel, born 1953 (designers) APEX (manufacturers) 1981 (Designed) 1983 (manufactured) W.9-1992 Height 29 cm Width 20.7 cm Depth 3 cm Radio in a Bag (Radio) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL4819.jpg Tokyo (city), Japan (manufactured) Transistor radio components in a printed plastic (PVC) bag Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series depicting legendary artisans. Ryukatei Tanekazu provided the text. The craftswoman shown here is Roku. She is the girl credited with starting the comb-making industry in the mountainous Kiso region of southern Nagano Prefecture. Combs made in the area were named after her. The text explains how Roku was deeply loyal to her poverty-stricken parents. She prayed regularly for their lot to improve. One night the god of Suwa visited her in a dream and told her to find a particular kind of wood from which to fashion combs. The combs she made proved so popular that her family became rich and prosperous. The text on the shop sign behind her reads 'Meibutsu / Onkushidokoro', meaning 'Famous Product / Comb-maker'. E.2918-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Kiso no Oroku Combs A Compendium of Famous Artisans (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0442.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Unknown 1950s (manufactured) The horse and rider is part of the Barry Joseph collection of mechanical horses which was purchased by the museum in 1994. This is an unusual example of a 1950s Japanese clockwork toy in that wood and metal have been used in its construction as opposed to metal alone or metal with plastic. B.141-1994 Height 16.5 cm Width 7.7 cm Mechanical horse and rider http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4238.jpg Japan (manufactured) Wooden construction, with a metal clockwork mechanism Unknown 1970s (manufactured) This donkey and rider were made in Japan in the 1970s at a time when the production of clockwork toys was still robust. This toy, which represents Pinocchio on a donkey, springs along and tosses the rider about when wound up. B.182:1 to 3-1994 Height 17.8 cm Depth 5.1 cm Width 12.3 cm Mechanical donkey and rider http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4177.jpg Japan (manufactured) Plush covered lithographed tinplate, with a metal clockwork mechanism; rider of moulded vinyl Mansei Toys (manufacturer) 1960s-1970s (manufactured) B.192-1994 Height 17.8 cm Width 2.5 in Mechanical toy http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4225.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a metal clockwork mechanism Unknown 1950s-1960s (manufactured) This toy is part of the Barry Joseph collection of mechanical horses purchased by the museum in 1994. The horse and rider are cast in two halves lengthwise and held with tongue and slot joints. The horse is in a galloping stance and under its legs are pictured scenes of skies, cacti and hills. The figure riding the horse is a Native American rather than the more commonly seen cowboy. The toy was made in Japan in the 1950s or 1960s when Hollywood was releasing films about cowboys and Indians, a favourite subject at the time with filmgoers. B.147-1994 Height 6.5 in Width 2.4 in Mechanical horse http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4977.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with a friction drive mechanism Mansei Toys (manufacturers) 1960s-1970s (manufactured) B.193-1994 Height 17.8 cm Width 6.5 cm Mechanical toy http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4232.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a metal clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (manufacturers) 1960-1980 (manufactured) B.199-1994 Height 15.3 cm Mechanical toy http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4216.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a metal clockwork mechanism Unknown 1950s (manufactured) B.165:1 to 3-1994 Height 7.6 cm Width 16.5 cm Depth 5.25 in Cowboy Seesaw (Mechanical toy) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4247.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a metal clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.107-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Width 1.75 in Height 1 in Mechanical frog http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4158.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with a clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.109-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.5 in Width 1.25 in Mechanical frog http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4151.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) This toy turtle has an internal clockwork mechanism. When wound up the toy moves along on two centre wheels, which are connected to the mechanism. Its loosely attached, knob shaped head bobs when the toy is in motion. B.111-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.75 in Width 3.42 in Mechanical turtle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4140.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.112-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.5 in Width 2.75 in Mechanical turtle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4149.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.113-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2.6 cm Width 2 in Mechanical turtle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4879.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with friction drive mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.118-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.75 in Width 2.25 in Mechanical ladybird http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4208.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) The upper body of this hen is lithographed tin plate while the underside, beak, comb and feet are plastic, as is the cart the hen is pulling. A clockwork mechanism is housed inside the body. When wound up the hen walks on its flat feet while towing the cart. The toy was made by the Tokyo based Yoneya Toys Co, one of Japan's leading manufacturers of mechanical toys. B.119-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 4 in Width 2 in Mechanical hen http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4171.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) This toy crocodile is lithographed tin plate with an internal clockwork mechanism. It has four sections: the head, which contains the mechanism; two square body pieces; and a pointed tail. The sections are connected by three swivel bar links. When wound up the crocodile gently sways on two wheels set under the head and another set of wheels under the second body part. B.122-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.125 in Width 1.5 in Mechanical crocodile http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4239.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) This realistic toy beetle has wings, pincers and operates on an internal clockwork mechanism.When wound up, the beetle moves on two centre wheels which are connected to the mechanism. When the toy is in motion the mechanism also operates the beetle's wings, which open and close. B.123-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2 in Width 3.5 in Mechanical beetle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4195.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.125-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2 in Width 7.5 in Mechanical butterfly http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4244.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Mikuni (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.129-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2.25 in Width 1.25 in Mechanical bird http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4168.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Mikuni (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.130-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2.25 in Width 1.25 in Mechanical robin http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4153.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate with clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) The lithographed tinplate plane has a mechanism housed under the body and a lever on the right wing. The yellow underside and grey tail are plastic. The mechanism appears to be friction drive but in this case does not function. This toy was made in Japan but bought in China. B.152-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2.75 in Width 4.5 in Mechanical plane http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4885.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a friction drive mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) This toy helicopter is lithographed tinplate with a friction drive mechanism housed under the body. When in motion the helicopter moves on two wheels set in the centre which are connected to the mechanism. The rotor blades spin and a wheel at the back balances the helicopter. This toy was made in Japan but bought in China. B.153-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 2.25 in Width 1.75 in Mechanical helicopter http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4917.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a friction drive mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (possibly manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) This clockwork train engine is lithographed tinplate. Its mechanism is housed inside the body. When wound up with the accompanying key the train moves along on four plastic wheels connected to the mechanism. The toy was made, probably in Tokyo, by the Japanese Yoneya Company, but was bought in China. B.155-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 1.5 in Width 1.75 in Mechanical train http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4144.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (possibly manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.168-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 4.5 cm Width 6.4 cm Length 12.3 cm Emergency Rescue Car (Mechanical toy car) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4233.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.170-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 5.1 cm Width 6.3 cm Length 10.2 cm Pan Am Airport Service (Mechanical toy truck) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4249.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.171-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 4.4 cm Width 6.4 cm Length 2.1 cm VW Beetle (Mechanical toy car) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4213.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a clockwork mechanism Yoneya Toys Co. Ltd. (manufacturers) 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.173-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 8.5 cm Width 3.2 cm Mechanical toy motorcycle http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4217.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with a clockwork mechanism Unknown 1975-1979 (manufactured) B.196-1996 Given by Clio Whittaker Height 14 cm Width 7.1 cm Depth 5.1 cm Mechanical toy robot http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4212.jpg Japan (manufactured) Lithographed tinplate, with clockwork mechanism Hirata Narikazu (possibly) ca. 1800-1850 This ‘tsuba’ (sword-guard) is made of a copper alloy. Known in Japanese as ‘shakudo’, it contains approximately 95% copper and 5% gold (with other trace elements) and is patinated to a rich black. The 16th-century warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi likened the colour to ‘rain on a crow’s wing’. Here the surface has been hammered to give the stone effect known in Japanese as ‘ishime’. The ‘tsuba’ is decorated with inlaid panels of translucent cloisonné enamels (enamels contained within wires) in the traditional style of the Hirata school. There is a gold plaque with the engraved signature of Hirata Narikazu. He worked from about 1601 to 1652 and this piece would appear to be an early 19th-century copy of his work. The two holes through which two small utility knives would have passed have been filled with gold plugs decorated in the ‘cat’s-scratch’ technique. A copper spacer has been applied to the bottom of the slit for the sword blade. This would enable the blade to fit snugly in the ‘tsuba’. M.1629-1931 Height 7.7 cm Width 7.4 cm Tsuba http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AC7000.jpg Japan Copper alloy (shakudo) with inlaid cloisonné enamels NUNO Corporation NUNO Corporation (manufacturer) 1997 The NUNO Corporation was founded in 1984. Based in Tokyo, its design studio creates modern textiles and accessories. NUNO designers are renowned for their ability to develop and apply the latest technology to textile design and manufacture. However, much of their work is also based on traditional Japanese textile techniques and aesthetics, and it is this fusion of the traditional with the contemporary that makes NUNO fabrics so innovative. Ripple Reed has been produced using the technique most often used to weave lightweight summer kimono (yukata) and sashes. The reeds (osa) of the loom are typically flat, however Nuno has used a loom with rippled reeds, which gives the resultant fabric a beautiful natural horizontal wave pattern. Today only a handful of craftspeople can produce this finely detailed work, and fewer still can craft the rippled reeds for the loom. T.120-1998 Given by Nuno Corporation Width 90 cm Length 326 cm Ripple Reed (Woven textile) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1051.jpg Japan Woven nylon and silk Unknown ca. 1670-1700 FE.50-1980 Screen http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN6539.jpg Japan Wood, covered in black lacquer, with gold, silver and red hiramaki-e lacquer, and metal foil, studs and shells Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of the immortal Gama Sennin. Katabori netsuke are often regarded as miniature sculptures. Although netsuke were designed to be suspended from a sash and, as such, were conceived in the round, many could stand on a flat surface, as in this example. It became something of a trick among carvers to make a figure stand on one leg, even though it might appear top heavy. During the early 17th century, when katabori netsuke were first made, the influence of China was strong and many Chinese books reached Japan. These included works on immortals, spirits and deities that had been published during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Most notable among them was the profusely illustrated Liexian quanzhuan (Complete Stories of Immortals), published in 1600. It gives a written account of nearly 500 deities, each with an illustration. Such was its popularity that in 1650 it appeared in a Japanese edition as Yusho ressen zenden (Complete Illustrated Lives of Immortals). As practitioners of the Chinese religious-philosophical tradition Taoism, immortals were perfected beings who, through self-cultivation, were able to transcend their normal existence. This netsuke shows the popular immortal Gama Sennin, who can be identified by his attribute, the toad, which climbs up his robe. A.11-1915 Fox Gift Height 6.35 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0453.jpg Japan Carved ivory Kanekado 16th century The shape of this short sword (‘wakizashi’) is known as the ‘kammuri otoshi’ (literally ‘crown-drop’) style. As fashions and styles of fighting changed, good early blades might be shortened and remounted in more contemporary styles and this blade has been shortened (‘suriage’), which has resulted in the loss of the final character of the smith’s signature. It is, however, clearly a 16th-century blade and may have been made either by Kanekado or Kanetsuna, both of whom worked around 1532. From the folding and forging technique used in its manufacture the blade clearly shows strong ‘masame’ (parallel longitudinal graining) and ‘mokume’ (concentric wooden graining). It also shows lines of ‘nioi’ (literally ‘visual fragrance’ - a term used to describe the cloudy pattern of crystals in the steel, which are said to resemble the Milky Way) along the gently undulating tempered edge (‘hamon’). The blade may even have been converted from a polearm blade (‘naginata’) into a wakizashi. The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. LOAN:OXLEY BRENNAN.1 Short sword Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9355.jpg Japan Forged steel Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1839 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design is by Hiroshige. It is one of three that depict pairs of views along the Kisokaido Highway. This ancient inland route connected eastern Japan with the imperial capital of Kyoto. Another series, datable to the mid-1830s, is entitled the 'Eight Views of the Front and Back Highways' ('Omote Ura Ekiro Hakkei'). It depicts single views along the Tokaido Highway. The two series have very similar titles. Their dates of production are also very close. This suggests that they were designed to complement one another. The simple colouring of the later series balances the rich polychrome of the 1830s series. The Usui Pass of the title is on the border between Gunma and Nagano prefectures just to the east of the 19th post-station at Karuizawa. Kumagaya, the 9th post-station, is situated in the north of Saitama Prefecture about halfway between Edo and the Usui Pass. The descending geese you can see in the middle distance appear to be associated with the Kumagaya Embankment. It is not clear what association Hiroshige intended for the Usui Pass. E.4877-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Views of the Usui Pass and the Kumagaya Embankment Eight Views of the Back and Front Highways (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0891.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) ca. 1840-1842 Arashiyama is a well-known area in the north-western part of Kyoto. It takes its name from the small mountain we see here from the northern bank of the Hozu River. Boatmen pole rafts of logs towards the Togetsu Bridge on the horizon to the east. Arashiyama was only a short distance from the centre of Kyoto. People visited it all year round, as they still do today. It was particularly busy during the cherry blossom season and at maple-viewing time, as shown here in this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. E.4871-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Autumn Leaves and the Togetsu Bridge at Arashiyama in Kyoto (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0892.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows a distant view of Mount Fuji. Suzumegaura ('Swallow Bay') in the foreground was one of numerous beauty spots in the Kanazawa area. Artists and travellers alike had celebrated the Kanazawa 'Hakkei' ('Eight Views of Kanazawa') since the early 17th century. They were popular with travellers from Edo (modern Tokyo) making the journey to Enoshima further to the west. E.4832-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of Suzume Bay at Kanazawa in Musashi Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0538.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows two women in travelling clothes. They are resting on their way to the Kotohira (Konpira) Shrine in the eastern part of Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Zozusan ('Mount Elephant Head') was the popular name for the heavily wooded south-eastern end of Mount Osa. You can just make out some of the shrine buildings on the lower slope of the mountain, to the right of the reddening sky. Founded in the 11th century, the Kotohira Shrine was dedicated to the guardian deity of fishermen and sailors. During the Edo period (1615-1868) large numbers of pilgrims from all over Japan visited it. They still do today. E.2912-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Distant View of Mount Zozu in Sanuki Province Ten Views of Famous Mountains in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0531.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows an autumn scene. The setting is the grounds of the Ishiyama Temple at the southern end of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture. This is where the court lady Murasaki Shikibu is reputed to have written her great novel The Tale of Genji (early 11th century). You can see Lake Biwa and its eastern shore on the left. On the right, behind the partially visible temple building, you can see one of the peaks in the mountainous area to the east of the Seta River. The red lead Hiroshige used to create the intense red of the maple leaves has begun to tarnish, particularly towards the right of the print. E.2924-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of Autumn Maples at Ishiyama Temple in Omi Province Ten Views of Famous Mountains in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0521.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) ca. 1844-1845 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows Mount Fuji across the waters of Lake Kawaguchi. It was one of five lakes that lie to the north of the mountain in southern Yamanashi Prefecture. Here Hiroshige has used a wash-like simple palette of colours to make the composition more powerful. The print is unusual for its small size, square format and lack of cut-away lower section. E.4893-1919 Webb Bequest Height 182 mm Width 226 mm View of Lake Kawaguchi in Kai Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1084.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) ca. 1844-1845 This 'uchiwa-'e (rigid fan print) design shows Mount Fuji. Hiroshige depicts the view westwards across Edo Bay from Kisarazu. This was a port on the western side of the Boso Peninsular in Chiba Prefecture. Here Hiroshige has used a wash-like simple palette of colours to make the composition more powerful. The print is unusual for its small size, square format and lack of cut-away lower section. E.4894-1919 Webb Bequest Height 184 mm Width 240 mm View of the Sea at Kisarazu in Kazusa Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1083.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) ca. 1845-1846 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design offers an expansive panorama across and beyond Miho Bay. Hiroshige has taken the view from one of the prime locations from which to see Mount Fuji. The mountain rises in an almost uninterrupted sweep to the north-east. Miho Bay lies on the coast of Shizuoka Prefecture near Ejiri, the 18th post-station of the Tokaido Highway. It was famous for the pine beach that jutted out on its seaward side. You can see it here across the centre of the design. The two sets of characters below the coastline in the middle distance identify two well-known sites along the coast of Suruga Bay. They are the Kiyomigaseki Barrier (left) and the Satta Pass (middle). E.4918-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of Miho Bay in Suruga Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0534.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1847-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is one of a complete set of six. They are owned by the V&A and show the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Many inns were built around Hakone's hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e'('pictures of the floating world') artists. They created paintings and woodblocks for the popular urban market. This print has contrasting exterior and interior views of Dogashima and Sokokura. Hiroshige clearly designed it as a frontispiece to the series. It is likely that the six prints would have been sold as a set. The relative simplicity of this first design would have acted as a foil for the richness of colour and detail of the others. E.4843-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Dogashima and the Indoor Hot Spring Waterfall at Sokokura Depictions of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3625.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1847-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is one of a complete set of six. They are owned by the V&A and show the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Many inns were built around Hakone's hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e'('pictures of the floating world') artists. They created paintings and woodblocks for the popular urban market. This particular print depicts Yumoto, the first hot spring travellers reached on their journey from Edo. Yumoto lies next to the confluence of the Sukumo and Haya rivers, which you can see above the porter's straw hat. The Sukumo River is flowing from the left. The Tokaido Highway followed its southern flank. The Haya River is the one flowing from the centre right through the middle of the village. E.4844-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Yumoto Depictions of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3622.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1847-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is one of a complete set of six. They are owned by the V&A and show the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Many inns were built around Hakone's hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e'('pictures of the floating world') artists. They created paintings and woodblocks for the popular urban market. This particular print shows women at an inn on the banks of the Jakko River at Miyanoshita. The resort was popular with wealthy merchants and high-ranking samurai. The kneeling woman is plucking at a 'shamisen', a three-stringed musical instrument associated with theatrical entertainment and the pleasure quarters. E.4846-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Miyanoshita Depictions of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0863.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1847-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is one of a complete set of six. They are owned by the V&A and show the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Many inns were built around Hakone's hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e'('pictures of the floating world') artists. They created paintings and woodblocks for the popular urban market. This particular print shows two women relaxing at an inn or teahouse on the banks of the Haya river at Kiga. The woman sitting on the right is drinking tea. Her companion is wiping her face with a small towel and taking in the freshness of the mountain air. E.4848-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Kiga Depictions of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0595.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1847-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is one of a complete set of six. They are owned by the V&A and show the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Many inns were built around Hakone's hot springs. These were a popular subject for 'ukiyo-e'('pictures of the floating world') artists. They created paintings and woodblocks for the popular urban market. This particular print shows the bathhouse and surrounding complex of guestrooms of the well-known Matsuzakaya Inn at Ashinoyu, which still exists today. The name of the inn appears on the paper lantern in the foreground. Ashinoyu remains a popular spa, and people still take the waters to help alleviate high blood pressure, women's illnesses and skin problems. E.4845-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Ashinoyu Depictions of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0902.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) ca. 1848-1850 The subject of this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is the Kegon Waterfall. It plunges for the best part of a hundred metres and is one of Japan's most famous waterfalls. You can see how the abstract quality of Hiroshige's composition adds to the sense of spectacle. The waterfall is situated to the immediate east of Lake Chuzenji in what is now the Nikko National Park in north-western Tochigi Prefecture. Long known as a religious centre, Nikko became a major focus of pilgrimage following the completion of the Toshogu Shrine in 1636. The Toshogu Shrine contained the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was a key symbol of the authority of the country's military leadership. Nikko was reached by the Nikko Kaido. Like the Tokaido and Kisokaido highways, it was officially administered and had a series of post-stations along its length. E.4833-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Kegon Waterfall at Nikko (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0537.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Kawaguchiya Uhei (publisher) ca. 1848-1850 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows women and children collecting shellfish. The tranquil view is set on the coast north-west of Wakayama. The gatelike structure and buildings you can see on the left are those of the Awashima Shrine. On the horizon you can just make out the coastline of Awaji Island ten kilometres to the west across the Tomogashima Straits. Kada Bay and the Awashima Shrine lay on the route between two great religious centres. These were Mount Koya in eastern Wakayama Prefecture and the Kotohira Shrine on the island of Shikoku. Awashima Shrine was a focus of pilgrimage in its own right. Its deity was supposed to be able to cure female ailments. E.4895-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of Kada Bay (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1080.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) 1849-1852 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is a somewhat pedestrian composition. Nevertheless, the view of Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi and the mountains of Hakone captures some of the drama that has attracted travellers over the centuries. The light is fading in the west. It casts the lake and its surroundings into a shadowy darkness that makes the perfect snow-clad form of Mount Fuji all the more spectacular. The ribmarks visible towards the top of the print show that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. The less than perfect registering of the colours suggests that it was taken from partially worn blocks. E.4849-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Mount Fuji from across the Lake at Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3621.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1849-1852 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design offers a breathtaking view of Mount Fuji. The mountain is rising in the west over the waters of Sagami Bay in Kanagawa Prefecture. Hiroshige's skilful use of tonal grading ('bokashi') combined with the deliberate omission of a black outline gives the mountain an almost unearthly radiance. The two women appear to be standing on the sandbar that at low tide allows visitors to make the short crossing to Enoshima. You can see the island's rocky cliffs on the upper left. Enoshima was dedicated to the goddess Benten in the late 12th century. It has been a popular place of worship ever since. During the Edo period (1615-1868), merchants, actors and entertainers visited it to make prayers and offerings for improved commercial and artistic prospects. E.575-1913 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Mount Fuji at Dawn from the Island of Enoshima Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0507.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1851 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows a scene in a hot- spring inn. A woman is dancing to the accompaniment of a 'shamisen', the three-stringed musical instrument played by the woman on the right. The room is on the upper floor of an inn at Yumoto, which is one of the seven hot springs of Hakone. Hakone is situated in the south-western corner of Kanagawa Prefecture about 40 kilometres from Mount Fuji. It was the 10th post-station along the Tokaido Highway. City dwellers wanting to escape the noise and bustle of Edo (modern Tokyo) could reach it quite easily. Hakone is still one of the most frequently visited resorts in Japan. The design is interesting. Hiroshige has taken particular care in depicting the porcelain drinking vessels in the middle of the room. The porcelain and lacquer food containers on the tray to the left are equally detailed. The characters on the lower right read 'yukyaku shukyo no tai', meaning 'guests merrymaking with sake'. E.2915-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) A Hot Spring Inn at Yumoto A Tour of the Seven Hot Springs of Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3643.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Sony Corporation (designer and maker) 1992 (Designed) Sony's roots go back over half a century, to its founding in 1946 by Masaru Ibuka and Akio Morita as the Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo (Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Company). Sony now produces hundreds of products, ranging from computers to digital music equipment. This is a portable cassette recorder, designed primarily for children. It is made from a non-toxic plastic and is decorated in vibrant primary colours. The name of this product highlights the desire by manufacturers to target consumers at an early age and build a customer loyalty. W.19:1, 2-1992 Given by the maker My First Sony (Radio cassette recorder) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN7148.jpg Japan (Designed) Moulded plastic Sharp Corporation (designers) 1970 (Designed) 1970 By the early 1960s, the term 'transistor', a component which transformed radio technology, had become a popular term for the portable radio. This is a typical pocket 'transistor' from Malaysia. The Far East specialized in cheap models for export, offering private and portable access to music, news and other broadcast programmes, when relayed through an earpiece. The Sharp Corporation was founded in 1912 by Tokuji Hayakawa and takes its name from one of the first inventions, the Ever Sharp propelling pencil, developed in 1915. Sharp is now one of the largest electrical goods manufacturers, producing both audio and visual products. W.17:1, 2-1992 Given by Rupert's, Ealing Height 10.5 cm Width 6 cm Depth 3.5 cm Solid State AM Transistor BP-156 (Radio) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN7146.jpg Japan (Designed) Malaysia Plastic alloy Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series depicting legendary artisans. Ryukatei Tanekazu provided the text inscriptions. Here Hiroshige depicts the great swordsmith Masamune forging a sword with the help of an assistant. His formal dress and the hangings across the doorway indicate the rituals associated with making swords. The text relates that Masamune was born in Kamakura in Sagami Province (modern Kanagawa Prefecture) in the first year of the Bun'ei era (1264). It says that at the age of 17 he left the workshop of his father Yukimitsu to train with Shintogo Kunimitsu. So great were his skills that he became famous throughout the land. Any swordsmith worthy of the name trained with Masamune. E.2931-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Swordsmith Okazaki Goro Masamune A Compendium of Famous Artisans (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0532.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series depicting legendary artisans. Ryukatei Tanekazu provided the text inscriptions. Here Hiroshige depicts the legendary sculptor Hidari Jingoro. He is asleep in his workshop with his woodcarvings coming to life around him. Behind him a doll has come out of its box to assume the form of a young girl. Above him a dragon is breaking loose from a carved panel propped up against the wall to the left. Even the carving block on which he is leaning is starting to turn into a lion-dog. The text states that Hidari Jingoro was a native of Fushimi in Yamashiro Province (modern Kyoto Prefecture). It claims that he is so well known that no more needs to be said about him. It then explains that his son and grandson, both of whom were also highly skilled carvers, were called Soshin and Hidari Masakatsu. E.2932-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Sculptor Hidari Jingoro A Compendium of Famous Artisans (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0533.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanoya Kihei (publisher) 1851 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige gives a view of Suzumegaura ('Swallow Bay'). The famous beauty spot is located in the Kanazawa area in Kanagawa Prefecture. Other views of this area suggest that Mount Fuji would have been visible from further out to sea in the direction of the rocky outcrop to the right. The roof-boat in which the three women are riding is similar to those that were used on the rivers and canals of Edo (modern Tokyo). What looks like a puff of smoke in the background is a net that the fisherman is casting into the sea. E.2921-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of Suzume Bay at Kanazawa (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0879.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanoya Kihei (publisher) 1851 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows the view from a famous plum garden. It originally stood in what is now part of the grounds of the Myohoji Temple in the Isogo district of Yokohama. Mount Fuji rises in the west behind the gnarled form of a plum tree. A woman leans against a palanquin while her seated companion lights a pipe from a small brazier. The characters on the sign above them read 'senjicha / oyasumidokoro', meaning 'tea / resting place'. E.2928-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Plum Garden at Sugita (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3632.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanpei (publisher) 1852 Hiroshige chose a view of Mount Fuji for this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design. We see the mountain from the Kiyomigaseki Barrier, looking across Miho Bay with its famous grove of pine trees. The Barrier was located on the Tokaido Highway between the 17th and 18th post-stations of Okitsu and Ejiri in Shizuoka Prefecture. Kiyomigaskei was an old barrier station set up as part of the provisions of the Taika Reforms in the 7th century. It subsequently fell into disuse and was absorbed into the grounds of the nearby Seikenji Temple. However, its name survived because of its proximity to the Miho pine grove and its poetic literary associations. Hiroshige has considerably skewed the topography for this composition, as did other artists who depicted this area. If we were actually at the site of the Barrier looking towards Mount Fuji, the Miho pine grove would be well out of sight to the right. E.2919-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Pine Grove at Miho in Suruga Province and the Kiyomigaseki Barrier Station (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0536.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanpei (publisher) 1852 In this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design Hiroshige depicts the view from the coast. That coast is now a river in an area of reclaimed land in the southern part of Nagoya. The gatelike structure to the left of the two rather statuesque courtesans marks the beginning of the approach to the Atsuta Jingu Shrine. It lies a little less than a kilometre to the north-east. This major Shinto shrine enjoyed the official patronage of the Tokugawa shogunate. It allegedly enshrines the sacred sword - the 'Kusanagi no Tsurugi' - that forms part of the imperial regalia. The Shichiri ('seven leagues') of the title is the distance of a sea journey. It started at the embarkation point you see here and ended at Kuwana. This sea journey was shorter than the more circuitous overland route, which involved a journey inland followed by a boat trip down the Kiso River. E.2920-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Shichiri Ferry Crossing at Atsuta in Owari Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0540.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Tsujiya Yasubei (publisher) 1852 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows the Pacific Ocean. The fine south-westward view is that seen from the slopes of Mount Kiyosumi in Chiba Prefecture. It is one of five related designs published in 1852. This was the year when Hiroshige made what is thought to have been at least his second journey to the Boso Peninsular. Mount Kiyosumi lies to the north of the port of Kominato. You can see the porters on the right with their flower-strewn loads of charcoal making their way there. The area was famous because the founder of the Nichiren sect of Buddhism was born in Kominato in 1222. Nichiren underwent his early religious training at the Seicho Temple on the summit of Mount Kiyosumi. E.2925-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View from Mount Kiyosumi in Awa Province Famous Places in Boso (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3637.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) 1843-1847 In this 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design Hiroshige depicts a famous poet. The elegant scene shows Ono no Komachi awake in her room at night. The 'waka' (31 syllable) poem in the red cartouche reads: 'Omoitsutsu / Nureba ya hito no / Mietsuran / Yume to shiriseba / Samezaramashi o'. It means:'It must have been because I fell asleep tormented by longing that my lover appeared to me - had I known it was a dream, I should never have awakened'. Ono no Komachi re-created in poetry the torment of frustrated passion. Some experts believe she was the first Japanese to do so. Her renown was such that she was included both among the 10th-century 'Rokkasen' (Six Poetic Geniuses) and the 11th-century 'Sanjurokkasen' (36 Poetic Geniuses). Artists used these formulae extensively in later centuries. Here Hiroshige has used it in specific relation to women poets. E.2933-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Ono no Komachi The Thirty-six Women Poets (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0539.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) 1843-1847 Hiroshige made a series of 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) designs depicting folk festivals (matsuri) in the provinces. This is one of two impressions owned by the V&A of the only known design from the series. Wakanoura (Waka Bay) lies on the coast to the south of Wakayama in the north-western corner of Wakayama Prefecture. It is home to the Tamatsushima Shrine. The inscription in the central cartouche says that a festival was held there each year on the 17th day of the fourth month. The festival centred round a procession of people dressed in various guises dancing, singing and making music. One component was the Mochibana Dance depicted here. Mochibana ('rice cake flower') refers to the sprigs of artificial pink and yellow flowers held by the five taller dancers and attached to their hats. The two smaller women wearing black hats decorated with peonies beat out the rhythm of the dance on their fans. Chanting in a high nasal voice accompanied it. E.4867-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Mochibana Dance at the Wakanoura Festival in Kii Province Old and New Festivals in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0898.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) 1843-1847 Hiroshige made a series of 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) designs depicting folk festivals ('matsuri') in the provinces. This is one of two impressions owned by the V&A of the only known design from the series. Wakanoura (Waka Bay) lies on the coast to the south of Wakayama in the north-western corner of Wakayama Prefecture. It is home to the Tamatsushima Shrine. The inscription in the central cartouche says that a festival was held there each year on the 17th day of the fourth month. The festival centred round a procession of people dressed in various guises dancing, singing and making music. One component was the Mochibana Dance depicted here. Mochibana ('rice cake flower') refers to the sprigs of artificial pink and yellow flowers held by the five taller dancers and attached to their hats. The two smaller women wearing black hats decorated with peonies beat out the rhythm of the dance on their fans. Chanting in a high nasal voice accompanied it. E.4926-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Mochibana Dance at the Wakanoura Festival in Kii Province Old and New Festivals in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1000.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Tsujiya Yasubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series of scenes from classical literature. However, Hiroshige put them into contemporary settings. This print illustrates the Akashi chapter of The Tale of Genji (early 11th century). The text in the cartouche explains that Murasaki Shikibu wrote the tale while in seclusion at the Ishiyama Temple. She started to write on the 15th day of the eighth month, when her mind was as clear as the August moon reflected on Lake Biwa. Here you can see Prince Genji dressed in elaborate robes and sitting in a boat. The indeterminate background is typical of Hiroshige's work. The artist has depicted him with a small peak of hair just above his forehead. This is similar to how Genji is portrayed in the 'Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji'. This popular parody of The Tale of Genji was written by Ryutei Tanehiko and illustrated by Utagawa Kunisada I. It was published in instalments from 1829 to 1842, but was then suppressed as part of the Tenpo Reforms. An interesting aspect of this print is the identification of Prince Genji in the yellow cartouche. This gives his name as Zaigo Chujo Minamoto no Hikaru. Minamoto no Hikaru, the 'Shining (Prince) of the Minamoto (Family)', is appropriate for Prince Genji. Zaigo Chujo, however, is the court title of Ariwara no Narihira, the hero of the earlier Tales of Ise. This confusion of names reflects how these two famous romantic figures of the Heian period (794-1185) were often combined in popular culture in the 19th century. E.541-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Tale of Genji Illustrations of Stories of Ancient Times (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3656.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Tsujiya Yasubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series of scenes from classical literature. However, Hiroshige put them into contemporary settings. Here he used the Yoshiwara licensed pleasure quarter in Edo (modern Tokyo) to illustrate an episode from 'The Tale of the Soga Brothers'. The text in the cartouche explains how Kajiwara Genda has fallen in love with the courtesan Kewaizaka no Shosho. He has just deliberately insulted her suitor Soga no Goro Tokimune. Tokimune, intent on avenging the death of his father, suppresses his fury and walks away without rising to the taunt. Kewaizaka no Shosho is identified by name in the small pink cartouche on the upper left. Hiroshige shows her in gorgeous attire and with a coiffure that,in the 1840s, would have been appropriately old-fashioned for a classical story. You can see Kajiwara Genda shouting from his horse and Tokimune walking away with his head bent low. E.2929-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Tale of the Soga Brothers Illustrations of Stories of Ancient Times (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3631.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) 1843-1847 This beautiful 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige depicts cherry trees in blossom. They are situated along the Yoshino River in southern Nara Prefecture. We might on first sight think that it is a landscape print, as suggested by the title in the red cartouche. A contemporary Japanese viewer, however, would have immediately recognised it as the famous scene in the play 'Imoseyama Onna Teikin' ('An Example of Noble Womanhood'). The young lovers Koganosuke and Hinadori are deterred from meeting by the long-standing feud between their families. Here they look longingly at each other across the expanse of the Yoshino River. Tragedy ensues as they both choose death in preference to serving Soga no Iruka. He is the country's scheming senior minister, who sends orders via their parents that they should become his retainer and concubine respectively. E.545-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Yoshino River in Yamato Province Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3652.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design is by Hiroshige. It is from a series in which the artist used the 'Hakkei' or Eight Views formula to depict episodes from a play. The 11-act 'Kanadehon Chushingura' ('The Treasury of Loyal Retainers') is one of the best-known Japanese plays. It is based on the true story of how the 47 retainers of Ako avenged the death of their master Asano Naganori. The shogunal authorities sentenced them to commit suicide by 'seppuku' (ritual disembowelling). They were buried near their master's grave in the Sengakuji Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). The dead retainers personnified the samurai principle of absolute loyalty to one's lord. The double comma motif surrounding the picture title cartouche is the family crest of Oishi Kuranosuke. He was Asano's chief counsellor and leader of the vendetta. The tooth pattern within the cartouche is identical to that used on the robes of the 47 retainers in the final scene of the play. In it they storm the mansion of Kira Yoshinaka and put him to death. This particular print records a moment in Act 2. The young Rikiya arrives at the palace of Momoi Wakanosuke to deliver a message. Rikiya is engaged to Konami, the 17-year-old daughter of Wakanosuke's chief advisor. Konami's mother knows that Rikiya is coming and sends Konami to meet him. Rikiya is surprised to be met by his beloved. He blushes and turns away while Konami hides her face with embarrassment. E.2913-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Evening Bell and the Receipt of the Message Eight Views from the Chushingura (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3644.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1843-1847 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design is by Hiroshige. It is from a series in which the artist used the 'Hakkei' or Eight Views formula to depict episodes from a play. The 11-act 'Kanadehon Chushingura' ('The Treasury of Loyal Retainers') is one of the best-known Japanese plays. It is based on the true story of how the 47 retainers of Ako avenged the death of their master Asano Naganori. The shogunal authorities sentenced them to commit suicide by 'seppuku' (ritual disembowelling). They were buried near their master's grave in the Sengakuji Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). The dead retainers personnified the samurai principle of absolute loyalty to one's lord. The double comma motif surrounding the picture title cartouche is the family crest of Oishi Kuranosuke. He was Asano's chief counsellor and leader of the vendetta. The tooth pattern within the cartouche is identical to that used on the robes of the 47 retainers in the final scene of the play. In it they storm the mansion of Kira Yoshinaka and put him to death. This particular print depicts an episode in Act 5. Yoichibei is returning home on a rainy night. He has been conducting preliminary negotiations to sell his daughter into prostitution. He is trying to raise money for his son-in-law Kanpei, one of the 47 retainers. Tired from his journey, the old man sits down to rest. As he takes out his purse to count his money, he is attacked by the young and powerful Ono Sadakuro, who robs and murders him. E.2914-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Night Rain on the Mountain Road Eight Views from the Chushingura (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0869.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) ca. 1845-1846 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige illustrates a Japanese legend. It concerns some fishermen who caught a miniature statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in their net. Here she is identified by the rays of a halo emanating from the waters of the Sumida River. The village headman recognised the divinity of the statue and rebuilt his house as a temple dedicated to it. He thereby established what later became the Asakusa Kannon or Kinryuzan Sensoji Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). This event allegedly took place in 628, the last year of the reign of Empress Suiko. E.528-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Origins of the Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa A Compendium of Historical Sites in Edo (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0454.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Kyubei (publisher) ca. 1845-1846 This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige illustrates the story of the stone pillow. A traveller is invited into a remote house, offered a bed with a stone pillow, and then robbed and murdered during the night. The legend is found in various parts of Japan. This version relates to the Ubagaike Pond, which lay immediately to the east of the compound of the Asakusa Kannon Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). Here you can see an old woman and her daughter beckoning a traveller into a dilapidated farmhouse. The characters on the torn lantern read, somewhat ominously, 'Hitotsuya', meaning 'Lone House'. The tilted hat, which resembles a halo, identifies the traveller. It is the deity Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in disguise. E.527-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Legend of the Stone Pillar of Ubagaike Pond at Asakusa A Compendium of Historical Sites in Edo (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0439.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1854-1858 Hiroshige's richly coloured 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design shows the famous whirlpools of Awa Province. They were caused by the tide rushing through the Naruto Straits between Awaji Island and the north-western corner of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. During his last years Hiroshige depicted these whirlpools in a variety of formats. Some experts think that he may have been partly inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's well-known depictions of waves and eddying currents. E.12076-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Whirlpools of Awa Province Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0988.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1854-1858 This richly coloured 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows Tago Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture. The bay is situated on the coast, almost due south of Mount Fuji. It is famous for its dramatic view of Japan's highest and most sacred peak. The 8th-century court poet Yamabe no Akahito immortalised Tago Bay in a famous poem. E.12077-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Tago Bay in Suruga Province Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0907.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1854-1858 This richly coloured 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows Choshi Bay. It is situated on the southern side of the promontory that juts into the Pacific Ocean in the north-eastern corner of Chiba Prefecture. Choshi Bay is still known for its scarred and craggy coastline, best enjoyed by boat. Its other attractive feature is its fine but distant view towards Mount Fuji in the south-west. E.12078-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Choshi Bay in Shimosa Province Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0593.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Jinpachi (publisher) 1855 This print is an 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. It is one of a series of 'aizuri' or monochrome blue depictions of famous places in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). This particular view is set on the coast of Suruga Bay to the west of Kamakura, Japan's military capital from 1185 to 1333. The Shichiri ('Seven League') Beach of the title stretches for about four kilometres from the south-west of Kamakura to the cliffs facing Enoshima. This is the name of the island you can see in the middle distance. The beach enjoys a commanding view towards Mount Fuji in the west. The smallness of the figures making their way along the shore emphasizes the majesty of the scene. E.12067-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Shichiri Beach at Kamakura in Sagami Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0911.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Jinpachi (publisher) 1855 This print is an 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. It is one of a series of 'aizuri' or monochrome blue depictions of famous places in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). This particular view shows the island of Enoshima. It is situated off the coast of Suruga Bay to the west of Kamakura, Japan's military capital from 1185 to 1333. The gatelike structure across the water marks the beginning of the approach to the cluster of shrine buildings. You can just see them among the trees in the upper part of the island. The Kinkizan of the title is part of the Buddhist name of what was a combined Buddhist and Shinto establishment. The Meiji government forced separation of religious institutions in 1870. E.12068-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Kinkizan on Enoshima Island in Sagami Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0529.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Jinpachi (publisher) 1855 This print is an 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. It is one of a series of 'aizuri' or monochrome blue depictions of famous places in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). This particular view shows Tonosawa. It is one of the seven hot springs of Hakone, which is still one most frequently visited resorts in Japan. Blue is a colour associated with coolness and therefore suitable for summer fans. Although Hiroshige has used it exclusively here, he has managed to create a certain warmth and intimacy. You can see this in the lit-up buildings under the protective watch of the small shrine on the rocky outcrop behind. E.12069-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Hot Springs of Tonosawa at Hakone (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0527.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Jinpachi (publisher) 1855 This print is an 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. It is one of a series of 'aizuri' or monochrome blue depictions of famous places in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). This particular view shows the Great Waterfall (also known as the Roben Waterfall) at Oyama, a mountain in western Kanagawa Prefecture. Its 1250-metre summit is occupied by the Afuri Shrine, dedicated to the god of rain. Oyama was an important religious centre. Large numbers of pilgrims visited it during the summer months. The small figure on the left is following the pilgrims' ritual. They washed in the waterfall to cleanse body and spirit before offering prayers at the shrine. E.12070-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Great Waterfall at Oyama in Sagami Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0909.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Jinpachi (publisher) 1855 This print is an 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige. It is one of a series of 'aizuri' or monochrome blue depictions of famous places in Sagami Province (Kanagawa Prefecture). This particular view shows the port of Uraga on the eastern coast of the Miura Peninsular. During the Edo period a shogunal commissioner presided over Uraga. He inspected and taxed all shipping entering Edo Bay. It was here that Commodore Perry and his American warships dropped anchor in July 1853. This precipitated the series of events that ended Japan's policy of national seclusion instituted by the Tokugawa shogunate in 1639. Hiroshige's depiction of Uraga was published less than two years after Perry's arrival in Japan. It ignores the ructions of history and shows Uraga in a state of almost sublime tranquillity. E.12071-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) View of the Port of Uraga in Sagami Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0908.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Rai Kinmichi 1673-1681 This Japanese short sword (‘wakizashi’) is signed ‘Mishina (or Sanpin) Izumi Fujiwara Rai Kinmichi’ - ‘Fujiwara Rai Kinmichi, of Mishina in Izumi province’ (modern-day Osaka Prefecture) and ‘Nihon Kaji sosho + Kiku mon’ - ‘Master Smith of Japan + chrysanthemum crest’. The blade is broad and flat with a fine-grained structure to the steel. The tempered edge (‘hamon’) is straight (‘suguha’) and wide. The collar (‘habaki’) has a stylised carving of a dragon in clouds. The style of the signature on the tang or ‘nakago’ - the part of the blade that goes into the handle - is extremely graceful, but tends to lack some of the strength of the signature of the first-generation Rai Kinmichi. There were four recognised smiths who signed with these characters, but it was the third-generation Rai Kinmichi who used precisely this style of signature and he worked during the Empo period (1673-1681). The inscription on what would be regarded as the outside of the blade (the ‘ura’) appears to have been added later by a different hand. The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. 651 to B-1908 Given by Mr R. A. P. Davison Length 49.5 cm Sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9360.jpg Izumi, Japan (Sword) Forged steel Suzuki Harunobu, born ?1725 - died 1770 1765-1770 E.4368-1897 Height 26 cm Width 19 cm A Courtesan and Attendant on a Moonlit Veranda Genre Poets of the Four Seasons (Print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AU6712.jpg Japan Woodblock print Hanzan, Mochizuki ca. 1775-1800 The inro is a container made up of tiers. Japanese men used them because the traditional Japanese garment, the kimono, had no pockets. From the late 1500s onwards, Japanese men wore the inro suspended from their sash by a silk cord and a netsuke (toggle). They originally used it to hold their seal and ink or a supply of medicines. However, it rapidly became a costly fashion accessory of little or no practical use. Most inro are rectangular with gently curving sides. This example is unusually wide and short. Lacquer was most commonly used in the manufacture of inro since it was highly suitable for storing medicines. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua that grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering, as well as making inro bodies, is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. This example is decorated with dragonflies in lacquer, encrusted with glazed pottery. From the 1700s onwards, many artists signed the inro they made. This example is signed Mochizuki Hanzan. Hanzan (1743-90?) was one of the most talented followers of Ogawa Haritsu (1663-1747), though he was neither a son nor pupil of his. Haritsu was a highly individual and innovative lacquer craftsman whose work is characterised by the inlay of a wide variety of materials, such as glazed pottery. This inro shows that Hanzan had an innovative approach to his work like that of the master he admired. W.419-1910 Salting Bequest Height 5.8 cm Width 7.9 cm Depth 3.3 cm Inrõ http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN9667.jpg Japan Black, gold, brown and red lacquer and glazed pottery Unknown 1680-1720 Ivory was popular as a material for religious subjects, especially during the 17th and 18th centuries. Spanish and Portuguese patrons imported ivories carved with Christian imagery from their territories overseas, such as the Philippines, Mexico and Goa. German and Netherlandish artists were renowned for their dexterity in ivory carving. Their reliefs are masterpieces of composition and virtuosity. This small, portable triptych was made for devotional purposes. Its two side wings were hinged so they could close over the central relief. The triptych might have been used by missionaries in the Philippines, or sent back to Spain. 99 to B-1864 Height 15 cm Width 18 cm (open) Virgin of the Immaculate Conception (Tota Pulchra) with Saints (Triptych) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AE3936.jpg Philippines Portugal (possibly) Macau (dependent state), China (possibly) Japan (possibly) Ivory Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) 1856 This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows two women in the vicinity of the Kotohira (Konpira) Shrine in the eastern part of Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. Zozusan, literally 'Mount Elephant Head', was the popular name for the heavily wooded southeastern end of Mount Osa, on the lower slope of which the roofs of some of the shrine buildings can be seen glowing in the dusk. Founded in the eleventh century, the Kotohira Shrine was dedicated to the guardian deity of fishermen and sailors. During the Edo period (1615-1868) it became--and remains today--a popular destination for pilgrims from all over the country. E.12089-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Distant View of Mount Zozu in Sanuki Province (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0535.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1856 This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige shows three women in a pleasure boat on a canal near the Sumiyoshi Shrine in southern Osaka. The expanse of Osaka Bay can be seen below the reddening sky beyond the beach and its row of thatched houses. Land reclamation projects have since moved the coastline further west, diminishing the once strong connection between the sea and the Sumiyoshi Shrine, whose four deities were believed to protect and bring prosperity to sailors and fishermen. The spiritual efficacy of the Sumiyoshi Shrine was complemented by the practical provision of tall lanterns, like the one visible here, to guide ships back to shore. These were something of a tourist attraction in their day and regularly feature in depictions of this much visited quarter of Japan's second largest city. E.12086-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Sumiyoshi Bay at Naniwa Depictions of Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0486.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1856 This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige depicts a group of women crossing the Togetsu Bridge in Arashiyama in northwestern Kyoto. The cherry trees for which the area is famous are in full bloom and among them we can see the small, but picturesque, Tonase Waterfall. The spit of land protruding from the left is the northern end of Nakanoshima, a narrow island that divides the Hozu river just before it veers south and changes name to the Katsura river. E.12085-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Togetsu Bridge at Arashiyama in Kyoto Depictions of Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0490.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Iseya Soemon (publisher) 1856 The idyllic view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is of the coast of Kanazawa in Kanagawa Prefecture. Female guests at a seaside inn are enjoying the tranquil vista of two small boats crossing the sea in the distance. The dark form visible above the kneeling woman is the island of Nojima, one of the celebrated 'Eight Views of Kanazawa', while on the right, at the top of an almost vertical cliff is a seaside pavilion with a commanding view. E.544-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Kanazawa in Musashi Province Depictions of Famous Places in the Provinces (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0492.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Aritaya Seiemon, born active mid 19th century (publisher) ca. 1845-1850 The simple but well-balanced composition in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is inscribed with a haiku (17-syllable poem) by Sakuragaoka Toshishige, whose signature and seal appear in the centre of the design. The poem reads: Kumorinaki Oya no megane ya Aki no tsuki (Unclouded Like a parent's understanding of its child The autumn moon.) The rib marks are evidence that the print was salvaged from use as a fan. E.4878-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Moon Reflected on the Water by the Pier of a Bridge (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0890.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1849-1852 This uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is from a series illustrating episodes in the life of Ushiwakamaru, the youthful Minamoto no Yoshitsune (1159-89), one of Japan's best known tragic heroes. It shows him being met by the servant of Princess Joruri, the daughter of the wealthy landlord of Yahagi in Mikawa Province (modern Aichi Prefecture). He has attracted her attention by playing the flute he carries in his sash. The love affair that ensued was the subject of a medieval tale that survived into the Edo period (1615-1886) under a variety of appellations, including the Jorurijunidan of the title of this design. The term joruri, which refers to the type of narrative chanting that developed in conjunction with the Bunraku puppet theatre, is said to derive from the title of this story, which was originally recited by minstrels to the accompaniment of a shamisen (a three-stringed, fretless lute). E.540-1911 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story Scenes from the Life of Ushiwakamaru (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3658.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1854 The springtime scene in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is the Saga area in the northwestern part of Kyoto. The topographic features, though somewhat stylized, are recognisable as the Hozu river with Arashiyama and the Tonase Waterfall in the background. The spit of land immediately behind the boat is Nakanoshima, the narrow island that in most depictions of this locale is shown linked by the Togetsu Bridge. The bridge's omission here is deliberate--an allusion to a scene in the popular illustrated novel Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji, which is set in the fifteenth century. Prince Genji, who is poling the boat along the river, sports a distinctively peaked forelock and is dressed, like his female companion, in richly ornamented robes. The so-called Genji-ko symbols in the heart-shaped cartouche of the picture title correspond to the Matsukaze and Hanachirusato chapters of The Tale of Genji. E.2923-1913 R. Leicester Harmsworth Gift Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Cherry Blossoms at Saga Prince Genji and Scenes of Snow, Moon and Flowers (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0441.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) ca. 1855 The simple but well-balanced composition in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is inscribed with a haiku (a 17-syllable poem). The poem reads: Hitokoe wa Tsuki ga naita ka Hototogisu (A single call Did the moon cry out? A passing cuckoo.) The sense is that if someone hears a cuckoo cry, by the time they look up the bird has already flown past, so it seems as if the moon has called out. The rib marks on this print reveal that it was previously mounted as a fan. E.4860-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0900.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks 1860-1890 In 1891 the V&A purchased this kimono from Liberty's, the London shop founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty in 1875. Liberty's specialised in selling goods imported from Asia and played an important part in fostering the late 19th-century craze for all things Japanese. The garment is decorated with a pattern of rippling water, bamboo and birds. Such stylised natural motifs provided a new and important source of inspiration to British designers. 874-1891 Length 160 cm Width 125.5 cm Kimono http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BK5197.jpg Japan Monochrome figured satin silk, with paste-resist decoration and embroidery in silk and metallic thread Nesfield, William Eden, born 1835 - died 1888 (designers) Forsyth, James, born 1827 - died 1910 1867 Object Type James Forsyth (1827-1910), cabinet-maker and sculptor, made this screen and gave it to Agnes and Richard Norman Shaw as a wedding present in 1867. It was designed by Shaw's architectural partner W.E. Nesfield. It demonstrates an eclectic mix of the Japanese arts and subtle Western additions. Materials & Making The screen contains12 panels of paper, painted in watercolour, 6 on each side. These are Japanese, of the late 18th century or early 19th. Carved bands of open fretwork, ebonised and gilded panels, and decorative hinges, all designed by Nesfield and made by Forsyth, complete the piece. Design & Designing Many of the decorative patterns on the screen also appear frequently on Japanese textiles. The repetition of patterns on both sides of the screen suggests Nesfield had access to either a pattern book or stencils used for making such textiles. Motifs include the key-fret (the 'swastika', an extremely ancient motif found in many cultures from the Far East through to Central America), chrysanthemums, spirals, stylised blossoms and daisies, and a roundel containing a bound sheaf of grasses which overlaps a sunflower in a three-legged pot. Shaw's monogram and Agnes's name are incorporated into the two top centre carved panels on both sides of the screen. Inscriptions on the outer panels are from the Old Testament and Longfellow's poem 'The Builders'. W.37-1972 Height 208 cm Width 252 cm Depth 2 cm Screen http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL5244.jpg London, England Japan (painted paper panels) Ebonised wood, with gilt and fretted decoration and painted panels of Japanese paper Ogawa Haritsu, born 1663 - died 1747 19th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a rat on a piece of salmon. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. Ogawa Haritsu (1663-1747) was an individualist of many talents and skills, who specialised in ceramics, painting and lacquering. This netsuke is signed with ‘Kan’, one of Haritsu’s seals. Haritsu was well known for using lacquer to simulate other materials, and there are many netsuke by him in the form of imitation sticks of ink. There are also a number of netsuke with the seal of Haritsu that depict a whole or part of a fish, such as this one. Haritsu was probably one of the earliest carvers known to have signed netsuke. This example, however, is one of many 19th-century copies. W.442A-1910 Salting Bequest Length 3.1 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0479.jpg Japan Lacquered wood, with mother-of-pearl Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of an unidentified immortal holding a fish and a lotus flower. During the early 17th century, when katabori netsuke were first made, the influence of China was strong and many Chinese books reached Japan. These included works on immortals, spirits and deities that had been published during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Most notable among them was the profusely illustrated Liexian quanzhuan (Complete Stories of Immortals), published in 1600. It gives a written account of nearly 500 deities, each with an illustration. Such was its popularity that in 1650 it appeared in a Japanese edition as Yusho ressen zenden (Complete Illustrated Lives of Immortals). As practitioners of the Chinese religious-philosophical tradition Taoism, immortals were perfected beings who, through self-cultivation, were able to transcend their normal existence. Despite its Chinese origins, this particular immortal has a distinctly western face. It reflects a fusion of some of the foreign features known to the Japanese at a time when they had limited contact with the outside world owing to the isolationist policies of the Edo period (1600-1868). FE.90-1996 Schwaiger Bequest Height 9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0463.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a shishi (mythical Chinese lion) and her young. During the early 17th century, when katabori netsuke were first made, China had a strong influence on Japan. As a result, many Chinese illustrated books reached Japan, often in the form of encyclopaedia. One of the most important was the profusely illustrated Sancai tuhui (Tripartite picture assembly), published around 1610. Such works presented an exotic mixture of fact and fiction that was highly appealing. Of particular interest were the illustrations of mythical people and fabulous beasts, such as the shishi. The appearance of Chinese illustrated books in Japan also coincided with the development of a thriving ivory-carving industry centred on the coastal regions of southern China, particularly Zhangzhou in Fujian province. This catered in large part for Portuguese and Spanish missionaries based throughout Asia. Through Japanese contact with China at this time, Chinese carvings reached Japan and played a crucial role in the development of netsuke. Ivory was subsequently one of the most important and widely used materials for the manufacture of netsuke, as in this example. 808-1907 Pritchett Gift Length 4.76 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0392.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unryuan 1998 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Since the mid-18th century, customers have increasingly demanded imaginative and innovative netsuke. Some have hidden or surprise elements, such as this 20th-century example in the form of a temple bell with a coiled dragon inside. This combination of motifs clearly alludes to the story of the Dojoji Temple bell. According to this tale of vengeful female jealousy, Kiyohime, the beautiful young daughter of an innkeeper, fell in love with a priest, Anchin, who scorned her persistent advances. The furious Kiyohime first transformed herself into a witch, then a dragon. When Anchin took refuge under the great bronze bell of the temple, she used her magical powers to force the bell to crash to the ground, trapping Anchin inside. At this, she coiled herself round the bell, creating such an intense heat that Anchin was burned to death. Inside the very top of this bell are depicted the skull and bones of Anchin - all that remained of the priest. The netsuke is made from lacquer imitating patinated bronze on the outside so that it looks like a real bell. Different lacquer techniques were used on the inside for the dragon and bones, requiring enormous skills by the lacquer artist. FE.63:1-2002 Height 4.1 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AK9825.jpg Japan Lacquer Unknown ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a double gourd with a monkey. From the mid 18th century onwards, customers increasingly demanded imaginative and innovative netsuke. The top of this gourd lifts off to reveal a chain, clinging to which are two small monkeys, which can be pulled out and pushed back inside. The gourd, interlinking chain and monkeys are all carved from a solid piece of ivory. Such work demanded enormous skill and was typical of 19th and 20th-century Chinese workmanship. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Although this carving complies with all these criteria, it was probably not intended as a functioning netsuke and is likely to have been made in China, where people did not use netsuke. It is a typical example of the unashamed quest of late 19th-century netsuke for both novelty and technical excellence, often at the expense of practicality. A.926-1910 Salting Bequest Height 5.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0525.jpg Japan (possibly) China (possibly) Carved ivory Unknown ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a monkey on a base. It is highly probable that the development of katabori netsuke in the early 17th century was closely linked to the influence of Chinese seals, which were widely known in Japan at that time. The underside of a seal was carved in relief or intaglio with the Chinese characters that made up an individual’s name. The upper part frequently featured a decorative carving. A seal could easily be converted into a netsuke by adding holes for a cord or by tying a cord to a suitable part of the carving. In such cases, the characters on the base were sometimes removed. From an early date, some netsuke were made in the form of both a seal and a netsuke and served a dual function, although they were often carved only with the characters for ‘long life’ or ‘good luck’ rather than with an individual’s name. Yet other netsuke, such as this example, were made in the form of a seal but with no characters on the base. In this case the base is too thin to have been used as a seal. The subject and form of this particular netsuke is derived from the Soken kisho, first published in 1781 and the only book of the Edo period (1615-1868) written directly about netsuke. It illustrates some of the more exceptional netsuke known at that time, including the design source of this example. A.48-1915 Fox Gift Height 3.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AK0950.jpg Japan Carved ivory Shumin ca. 1800-1875 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a tengu (mythical creature) hatching from an egg. During the early 17th century when katabori netsuke were first made, Chinese influence on Japanese culture was strong. As a result, many Chinese illustrated books reached Japan, often in the form of encyclopaedia. One of the most important was the profusely illustrated Sancai tuhui (Tripartite picture assembly), published around 1610. Such works presented an exotic mixture of fact and fiction that was highly appealing. Of particular interest were the illustrations of mythical people and fabulous beasts, such as the creature from yumin guo (land of winged-men) that hatches from an egg. This resembles what later became known as the Japanese tengu. By the Edo period (1615-1868), tengu were always represented as either long-nosed tengu or crow-tengu, such as this example. A.907-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.8 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BF0216.jpg Japan Carved and stained wood Shuraku ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy yet bulky enough to do the job. They were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the kagamibuta (mirror lid) type. As the name suggests, it consists of two parts, a bowl and a lid resembling a traditional East Asian mirror. While the bowl is usually undecorated and made of ivory, the metal lid is the focal point of decoration. In order to produce increasingly imaginative and inventive netsuke, carvers often used designs from books or prints. In this example, the artist has faithfully copied the main design from a page of Manga (Random sketches), a book by Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). It shows a man, grimacing and gesticulating, ensnared in the tentacles of an octopus. M.1387-1926 Depth 4.2 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0383.jpg Japan Ivory and metal Reigyoku ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. They were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. The compact forms of manju netsuke made them ideal for wearing next to the body. They either consisted of two halves or were solid, as in this example. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy yet bulky enough to do the job. The unusually large size of this netsuke, of late 19th-century date, suggests that it was made to hang a heavy container, probably with fine chains instead of a cord. The netsuke is decorated with a scene from the Shiranui monogatari (The tale of the white embroiderer), a novel and play of the late Edo period (1615-1868). The story is about the revenge of Princess Wakana against the brave and loyal Toriyama Shusaku. In a print by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1864), Princess Wakana is shown with magical powers obtained from the spider spirit. Although the design of this netsuke is based directly on the print, it shows only part of the scene. 564-1904 Dresden Bequest Diameter 8.0 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0523.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown ca. 1800-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy yet bulky enough to do the job. They were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. The compact forms of manju netsuke made them ideal for wearing next to the body. They were either solid or consisted of two pieces, generally in the form of hollowed-out halves, as in this example. The suspension cords passed through a hole drilled in the middle of the back and were then attached to a ring on the inside of the upper half. This netsuke is made from wood covered with lacquer. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua, which grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. This netsuke is decorated with scrolls and geometric designs characteristic of lacquerware of the type known as ‘kimma’ - a painting and engraving technique that originated in Thailand. W.192A-1921 Sage Memorial Gift Diameter 4.1 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0473.jpg Japan Oriental lacquer Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of the immortal Gama Sennin. It is taller than a normal netsuke and is similar to a group of excessively tall standing figures of the 17th and early 18th centuries, although this example is probably slightly later than that. During the early 17th century, when katabori netsuke were first made, the influence of China was strong and many Chinese books reached Japan. These included works on immortals, spirits and deities that had been published during the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Most notable among them was the profusely illustrated Liexian quanzhuan (Complete Stories of Immortals), published in 1600. It gives a written account of nearly 500 deities, each with an illustration. Such was its popularity that in 1650 it appeared in a Japanese edition as Yusho ressen zenden (Complete Illustrated Lives of Immortals). As practitioners of the Chinese religious-philosophical tradition Taoism, immortals were perfected beings who, through self-cultivation, were able to transcend their normal existence. This netsuke shows the popular immortal Gama Sennin, who can be identified by his attribute, the toad, which he holds on one arm, while his other arm holds a staff. A.762-1910 Salting Bequest Height 13.2 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0441.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown ca. 1800-1875 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a cicada. In the early development of katabori netsuke during the 17th century, the influence of China was paramount. The next phase, from around the mid 18th century onwards, reflected a resurgence of native Japanese interests. This manifested itself not only in a preference for Japanese subjects, especially nature, but also in the increasingly naturalistic portrayal of such subjects. This netsuke features an anatomically realistic portrayal of a cicada, complete with details of its underside. The 18th century also saw netsuke carvers increasingly signing their work. This example is signed Harumitsu. A.993-1910 Salting Bequest Length 5.7 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0534.jpg Japan Carved wood Sony Corporation (manufacturer) 1979-1980 The Sony Stowaway TPS-L2 was the first-ever portable stereo, designed and produced by Sony in 1979. Stowaway was developed in response to the request from Nasaru Ibuka, founder of the Sony Corporation in Tokyo, for a stereo cassette player that could be carried around in the pocket. The stereo was marketed as the 'world's smallest stereo' and claimed to produce a quality of sound comparable to stereo equipment 100 times its size. The total weight of the Stowaway was 391 grams. W.22-1992 Given by the manufacturer Stowaway TPS-L2 (Personal stereo) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT3975.jpg Japan Plastic and metal Yamamoto, Yohji, born 1943 (designers) 1988-1989 This long sleeveless dress of orange and black cotton was designed by Yohji Yamamoto in Tokyo in 1988-1989. T.27-1999 Given by Valerie Mendes Length 143 cm Width 123 cm Dress http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AP3367.jpg Japan Machine-sewn cotton Sony Corporation 1999 The Japanese company Sony was created in 1948 to produce audio equipment. In 1982 Sony marketed its first personal computer, the SMC-70 model. Fifteen years after the first mass-produced P.C., Sony created the first VAIO model, a computer that combined both general purpose and entertainment capabilities. VAIO stands for 'Video Audio Integrated Operation,' and is an example of Sony's multimedia products. This is the PCG-C1XD model, manufactured in 1999. Users can connect different compatible components, like the digital camera or the Memory Stick Walkman, to the VAIO C1 Notebook computer to suit their personal requirements. W.664:1 to 9-2001 Given by Sony United Kingdom Limited (Portable computer) Height 28.2 cm (lid open and lying flat) (Portable computer) Width 24.8 cm (Portable computer) Depth 1.6 cm (Portable computer) Height 15 cm (lid closed) (Floppy disk drive) Diameter 15 cm (Floppy disk drive) Width 11 cm (Floppy disk drive) Depth 1.7 cm (Floppy disk) Height 9.3 cm (Floppy disk) Weight 9 cm (Floppy disk) Depth 0.2 cm Sony VAIO model PCG-C1XD notebook computer (Portable computer) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4294.jpg Japan Plastic and metal, with electrical and computer components Sony Corporation 2000 The original Walkman played pre-recorded cassette tapes, but the digital music file format known as MP3 is used in this version and enables recordings to be downloaded from the Internet. The device can store up to 80 minutes of music at a time. This model had been replaced with models with far greater memory capacity, as the technology of such devices has moved rapidly forward. W.665:1 to 14-2001 Given by Sony United Kingdom Limited (Personal stereo) Height 14.4 cm (Personal stereo) Width 7.4 cm (Personal stereo) Depth 1.7 cm (PC application software) Height 13 cm (PC application software) Width 14.6 cm (PC application software) Depth 0.5 cm (Carrying pouch) Height 9.6 cm (Carrying pouch) Width 3.7 cm (Carrying pouch) Depth 1.7 cm Sony Memory Stick Walkman NW-MS7 (Personal stereo) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4293.jpg Japan Plastic and metal, with electrical and computer components Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) 1849-1852 The view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is set on the Sumida river next to the Shubi Pine Tree, a famous landmark that hung out from the central pier of the Asakusa rice granary. Revellers enjoying the cool of the summer evening throng the span of the Ryogoku Bridge, visible to the south, while roof-boats (yanebune) and other pleasure craft gently ply the waters of the river. The area to the left of the bridge on the Honjo district side of the river was known as the 'Okawabata' or Great River-bank. The tall yellow structure at the foot of the bridge is an enclosure, within which acrobats and other performers entertained the crowds. The design is one of three belonging to an untitled series of views of Edo. E.4863-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Evening Cool and the Ryogoku Bridge Seen from the Shubi Pine Tree at Okawa (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0887.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Enshuya Matabei (publisher) 1849-1852 In this view of the Shinobazu Pond in Hiroshige's uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design we have a complete view of the island in the middle of the Pond and can see the structure of the shrine dedicated to Benten, the goddess of water, surrounded by restaurants and tea-houses. The season being early spring, it is cherry blossoms - rather than the lotus flowers for which the Pond was and is more usually known - that are the main focus of attention. To the north, where the water darkens beneath the red cartouche, one can just make out the mouth of the watercourse that feeds into the Pond. The issei ichidai that appears to the upper right of the artist's signature has the sense of ‘for once and for all’ or ‘never again’, suggesting that the artist had run out of ideas for depicting this popular and famous site. The design is one of three belonging to an untitled series of views of Edo. E.4861-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) The Shinobazu Pond at Ueno (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0518.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Unknown 1880-1930 This male doll is part of a Japanese Dolls' Festival (hina matsuri) set. The Dolls' Festival is traditionally celebrated by girls on 3rd March. The focal point of this festival is the display of dolls, miniature furniture and household accessories. The dolls represent the emperor and empress, with attendants and musicians in ancient court dress. The more elaborate of these sets are arranged on tiered shelves in the home and celebrated with special food of diamond-shaped rice cakes and sake. This set consists of a male and female doll, elaborately clothed, and seated on their own lacquered base covered with traditional tatami straw matting. In addition, there is a pair of screens, which are each placed behind a doll, with a shaded candlestand on either side. It also consists of several incomplete sets of miniature lacquer furniture and daily utensils. If they could afford it, a family would possess a high-quality set of lacquered items, which were passsed down from generation to generation. This accounts for the incomplete nature of this particular grouping. It also suggests that they not only had sentimental value, but were also of artistic merit. FE.13:1 to 6-2003 Given by Fumie Kosuge (Doll) Height 23 cm Doll http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4403.jpg Japan (Doll) Woven fabric (Tablet) Wood (Stand) Wood, straw (Base) Lacquered wood (Storage box) Wood Unknown ca. 1955 (manufactured) MISC.591-1991 Given by Miss D. Baum Length 29 cm Length 8 cm (large duck) Height 9 cm (large duck) Depth 5 cm (large duck) Height 5 cm (smallest duck) Width 5 cm (smallest duck) Depth 5 cm (smallest duck) Clockwork toy duck and ducklings http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4927.jpg Japan (probably manufactured) Metal Unknown 1800-1875 148-1876 Height 40.6 cm Width 12.0 cm (maximum) Vase http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AP1079.jpg Japan Patinated copper alloy Unknown 18th century The anonymous 18th-century woodblock-printed book 'Shokunin Uta Awase' (Poetry Competition on the Theme of Craftsmen) is a useful source of information with its many illustrations of artisans at work. For example, as shown here, it depicts sword polishing. E.2705-1925 Shokunin Uta Awase (Book) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9308.jpg Japan Woodblock printed Unknown 18th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of Ashinaga (Long Legs) and Tenaga (Long Arms) holding a fish. During the early 17th century when katabori netsuke were first made, Chinese influence was strong. As a result, many Chinese illustrated books reached Japan, often in the form of encyclopaedia. One of the most important was the profusely illustrated Sancai tuhui (Tripartite picture assembly), published around 1610. Such works presented an exotic mixture of fact and fiction that was highly appealing. Of particular interest were the illustrations of fabulous beasts and mythical people, such as Ashinaga and Tenaga. These two figures represent the benefits of mutual assistance. With his long legs, Ashinaga was frequently portrayed wading into deep water, while Tenaga fished from his back with his long arms. The appearance of Chinese illustrated books in Japan also coincided with the development of a thriving ivory-carving industry centred on the coastal regions of southern China, particularly Zhangzhou in Fujian province. This catered in large part for Portuguese and Spanish missionaries based throughout Asia. Through Japanese contact with China at this time, Chinese carvings reached Japan and played a crucial role in the development of netsuke. Ivory was subsequently one of the most important and widely used materials for the manufacture of netsuke, as with this example. A.897-1910 Salting Bequest Height 7.3 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0433.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Kokusai ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. They were either solid or consisted of two pieces, as in this example. Unusually, the decorated top part can be pulled out to reveal the hidden signature Koku, short for Kokusai. Kokusai (?-1894) was the greatest exponent of and guiding influence on the distinctive line of netsuke carvers associated with the Asakusa district of Tokyo (formerly Edo). Kokusai’s netsuke are characterised by a predominant use of stag antler as a material and by a highly original style of carving, combined with enormous originality and humour. Stag antler is a relatively cheap material but has various drawbacks, such as its irregular spongy surface, its hardness and the limitations imposed by its shape. In the highly creative mind of Kokusai, however, such irregularities were frequently exploited to form an interesting design. The scrolls and circular motifs widely associated with Kokusai’s style are found on this example. W.95B-1923 Pfungst Gift Height 2.1 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0475.jpg Japan Carved stag antler Moei ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy yet bulky enough to do the job. They were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the manju type, named after a kind of rounded, sweet dumpling filled with bean paste that it loosely resembles in shape. The compact form of manju netsuke made them ideal for wearing next to the body. They were either solid or consisted of two pieces, generally in the form of hollowed-out halves, as in this example. The suspension cords usually passed through a hole drilled in the middle of the back and were then attached to a ring on the inside of the upper half. This netsuke is decorated with floral roundels in gold lacquer. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua, which grows mainly in East Asia. After processing, it is applied in many thin layers to a base material. The craft of lacquering is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the artist’s name. This example is signed Moei. There were two lacquerers whose names were traditionally read Moei, or alternatively Shigenaga or Shigehide respectively. Both worked from the late 18th to the early 19th centuries. Japanese characters often have several different readings. Retrospectively and for less common names, it is not always clear how they were read. So, in this case, the artist is usually referred to as Moei, or Shigenaga or Shigehide. W.161:2-1922 Pfungst Gift Diameter 4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0470.jpg Japan Lacquered ivory Unknown ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They were made in a variety of forms, this one being an example of the kagamibuta (mirror lid) type. As the name suggests, it consists of two parts, a bowl and a lid resembling a traditional East Asian mirror. While the bowl is usually undecorated and made of ivory, the metal lid is the focal point of decoration. From the second half of the 18th century onwards, customers increasingly sought netsuke with inventive or ingenious designs. Sometimes this also included humorous elements. On this example, all the viewer can easily make out at first are three light areas against the dark. On further inspection, the unlikely subject turns out to be a fly that has settled on the head of a man. The man’s hand is raised to his head as if to brush away the fly. His brow is wrinkled as he disconsolately turns his eyes up towards the fly. M.1364-1926 Diameter 4.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0384.jpg Japan Ivory and metal Unknown ca. 1700-1750 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a personal seal. It is highly probable that the development of katabori netsuke in the early 17th century was closely linked to the influence of Chinese seals, which were widely known in Japan at that time. The underside of a seal was carved in relief or intaglio with the Chinese characters that made up an individual’s name. The upper part frequently featured a decorative carving. A seal could easily be converted into a netsuke by adding holes for a cord or by tying a cord to a suitable part of the carving. In such cases, the characters on the base were sometimes removed. From an early date, some netsuke were made in the form of both a seal and a netsuke and served a dual function, although they were often carved only with the characters for ‘long life’ or ‘good luck’ rather than with an individual’s name. Yet other netsuke, such as this early example, were made in the form of a seal but with no characters on the base. The subject of Chinese scholars that features on the upper part of this netsuke also underlines the connection with Chinese seals. A.45-1930 Height 4.2 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0492.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of Kan’u, a Chinese general and God of War. Kan’u (Chinese, ‘Guanyu’) was originally a hero of the Chinese Three Kingdoms period (2nd-3rd centuries AD). He is frequently shown with a long beard, in Chinese dress and holding a long halberd. The most widely used materials for making netsuke were traditionally wood or ivory. Since trees grow abundantly throughout Japan, wood is readily available and many varieties are comparatively cheap. There is also a long tradition of expertise in woodcarving in Japan. The small size of netsuke, however, often makes identification of the wood used impossible, as in this example. A.13-1918 Wheatley Gift Height 8.7 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0421.jpg Japan Carved wood Ikkan ca. 1825-1875 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a sleeping shojo. The shojo is a mythical creature with long red hair, partial to excessive alcohol drinking and hence often shown asleep. There are many surviving netsuke in this standard or related forms. The most widely used materials for making netsuke were traditionally wood or ivory. Since trees grow abundantly throughout Japan, wood is readily available and many varieties are comparatively cheap. There is also a long tradition of expertise in woodcarving in Japan. The small size of netsuke often makes identification of the wood used impossible. This example, however, can be identified as cherrywood, a dark-reddish wood. Where local supplies of specific trees were plentiful, they often formed the basis of regional netsuke production. This is exemplified by the widespread use of cherrywood in the Nagoya and Gifu areas. This particular example, however, is signed ‘Ikkan of Iwari province’. A.894-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0450.jpg Japan Carved wood Chuichi ca. 1900-1925 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving. This one is in the unlikely form of a tortoise tied to a decorative roof tile - undoubtedly an ingenious way to stop a pet tortoise from wandering off. The most widely used materials for making netsuke were traditionally wood or ivory. Since trees grow abundantly throughout Japan, wood is readily available and many varieties are comparatively cheap. There is also a long tradition of expertise in woodcarving in Japan. The small size of netsuke often makes identification of the wood used impossible. This example, however, can be identified as boxwood. This wood is ideal for netsuke carving, as it has a fine, dense and even grain, while also being durable. It has a pale and creamy colour that acquires an attractive patina, or it can be polished to a high lustre. A.38-1917 Florence Gift Length 4.3 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0489.jpg Japan Carved wood Unknown ca. 1750-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a rat on a capsicum seed. Netsuke were made from a large number of materials, most commonly wood or ivory. Apart from elephant ivory, various other types of ivory were used, such as this unusual netsuke carved from a sperm-whale tooth. This material is denser and harder than elephant ivory. Through the skill of the carver, the outer, upper part of the tooth was mostly pared down, leaving a small rat carved out of the tooth itself. The top, stem end of the capsicum seed can be removed, allowing the cord to be attached on the inside, where a space was left by the tooth’s nerve. 811-1907 Pritchett Gift Length 8.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0533.jpg Japan Carved marine ivory Unknown ca. 1775-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional object, such as this one in the form of a gourd. Netsuke were made from a large number of materials, most commonly wood or ivory. This example, however, is made from wood covered in lacquer. Lacquer is the sap from the tree Rhus verniciflua, which grows mainly in East Asia. The craft of lacquering is highly complex, time-consuming and expensive. This netsuke is decorated with carved lacquer, a technique more commonly associated with China. After applying many layers of lacquer to the base until the desired thickness was achieved, the maker carved the design into the lacquer with chisels, knives and gouges. Here the carving is on two levels, with takaramono (‘auspicious objects’) on the upper level against a geometric ground. All netsuke had to have a means of attaching the cord. This is cleverly achieved here by cutting a hole in one of the takaramono and connecting this to a central hole on the bottom. W.279A-1921 Sage Memorial Gift Height 3.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0477.jpg Japan Carved lacquer Unknown ca. 1750-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a basket of fish with a squid. The main inspiration for netsuke subjects was the natural world, most commonly animals, birds and sea creatures. Since fish traditionally played a large part in the Japanese diet, its frequency as a subject is understandable. The netsuke carver has skilfully contrasted the different textures of the sea creatures with the basket, introducing an element of humour by depicting some of the squid’s legs entwined round the basket as if it were trying to escape. A.59-1952 Shipman Bequest Length 4.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0382.jpg Japan Carved ivory Unknown ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a tiger on a bamboo stem. One of the greatest appeals of netsuke lies in the enormous range of their subject matter. The main inspiration was undoubtedly the natural world, especially animals. Although the tiger is not native to Japan, it has been widely used as a motif in Japanese art because it is one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac. The 12 animals, one for each year, were used in a fixed order that was repeated every 12 years. The rat, monkey and tiger were among the most popular of the zodiac animals. A tiger netsuke might be used over the new-year festivities for the year of the tiger, as well as at any time throughout that year. Since the bamboo was seen as an unbending plant of enormous strength, its use in combination with the tiger may also be interpreted as representing unyielding strength in the face of adversity. 428-1904 Dresden Bequest Length 4.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0508.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Unknown ca. 1750-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a group of mushrooms. The main inspiration for netsuke subjects was the natural world, most commonly animals, birds and plants. This netsuke is carved so realistically that it is possible to identify the type of mushroom as honshimeji. Although the netsuke appears simple it was, in fact, very demanding to carve. The skill lies in contrasting the smooth, curved upper surfaces with the intricate, textured gills on the underside of the mushrooms. A.55-1918 Wheatley Gift Height 3.2 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0385.jpg Japan Carved wood Masanari Seikei 19th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a rat-catcher. People, whether real, imaginary or historical, provided a rich source of inspiration for netsuke carvers. Of particular appeal during the 19th century were depictions of city life, trades and occupations. This example shows a rat-catcher at work, with a rat crawling across his back. He is extremely realistically carved, his muscles tense and a look of anger on his face as the rat escapes. 529-1904 Dresden Bequest Height 3.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0425.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Hidetama ca. 1800-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of pilgrims and a temple pillar. For most of the Edo period (1615-1868), the only legitimate reason for travel that was open to the mass of the population was to make pilgrimages to sacred temples and shrines. By the time this netsuke was carved, towards the end of the period, such restrictions had been eased and nationwide travel in Japan for business or pleasure had become common. Certain netsuke subjects, such as this example, would have appealed directly to tourists and sightseers. It depicts the bottom of the enormous pillar at the Great Buddha Hall (Daibutsuden) of the Todaiji temple, Nara. Well known to tourists, this column has a square hole near its base, allowing slim and agile visitors to climb through, as shown here by a trick mechanism. According to popular belief, crawling through the opening was thought to bring religious merit. A.853-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0538.jpg Japan Carved wood Unknown 19th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a rocky landscape with a house perched on top. Although aspects of the natural world were commonly portrayed as netsuke subjects, netsuke in the form of a landscape were comparatively rare. This was partly for obvious reasons of size and partly because, in order to appear realistic, such netsuke generally required a large base, which did not lie comfortably against the body. By depicting a house perched on a rocky landscape, this particular example emphasises height rather than width. It is carved from ebony, an imported wood. A.13-1915 Fox Gift Height 3.8 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0488.jpg Japan Carved ebony Issai Fujiwara Masahiro ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a clam shell. The shell is further decorated with three famous views of Japan: the bay at Matsushima and the sandbar of Ama-no-Hashidate are carved in low relief on the shell’s exterior; Miyajima temple and its setting are carved in openwork and relief inside the shell. Although aspects of the natural world were commonly portrayed as netsuke subjects, netsuke in the form of a landscape are comparatively rare. This example features a particularly ingenious way of portraying not one, but three landscapes in one netsuke. Such imaginative work was typical of the late 18th and 19th centuries. It also reflects enormous skill by the carver. 442-1904 Dresden Bequest Height 2.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0524.jpg Japan Carved ivory Shogetsu ca. 1800-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching the cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving). This example is a three-dimensional carving in the form of Fujin and Raijin, the Gods of Wind and Thunder. These gods entered the repertoire of popular Japanese mythology from at least the 14th century. The God of Wind is portrayed with a bag of wind, while the God of Thunder is shown with one or more drums with which to make the noise of a thunderstorm. Both wood and ivory were traditionally the most widely used materials for making netsuke. This netsuke was carved from ivory, which was then stained and coloured. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the artist’s name. This example is signed Shogetsu. A.741-1910 Salting bequest Height 4.29 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0395.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Unknown ca. 1750-1800 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a rat. The rat is one of the 12 animals of the East Asian zodiac, which derives from Chinese cosmology. In a recurring cycle of 12, each animal is assigned to a year in a specific order. The traditional order is: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. A netsuke portraying any of these animals was particularly associated with the New Year festivities of the appropriate year, but could also be used at any time during that particular year, and again 12 years later in accordance with the cycle. A.958-1910 Salting Bequest Length 4.6 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0536.jpg Japan Carved wood Unknown ca. 1800-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of Taira no Tadamori mistakenly attacking the oil thief. Taira no Tadamori, founder of the famous Taira clan, was a skilful 12th-century general. According to popular legend, Tadamori was out walking with the emperor one dark night in the pouring rain, when a passer-by told them of a terrifying demon emitting flames who was roaming the road leading to the Gion temple. The emperor immediately sent Tadamori to track him down and, before long, Tadamori came upon the creature. Without hesitation, he crept up behind and killed it. It was only then that he realised the creature was none other than a priest with a large hat and straw cape lighting the temple lanterns. His torch had made it seem as though he were emitting flames. This story is usually referred to as Taira no Tadamori mistakenly attacking the ‘oil thief’. During the 17th and early 18th centuries, katabori netsuke had been greatly influenced by Chinese subjects. From the mid 18th century onwards, there was a resurgence of Japanese stories and legends, such as this one. Showing two men in combat, this is a rare example of a netsuke that conveys action. Both men grimace as they fight, while their clothes are skilfully carved so that they appear to be moving. A.804-1910 Salting Bequest Height 4.5 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0455.jpg Japan Carved wood Yoshimura Shuzan ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of Hotei, one of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, with two of his main attributes, a fan and sack. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. This example is signed ‘Shuzan’. Yoshimura Shuzan was a painter and netsuke carver, who died in 1773. He was reputed to have carved netsuke mostly from cypress, a soft wood that wears down relatively easily. It is quite probable that it was for this reason that he originally started painting his carvings. Through wear and tear the coloured surface rubbed off in parts, resulting in a pleasant effect, as shown here. Although this example is signed, Shuzan is known not to have signed his netsuke, which makes identifying genuine works extremely difficult. It was already recorded in the late 18th century that there were many fakes attributed to Shuzan. This example is undoubtedly a typical copy of the mid to late 19th century. A.72-1918 Wheatley Gift Height 4.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0466.jpg Japan Carved and painted cypress Ohara Mitsuhiro Kaigyokusai Masatsugu ca. 1825-1875 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of an octopus caught in a trap. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the caver’s name. This example is signed ‘Mitsuhiro’ and ‘octopus and shells by Kaigyoku’. Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1875) and Kaigyokusai Masatsugu (1813-1892) were the two greatest 19th-century netsuke carvers from Osaka, a centre of netsuke making. Both artists worked mostly in ivory, carving immensely fine detail. This netsuke is important partly because it is the product of a collaboration by the two great netsuke carvers, but also for its superb quality of workmanship and its playful subject. It depicts an octopus trap covered in limpets. An octopus is already inside the trap, though it cannot immediately be seen by wearers or viewers, who gets a surprise when they turn it over. A.55-1919 Clarke-Thornhill Gift Height 2.9 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0449.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Tomotada ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of an ox. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. This example is signed ‘Tomotada’. Izumiya Tomotada was one of three great netsuke carvers active in Kyoto during the late 18th century. Works by Masanao and Yoshinaga, the other two Kyoto carvers, are comparatively rare. However, there is a large group of netsuke signed ‘Tomotada’ that are of good or exceptional quality. It is known that even in Tomotada’s lifetime there were many forgeries of his work, so identification of genuine signatures is difficult. Tomotada specialised in animal subjects, especially tigers and oxen. There are numerous examples of reclining oxen or of an ox with its young that have a Tomotada signature. This particular netsuke is one of the best examples of the subject and is probably by the master himself. A.957-1910 Salting Bequest Length 5.1 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0439.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Ikkan ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a pumpkin. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. This example is signed ‘Ikkan’, a netsuke-carver from the regional centre of Nagoya. A line of netsuke carvers in this area stemmed from the artist Tomokazu, and all its members made use of the character meaning ‘one’. This can be read as ‘kazu’ and ‘ichi’, resulting in names such as Ikkan. Takaoka Ikkan was one of the greatest netsuke carvers of Nagoya. He was also the younger brother of the head priest of Kyosenji Temple, a minor branch temple in Nagoya. When the temple fell on hard times, he was obliged to earn his living as a Buddhist sculptor and netsuke carver. This netsuke of a pumpkin looks deceptively simple. Great skill was needed to portray its form and texture realistically. A.1001-1910 Salting Bequest Height 4.29 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0422.jpg Japan Carved wood Tanaka Minko ca. 1775-1825 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a crouching figure. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed by the craftsman. This example is signed ‘drawn by Tanaka Minko’. Tanaka Minko (1735-1816) was the founder of a small group of regional netsuke carvers in Tsu, Ise province. He is known to have produced several netsuke based on illustrations from Soken kisho ('Strange and Wonderful Sword Fittings'), a book published in 1781, of which this netsuke is one. Since the illustration in Soken kisho is annotated with the characters for the word 'actor', it is possible that the subject of this netsuke refers to a play, Kanadehon Chushingura, which was popular at the time. The figure in the book appears to be lying in wait, wearing a straw cape and carrying a gun, the figure here can possibly be identified as the character, Hayano Kanpei. He was a warrior who adopted a simple, rustic lifestyle as a disguise. A.856-1910 Salting Bequest Length 5.6 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0429.jpg Japan Carved wood Unknown 19th century The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of Moso in a bamboo grove. Netsuke were first and foremost functional and had to comply with certain basic requirements that also imposed practical limitations on them. They had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job, while also being strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke also needed to be reasonably compact, with no sharp protrusions that might snag on the fabric of the clothing. This netsuke illustrates one of the 24 examples of Chinese filial piety. According to legend, in the middle of winter when there was a thick covering of snow, Moso’s mother had a yearning for bamboo shoots. Moso dutifully set off to search for the unseasonal delicacy. Against all odds he found some and on the netsuke, is shown cutting the bamboo shoots. The depiction of such complex subjects was popular during the 19th century when this netsuke was carved. Through careful planning, the artist has skilfully managed to depict all the elements, and has yet managed to retain the compactness essential of netsuke. A.787-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.8 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0457.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Shuosai ca. 1800-1850 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated is the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a cock. Netsuke were first and foremost functional and had to comply with certain basic requirements that also imposed practical limitations on them. They had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job, while also being strong and hardwearing. Above all they had to have the means of attaching to a cord. Netsuke also needed to be reasonably compact, with no sharp protrusions that might snag on the fabric of the clothing. By depicting a cock pecking at a radish, the artist has skilfully ensured that the tail feathers curl round and do not stick out. This has resulted in a rounded netsuke of as near perfect a form as possible. A.63-1915 Fox Gift Height 4.13 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0420.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Kanemoto ca. 1530 This short sword (‘wakizashi’) is signed ‘Kanemoto’, a swordsmith of Seki in Mino province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture). The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. From the tempering process the blade has a strong ‘three cedar tree’ (‘sambon-sugi’) tempered edge (‘hamon’). On the outside (‘omote’) of the blade has been carved at a later stage an image (‘horimono’) of the Buddhist deity Bodhisattva Monju standing on a ‘shishi’ (mythical lion-dog). On the inner face (‘ura’) of the blade are carved the ‘bonji’ (debased Sanskrit character) for the Buddhist deity Fudo Myo-o and a stylised Buddhist lotus throne (‘renge’). Although the Muromachi period (1333-1568) is characterised by the mass production of swords, there were still many smiths of the Gokaden (the name given to the five main schools of sword production: Bizen, Mino, Soshu, Yamashiro, and Yamato) producing fine blades and introducing interesting and distinctive variations in the hamon patterns of the blade. At Seki in Mino, the traditions established by the smith Kaneuji were continued by a number of other smiths, who all signed their names beginning with the character ‘Kane’, taken from the name of the founder of the school. M.28-1912 Length 37 cm (blade) Sword http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9357.jpg Seki, Japan Forged steel Sukekane (probably) 1836 The blade of this Japanese long sword (‘katana’) has the fake signature of Kanemitsu, a famous 14th-century swordsmith. The inscribed date has been altered to read ‘Embun nana nen, ni gatsu hi’ - ‘second month of the seventh year of the Embun period’, which is equivalent to 1362. It is obvious that the final two characters of the signature have been altered, as have the first two of the date. Tellingly, the Embun period of Japan’s brief northern dynasty lasted only five years (1356-1361), not seven. The characteristics of the blade and the style of the original signature suggest that the swordsmith was either Sukenaga (1795-1851) or Sukekane of the Yokoyama school in Bizen. The only historical period of seven years or more that fits this hypothesis is the Tempo period (1830-1844), which would make the actual date of the blade 1836. The blade is carved on one side with a dragon and a Buddhist heavenly jewel, and on the other side with the ‘bonji’ (debased Sanskrit character)) for the deities Aizome Myo-o and Fudo Myo-o, along with a stylised Buddhist lotus throne (‘renge’). The tempered edge (‘hamon’) shows the distinctive style of the 19th-century Yokoyama school, with the pattern sloping gently towards the hilt of the blade. M.7-1947 Length 74 cm Sword Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9441.jpg Osafune, Japan Forged steel Sukesada 1666 The blade of this short or companion sword (‘wakizashi’) is signed ‘Bizen Kuni ju Osafune Shichibei-jo Sukesada’ - ‘Shichibeijo Sukesada resident of Osafune in Bizen province’ (modern-day Okayama Prefecture). It is dated ‘Kambun roku nen hachi gatsu kichi jitsu’ - ‘A lucky day in the eighth month, sixth year of the Kambun Period’ (1661-1673), which is equivalent to 1666. There were a great number of smiths using the name Sukesada but this blade clearly displays Shichibeijo Sukesada’s distinctive style of tempering pattern (‘hamon’) on the edge of the blade. Known as ‘kani no tsume’ - ‘crab’s claws’ - this form of hamon has split peaks that look like the open claws of a crab. The scabbard is of black hammered stone-effect lacquer, a type known as ‘ishime’. It is ridged with a large dragon in low relief. The silver scabbard fittings, with inlay of gold and shakudo (an alloy of copper and gold patinated to a rich black colour), continue the dragon theme. All the mountings would seem to be contemporary to the blade and date to the late 17th century. The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. M.12:1 to 3-1947 Length 51.5 cm Sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9386.jpg Osafune, Japan (Sword) Forged steel Kanenori late 19th century The blade of this Japanese guardless dagger (‘aikuchi’) is signed ‘Noto no Kami Kanenori’ - ‘Kanenori, Honorary Lord of Noto Province’ (modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture) and inscribed ‘made at the Toshodai (in Nara or at Ise?) from iron left over from the sacred temple blade’. This is an early blade by Sugawara Kanenori, one of the first swordsmiths to be appointed as ‘Imperial Craftsman’ by Emperor Meiji. He was given the highly honourable duty of forging the swords made every 20th year when the ceremony of removing the great Shrine of Ise is performed. The blade is flat-sided with fine graining in the steel and with a straight tempered edge pattern (‘hamon’). The mounts, scabbard and metal fittings are probably contemporary with the blade itself. The scabbard is of dark wood with silver fittings engraved with plum blossom and scrolling foliage. M.97-1912 Length 21.3 cm Dagger Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9378.jpg Japan Forged steel Sukekane 1860-1870 This Japanese dagger (‘tanto’) is signed ‘Bishu Osafune Ju Yokoyama Suke[kane]’ - the last character has been cut through. This translates as ‘Yokoyama Sukekane, resident of Osafune in Bizen province’ (modern-day Okayama Prefecture). Some of the characters in the rest of the inscription are obscured: ‘Tomonari gojuhachi dai mago…nen…gatsu hi’ - ‘58th generation grandchild [descendant] of Tomonari, a day in ?month of ?year’. The blade dates from around 1860-1870. The distinctive tempered edge (‘hamon’) featuring Mount Fuji with the sun on one side and Mount Fuji with the moon on the other, together with a ‘clenched fist’ (‘ko-bushi’) pattern, features on several other tanto blades by Sukekane. Blades of the 19th-century Yokoyama school frequently declared their lineage as being directly descended from the 13th-century smith Tomonari. The hilt and scabbard are of wood or wood bark with emphasised grain and are decorated with metal ants and other details in silver, gold, copper and natural horn. M.1336:1, 2-1926 Length 18.7 cm Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9376.jpg Osafune, Japan (Scabbard) Wood, with ebony, gold, silver, copper and horn decoration (Dagger) Forged steel Gassan Sadakazu 1869 The blade of this slung sword (‘tachi’) is by Gassan Sadakazu. The scabbard is of wood covered with iron sheet, inlaid with a decoration of dragons, phoenixes, ‘shishi’ (mythical lion-like creature) and ‘mon’ (family crests) in silver and gold flat inlay (‘hira-zogan’). The scabbard is more or less contemporary with the sword and is signed in a silver cartouche ‘Nihon Koku Kyoto Ju Komai Tsukuru’ (‘Made by Komai, resident of Kyoto, Japan’). Although it has been mounted as a tachi, the blade is a ‘katana’ (a mounted sword that would have been thrust cutting edge uppermost through the sash worn with the kimono). The blade is signed ‘Naniwa ju, Gassan Unryushi Sadakazu hori do saku’ (‘Gassan Unryushi Sadakazu of Naniwa (Osaka) made and carved this’), with a seal with the character for ‘Sada’ inside. It is dated ‘Meiji ni hebi doshi hachi gatsu hi’ (‘Second year of Meiji, snake year [equivalent to 1869] a day in the eighth month’). On the outer face of the blade (‘omote’) is a splendid carving (‘horimono’) of a dragon chasing a flaming pearl; on the inner face (‘ura’) is a carving of a Buddhist-style sword (‘ken’) and the character for the Buddhist deity Marishiten. The V&A was originally offered this sword in 1915 but declined because it felt the sword was too modern. Fortunately the Museum was then given the sword as a gift in 1971 and it now makes a valuable contribution to our study of late 19th-century Japanese art. M.48:1, 2-1971 (Scabbard) Length 110.5 cm (overall) (Sword) Length 68 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Tachi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9396.jpg Osaka (city), Japan (Scabbard) Wood, with inlaid iron decoration (Sword) Forged steel Yukihiro 17th century The blade of this Japanese long sword (‘katana’), is signed by Dewa No Kami Yukihiro of Hizen province (modern-day Saga Prefecture). It has a very slight curvature, a characteristic typical of the Kambun period (1661-1680). The grain that has resulted from the folding process in manufacture is fine and the tempered edge (‘hamon’) shows the irregular wavy pattern known as ‘toran’ - billowing waves. Japan at this time was effectively at peace and the samurai used their weapons in training schools that kept their military skills up to the standards required of them by the shogun, the military ruler of Japan. Swords were still, of course, effective weapons but a straighter, slightly shorter sword was more in keeping with the requirements of town life. M.81:1, 2-1957 Length 63.2 cm Sword and scabbard Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9398.jpg Dewa, Japan Forged steel Unknown 17th century The blade of this Japanese guardless dagger (‘aikuchi’) is unsigned but it probably dates from the 17th century. The black lacquer scabbard, decorated with impressed maple leaves, and the metal fittings all date from the 19th century. These fittings are made of ‘shibuichi’ - literally ‘one part in four’ - which is a copper and silver alloy that can be patinated to many colours ranging from black through brown to grey. The metal fittings are decorated with deer, maple leaves, a hare and the moon. The hilt is wrapped with whalebone strands. It is not unusual for earlier Japanese blades to be remounted in decorative styles, particularly in the 17th and 18th centuries when rich merchants began to patronise those craftsmen previously employed only by the ruling samurai class. M.983:1 to 3-1910 (Scabbard) Length 37 cm (Dagger) Length 23.5 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9345.jpg Japan (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with patinated copper fittings (Dagger) Forged steel Hisayoshi 1868 This small elegant dagger was made in the final days of the Tokugawa shoguns of Japan (1603-1868). The dagger is inscribed ‘a day in the fifth month of the fourth year of the Keio period’, which is equivalent to 1868. The emperor was restored to power in the ninth month of 1868. The smith, Shimizu Hisayoshi, died in 1868 so this dagger may well have been one of his last creations. One final point of interest is that, instead of using the character for the number ‘4’ to record the fact that it was the fourth year of Keio, the smith carved on the hilt of the dagger the Japanese character for the number ‘2’ twice. This is because the word for ‘4’ in Japanese sounds like the word for ‘death’ and its use is best avoided wherever possible. The dagger is mounted in a wooden scabbard overlaid with copper sheet that has been stamped with a design of maple leaves. The fittings of the scabbard are of polished black horn and shibuichi (an alloy of silver and copper) encrusted with gold and silver depicting an egret in a stream. Other mounts are of silver and depict waves with gold drops of spray. The hilt is of rayskin, also with a design of maple leaves. M.941-1916 (Scabbard) Length 35.8 cm (overall) (Dagger) Length 19.5 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9343.jpg Japan (Scabbard) Wood, with copper sheet decoration (Dagger) Forged steel Yamaguchi, Yasujiro, born 1904 (weavers) 1980 This robe was made to be worn in a Japanese Noh performance. Noh is a dance drama with a poetic, sung text set to the accompaniment of three drums and a flute. The heavy, richly coloured costumes with their bold designs suit the slow, deliberate movements of Noh performance, which takes place on a virtually bare stage. This type of robe is called a karaori and would have been worn for female roles. It was made by Yamaguchi Yasujirô, who is one of the master weavers of Kyoto. FE.65-2002 Given by the artist Length 160.5 cm Width 151.5 cm Robe http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AF4317.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Silk, woven on a jacquard loom Gekko, Ogata 1887 (printed and published) This woodblock print is from a series entitled ‘Gekko zuihitsu’ (‘Miscellaneous Sketches by Gekko’) and dated to the equivalent of about 1887 (the dating is incomplete). The print depicts the swordsmith Sanjo Munechika, who lived during the Heian period (794–1185), forging the blade ‘Ko-Kitsune’ (‘Little Fox’) for the Emperor Ichijo (r. 987–1011). Munechika is assisted by Inari, the Shinto deity regarded as the guardian of smiths and metalworkers. Inari would often appear in the guise of a white fox, and an ethereal group of foxes (the earthly messengers, or manifestations of Inari) are shown here in the background. Around Munechika hang Shinto symbols of purity: a sacred rice-straw rope (shimenawa) with sacred paper (gohei) attached. Japanese blades were thought to be imbued with a spirit reflecting the manner in which they were forged, and swordsmiths worked in near-religious conditions. Purified in mind and body, they invoked divine spirits in their mastery over fire and metal. E.355-1901 Height 36.9 cm Width 25.4 cm The Swordsmith on Mount Inari Inariyama Ko-Kaji (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AT8347.jpg Japan Woodblock print Unknown ca. 1650-1750 This scene, from an anonymous six-fold painted screen, depicts 'Fording the Uji River', a race between the two samurai Kajiwara Kagetoki and Sasaki Takatsuna to be the first to cross the river in February 1184 at the height of the Taira-Minamoto wars. This early 18th-century screen clearly depicts the 'nobility' of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) mounted samurai fully armed for battle and wearing his armour. The theme of this heroic race was an extremely popular one; it is found in many forms of Japanese art. The samurai are actually shown wearing 16th-century style helmets, but otherwise the depiction of the arms and armour is correct for a Kamakura period warrior. E.3054-1910 Height 60 in Width 138 in Fording the Uji River (Screen) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN2250.jpg Japan Wood frame, with painted colours on paper Utagawa Kuniyoshi, born 1797 - died 1861 ca. 1840 Emperor Go-Toba, in full court robes, beats out the rudimentary form (sunobe) of a new sword blade in the humble surroundings of a forge with cracked mud walls. This woodblock print of about 1840 is from the series ‘Hyakunin Isshu’ by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. In 1221, the cloistered Emperor Go-Toba attempted to overthrow the new military government but was defeated and sent into exile on the island of Oki. From this position he was able to concentrate on his great love of swords, their manufacture and history. From his exile he summoned eminent swordsmiths, together with the necessary professional sword polishers, to visit him on Oki for a fixed period during the year. He gave them the title Goban Kaji – ‘Smiths in attendance to the Emperor’. In return for the imperial patronage, the smiths taught the emperor the many techniques of the established five schools (Gokaden) of sword manufacture, particularly those of Bizen and Yamashiro. It is believed that Go-Toba was actually involved in at least the process of hardening the blades (yaki-ire) but the precise extent of his involvement in any of the more arduous tasks of forging the blades is not known. It was regarded as a great honour to work with the emperor, and blades produced by Go-Toba and his attendant smiths are not signed, but bear the 24-leaf imperial chrysanthemum crest on the hilt (nakago). With this previously unheard of patronage, the Japanese sword gained even more status as an art object during a period when its prime function, in the bloody and violent state of the country at that time, was as a killing instrument. E.11449-1886 The Emperor Go-Toba forging a sword (Woodblock print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9327.jpg Japan Woodblock print Unknown 18th century This anonymous 18th-century woodblock printed book, Ehon Zen Taiheiki ('Chronicle of the Great Peace'), illustrates stories from the anonymous 'Gunki Monogatari' (war tales) describing the period of conflict in Japan between 1318 and 1367. This print from the book shows the effective use of the halberd-like polearm, known as the naginata, by foot soldiers against mounted warriors. The weapons and armour of the period are realistically depicted, with all the combatants carrying traditional slung-swords (tachi) and short, guardless swords worn at the waist (koshigatana). This book was produced during the peaceful Edo period (1600-1868), when the samurai had no battles to fight but were expected to maintain their warrior traditions. Books that told of the past glories of the samurai were produced in great numbers and many of the real characters from the tales became the stuff of national legend. They later featured prominently in numerous Noh and Kabuki performances as well as in prose. The samurai represented in those tales of long-past glorious battles represented the ideals of the samurai, namely unflinching bravery and self-sacrificing loyalty. The popularity of these war tales may even have helped foster the development of the samurai code of honour, bushido. E.14979-1886 Ehon Zen Taiheiki (Book) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9296.jpg Japan Woodblock prints Ohara Mitsuhiro ca. 1825-1875 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of a persimmon. From the 18th century onwards, netsuke were increasingly signed with the carver’s name. This example is signed ‘Mitsuhiro’. Ohara Mitsuhiro (1810-1875) was one of the two great 19th-century netsuke carvers from Osaka, a centre of netsuke making. At the age of 17, Mitsuhiro went to live with a family in Osaka who dealt with ivory and made plectra for the shamisen, a stringed musical instrument. There Mitsuhiro learned to carve using ivory waste and was ultimately adopted by the master of the shop. He became an independent carver ten years later. Mitsuhiro is well known for his minutely detailed carvings of animal, vegetable and figural subjects. He worked mostly in ivory, often staining it subtly in red, as he did with this persimmon. 447-1904 Dresden Bequest Height 2.6 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0530.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Rakueisai ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job, while also being strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving, such as this one in the form of the Chinese general Gentoku, riding across a river on a horse. From the mid 18th century onwards, customers increasingly demanded netsuke with interesting and inventive designs. This was often achieved by copying or adapting designs from woodblock-printed books, which were widely available and cheap. The source of this netsuke is a double-page spread from the Ehon shaho bukuro (Bag of sketching treasures). There are, however, slight differences between the netsuke and the original. The general’s right hand, holding the whip, lies against the horse’s rump on the netsuke, while it is held up behind him in the book. Similarly the horse’s tail is flattened on the netsuke, while it streams behind in the book. Such modifications are all perfectly acceptable when considering the need for compactness in a netsuke. Any sharp protrusions might catch and damage the wearer’s clothing. A.781-1910 Salting Bequest Length 6.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0460.jpg Japan Carved and stained ivory Kagetoshi ca. 1850-1900 The netsuke is a toggle. Japanese men used netsuke to suspend various pouches and containers from their sashes by a silk cord. Netsuke had to be small and not too heavy, yet bulky enough to do the job. They needed to be compact with no sharp protruding edges, yet also strong and hard-wearing. Above all, they had to have the means for attaching a cord. Netsuke were made in a variety of forms, the most widely appreciated being the katabori (shape carving), a three-dimensional carving such as this one. From the mid 18th century onwards, customers increasingly demanded imaginative and innovative netsuke. Some of these netsuke had hidden or surprise elements, as in this example in the form of a temple bell, around which a dragon is coiled. A trick mechanism allows the bell to open, revealing a young woman dancing inside. This combination of motifs clearly alludes to the story of the Dojoji Temple bell. According to this tale of vengeful female jealousy, Kiyohime, the beautiful young daughter of an innkeeper, fell in love with a priest, Anchin, who scorned her persistent advances. The furious Kiyohime first transformed herself into a witch, then a dragon. When Anchin took refuge under the great bronze bell of the temple, she used her magical powers to force the bell to crash to the ground, trapping Anchin inside. At this, she coiled herself round the bell, creating such an intense heat that Anchin was burned to death. A.813-1910 Salting Bequest Height 3.4 cm Netsuke http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AL0497.jpg Japan Carved ivory Kanesada 16th century The blade of this dagger (‘tanto’) is straight and flat-sided with a three-sided back. There are two short grooves (‘hi’) on each side of the blade. It is signed Izumi no Kami Kanesada. There are two possible smiths of this name, who worked in Izumi province (modern-day Osaka Prefecture) from about 1504 to 1555. The highly decorative mounting (scabbard and metal fittings) for the dagger dates from the mid 19th century. The scabbard is of black lacquer decorated with chrysanthemum leaves in autumn hues in flat and high-relief decoration. It is thought that there may even be real chrysanthemum leaves beneath the lacquer. The metal mounts are of silver and are modelled as peonies with gilt centres to the flowers. The hilt of the dagger is covered with shakudo - an alloy of gold and copper that is patinated to a rich dark hue, which the 16th-century warlord Hideyoshi likened to ‘rain on a crow’s wing’. A silver and gilt plate depicting peonies has also been added to the hilt. It is not unusual to find an early blade remounted in later years. The contrast between the blade, made during Japan’s period of civil war, and the mounting, probably made for a rich merchant, is striking. M.940-1916 (Scabbard) Length 40.5 cm (overall) (Dagger) Length 25.5 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9341.jpg Izumi, Japan (Scabbard) Wood, lacquer, silver and gold (Dagger) Forged steel Unknown (Short sword) probably 17th century This Japanese short sword (‘chiisagatana’) of the 17th century has mounts dating to 1849. The scabbard is of polished wood decorated with cherry bark. The metal mounts, which are of shibuichi (an alloy of copper and silver) and pure silver, feature a decoration of fallen cherry blossom and the metal surface is treated to resemble cherry bark. Other metal fittings depict a sword, a writing case and a brush. The mounts and decoration of the sword all refer to the story of Kojima Takanori, a semi-legendary (some sources doubt his existence) warrior and courtier of the 14th century. When he was waiting on Emperor Go-Daigo, who had been sent into exile following his attempts to remove the shogun from power, Takanori had torn the bark from a cherry tree to write a message in poem form assuring the disgraced emperor of his loyalty. The metal band near the middle of this sword is decorated with the inscription that Takanori wrote. This story became very popular in Japan from the mid 19th century and was used in school textbooks and songs by the government in order to promote patriotism. M.936:1 to 3-1916 (Scabbard) Length 42.5 cm (overall) (Short sword) Length 27.5 cm (blade) Short sword and scabbard Chiisagatana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9338.jpg Japan (Scabbard) Wood, cherry-bark, lacquer, silver and patinated copper alloys (Short sword) Forged steel Ietada 1654 This companion sword (‘wakizashi’) has an interesting history carved into its hilt. Made in 1654 in Kaga province (modern-day Ishikawa Prefecture on the west coast of Japan) by Fujiwara Ietada, it was given in 1791 as a present by the feudal lord (‘daimyo’) of Kaga to one of his retainers. The dedication would appear to have been carved by one Fujiwara Kinmichi, ‘master smith of Japan’, who would most likely have been the sixth or seventh-generation smith using that name and title. Another inscription, most likely that of a later owner, gives the name and title ‘Yamazaki Hikoshiro Minamoto Yoshinao aged 26, retainer of Sagami province’ (modern-day Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo). These various inscriptions bear the mark of possibly three different hands and show clearly how a good sword, even one made during the peaceful Edo period (1600-1868), could become a treasured family heirloom. M.928:1 to 4-1916 Length 72 cm (overall in scabbard) (Sword) Length 51.5 cm (blade) Companion sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9410.jpg Ishikawa, Japan Forged steel Fujiwara Morimichi 1682 During the peace of the Edo period (1600-1868) the samurai had little opportunity to test either their fencing skills or the efficiency of their blades in battle. Schools of kendo developed to test the former and official blade appraisers were established to test the latter. The more respectable samurai took their blades to these professionals, who tested them in various prescribed ways, the cutting attestations (‘tameshigiri’) being inscribed on the tang (‘nakago’) of the blade (the part of the blade that goes into the handle). Blades tested in this way were generally made by smiths who needed to prove that their blades were efficient as well as beautiful objects. The swords were tested on condemned criminals or their corpses, which were sometimes bundled together to increase resistance to the cut. Up to seven bodies at one time are alleged to have been cut through in a single blow. Swords were also tested on bundles of wet straw (which has the same resistance as the human body) or on thick sections of bamboo. The custom of testing swords was observed and commented upon by the Portuguese Jesuit priest Rodrigues, who wrote ‘They [the Japanese]...show great pity and compassion [for the killing of animals] but they do not feel this when they kill men in a bloodthirsty way and test their swords on corpses. Some lords may ask other nobles for some men who have been condemned to death in order to see whether their sword cuts well and can be trusted in emergencies. They often sew up bodies which have been cut up by swords and put together the severed parts so that they may once more be cut.’ This blade has an inscription that says that in the year 1682 it was tested and used to cut through two bodies. M.74:1, 2-1922 (sword blade) Length 69.5 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9470.jpg Ishikawa, Japan (sword blade) Forged steel, with inlaid silver cutting attestation Unknown probably early 19th century This blade for a long sword (‘katana’) is a splendid fake: it bears a good, well-carved inscription that attributes the blade to the famous smith Umetada Myoju (1558-1631), but dates it to a year after his recorded death. Myoju began his career as a maker of sword guards (‘tsuba’), but by about 1600 was producing fine, elegant yet functional blades from his base in Kyoto. He was renowned for his carvings of dragons on sword blades. Most extant blades by Myoju are daggers or short swords and there are probably only two long swords in existence that can definitely be ascribed to him. Parts of the inscription on this sword are similar to those on other well-recorded examples of Myoju’s work - for example, it mentions the blade being an heirloom of Hikohachiro, as does the inscription on a blade dated to 1608. The carving of the dragon is in some ways similar in style to that of Myoju but it is very crisp and quite obviously later in date. The tempering pattern (‘hamon’) of wave crests is wild and flamboyant and totally unlike anything that Myoju would have created. It is difficult to believe that anybody would have been deceived by the style and decoration of this blade, which suggest that it is most likely of early 19th-century manufacture. M.5-1947 Length 69.5 cm (blade) Sword Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9452.jpg Kyoto (city), Japan Forged steel Tsunahiro 1590-1615 This Japanese sword (‘katana’) is signed by Tsunahiro of Soshu province (modern-day Ibaraki Prefecture). Although an inscription on the scabbard attributes the blade to the first generation Tsunahiro, the characteristics of the sword indicate that it was most probably made by Tsunahiro III, who worked from about 1590 to 1615. The blade displays the distinctive broad, slightly wavy tempered edge (‘hamon’) of the Soshu school of swordsmiths. It has been shortened at the hilt end (for reasons of personal taste or simply to rebalance the blade) and would have originally had a more distinctive curvature. As fashions and styles of fighting changed, so good early blades could be shortened and remounted in more contemporary styles. This sword, however, is simply mounted in a plain wooden scabbard known in Japanese as a ‘shirasaya’. This is traditionally how a sword blade would be kept when not being worn for battle or ceremonial use. The scabbard bears some interesting inscriptions which, in addition to attributing, dating and giving the measurements of the sword blade, state that Japanese Infantry Major Fukano Usushige gave the sword to British Infantry Major Somerville in 1906. Britain had military observers in East Asia during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Precisely what Somerville was doing in Japan at this time is at present unclear, but he later became British military attaché in Tokyo. M.356:1 to 3-1940 (shirasaya) Length 89.2 cm (overall) (Blade) Length 70.5 cm Sword and scabbard Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9449.jpg Ibaraki, Japan (Blade) Forged steel (shirasaya) Magnolia wood Unknown 1800-1850 This is a small, elegant Japanese dagger (‘tanto’), its blade and mounting contemporary with each other and dating to the period 1800-1850. The scabbard is of polished black lacquer with a ‘crackle’ effect. The metal fittings are of silver and patinated copper, including shibuichi (an alloy of silver and copper patinated to a warm grey tone) and shakudo (an alloy of copper and gold patinated to a rich black colour). All the fittings are water-related in theme. Daggers were worn both by samurai and by non-samurai, including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades so the restrained colours of the lacquer and metal fittings on this dagger suggest that it was probably made for a samurai, perhaps for an older gentleman. 62 to B-1907 (Scabbard) Length 30.5 cm (overall) Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9333.jpg Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with silver and patinated copper mounts Kanetsune 18th century This Japanese dagger (‘tanto’) of the 18th or early 19th century has a blade signed Kanetsune. The elaborate mounting is probably contemporary with the blade itself. The dagger has a small, elongated oval guard (‘tsuba’) of iron, the gold-splashed rim of which is encrusted with gold, silver and shibuichi, an alloy of copper and silver patinated to a warm grey colour. All the metal fittings of the dagger are themed on plants. The scabbard is possibly of natural cherry bark and is lacquered with ground bamboo, a spray of chrysanthemums and an uprooted orchid. Daggers were worn both by samurai and by non-samurai, including, increasingly, the merchant classes. Merchants tended towards gaudier mountings for their blades so the restrained colours of the lacquer and metal fittings on this quietly elegant dagger suggest that it was made for a samurai, perhaps for an older gentleman. 68 to B-1907 (Scabbard) Length 41.5 cm (overall) (Dagger) Length 24.5 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9340.jpg Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with iron fittings inlaid with gold Yasutsugu 1600-1650 This Japanese companion sword (‘wakizashi’), is signed by Yasutsugu of Echizen province (part of modern-day Fukui Prefecture). The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (known together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai. It was suited to fighting at close quarters, especially in towns. The blade is probably by the second smith to bear the name of Yasutsugu, who died in 1646. It has a very slight curvature and also shows the distinctive strong lines of tempering and fine-grain steel that were typical of the work of Yasutsugu. The first of the Yasutsugu dynasty of swordsmiths came under the patronage of Matsudaira Hideyasu, who was the third son of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Hideyasu was the appointed regional ruler (‘daimyo’) of Echizen province and as such was able to employ expert swordsmiths such as Yasutsugu. Around 1606, Yasutsugu’s reputation as a smith was such that he was called to the shogun’s court in Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to work directly for the shogun himself. He died in 1621 and in 1623 his son also received an official summons to Edo to work as smith to the shogun’s court. The swords produced by Yasutsugu II are generally regarded as equal to those of his father. Many complicated issues of succession followed, but the last of the Echizen Yasutsugu line, the ninth generation, died in 1879, three years after the final banning of the wearing of swords and abolition of the samurai as a distinct class in Japan. M.24:1 to 4-1912 (sword blade) Length 47.1 cm Companion sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9459.jpg Kanto, Japan (sword blade) Forged steel Kanefusa 1558-1592 This late 16th-century dagger (‘tanto’) was made by a smith named Kanefusa in Mino province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture). The scabbard and mounts were all made in the early to mid 19th century and are by a metalworker known as Masayuki of Inaba. The scabbard is of beautifully mottled red and black lacquer with matching silver fittings that are all themed around the two gods Fujin and Raijin, respectively the gods of wind and thunder. The wind god is usually depicted holding a large bag over his shoulder, from which he releases wind. He is generally a green demon with two horns, a grimacing mouth and claw-like feet and hands. The thunder god is generally shown as a red horned demon with a monkey-like mouth and clawed feet and hands. He is frequently surrounded by a ring of drums, and often carries a small hammer to beat them, thereby creating thunder. The theme of wind and thunder is continued in the large bands of silver clouds that appear on the scabbard. M.20:1 to 4-1947 (Scabbard) Length 39.5 cm (overall) (Dagger) Length 25.5 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Tanto http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9336.jpg Mino, Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with iron, silver and patinated copper mounts Masamune 1300-1350 This blade for a long sword (‘katana’) carries a gold inlaid inscription attributing it to Masamune (1264-1344). Masamune is generally regarded as the greatest swordsmith in the history of the Japanese sword. His blades, mostly daggers (‘tanto’), were both strong and beautiful and could cut extremely efficiently. Many of the technological advances accredited to Masamune were practical ones brought about by experience gained during the invasions of Japan by the Mongols in 1274 and 1281. During the severe fighting many blades had been damaged and had broken or chipped right through the tempered edge and into the softer untempered section. This rendered the blade useless as it could no longer be re-ground. Masamune was able to manufacture blades with a wider tempered edge so that a damaged blade could be re-ground many times before the softer steel was reached. Katana of the Kamakura period (1185-1333) were often shortened as fighting techniques changed from cavalry to foot combat: the long curved sword was better suited to fighting from horseback. The few known katana produced by Masamune were extremely long and in later centuries were shortened to suit the different styles of combat of those periods. This shortening process potentially removed any extant signature, although in later years a practice developed of inlaying signatures in gold into the hilt of shortened blades, as in this sword. The hilt has on one side of the blade the gold inlaid signature of Masamune and on the other side the gold inlaid signature and monogram of a member of the Hon’ami family of sword appraisers, who attributed the blade to Masamune. The authenticity of the blade and the interpretation of the gold-inlaid attribution must remain subject to question, although the current opinion is that it is indeed a blade by Masamune. If it is not by the master swordsmith himself, then it certainly dates from his period or very shortly after. M.20:1 to 4-1912 (sword blade) Length 72.2 cm Sword and scabbard Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9484.jpg Japan (sword blade) Forged steel, with inlaid gold inscription Masatsugu 1800-1850 This guardless dagger (‘aiguchi’) is probably the work of a smith named Masatsugu who was working in Japan during the period 1830-1844. In this case the dagger and mounting are contemporary. It is, however, possible that the blade was made in the mid 15th century by another smith of that name. A design of a plum branch and bamboo stem has been carved on the surface of the blade itself. If the blade was indeed made before the 19th century, the carving would probably have been done when the blade was mounted in the early to mid 19th century. The form of mounting and decoration is very much in the taste of the period 1800-1850 and the dagger was most likely mounted for a rich merchant. The wooden scabbard is decorated on one side with reddish brown lacquer in imitation of a tree trunk, its branches extending to the other side of the scabbard, which is decorated in glossy black lacquer sprinkled sparsely with gold flakes. The metal mounts are of silver, gold and patinated copper. The ring for securing the dagger is in the form of a kettle. M.19:1 to 4-1947 (Scabbard) Length 39.5 cm (overall) (Dagger) Length 24.7 cm (blade) Dagger and scabbard Aiguchi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006BC9342.jpg Japan (Dagger) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with silver fittings Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1855 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige is one of a set of three, the two other designs having been created by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1864) and Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1868). The 'Sanbaso Dance' of the series title was an Edo period (1615-1868) adaptation of Okina, one of the oldest works in the No theatrical repertory with origins in ritual dances dating back to the 10th century. In both its Bunraku puppet theatre and Kabuki theatre versions it was performed, as in the case of the No theatre, on celebratory occasions and always at the beginning of a cycle of plays. The pine tree backdrop is similar to what would have been used on the stage. The references to Senzai, the character alluded to in this design, are the heron pattern of the woman's robe, the black cap in the lower corner of the cartouche and the insect box, which represents the box in which the mask presented to Okina was kept. E.12090-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Allusion to the Character Senzai Parodies of the Sanbaso Dance (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM3147.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Utagawa Kunisada (I), born 1786 - died 1864 (artist) Ibaya Senzaburo (publisher) 1855 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Utagawa Kunisada I (1786-1864) is one of a set of three, the two other designs having been created by Hiroshige and Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1868). The 'Sanbaso Dance' of the series title was an Edo period (1615-1868) adaptation of Okina, one of the oldest works in the No theatrical repertory with origins in ritual dances dating back to the 10th century. In both its Bunraku puppet theatre and Kabuki theatre versions it was performed, as in the case of the No theatre, on celebratory occasions and always at the beginning of a cycle of plays. The pine tree backdrop is similar to what would have been used on the stage. The references to Okina, the character alluded to in this design, are the distinctive pattern of the woman's robe, the coat she is holding and the black cap in the lower corner of the cartouche. E.12091-1886 Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Allusion to the Character Okina Parodies of the Sanbaso Dance (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0906.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Masatoshi This Japanese court sword (‘kazaridachi’) has a wooden scabbard decorated in lacquer of the type known as ‘nashiji’, meaning ‘pear-skin appearance’, with mother-of-pearl inlay of pairs of mythical Ho-o birds (a type of phoenix). The metal fittings are of copper-gilt filigree work inlaid with turquoise enamels. The decoration also incorporates a design of paulownia leaves - the plant associated with the ruling Tokugawa shoguns of the Edo period (1600-1868) - and the triple hollyhock crest of the Tokugawa family. From the Heian period (794-1185) the kazaridachi was the most common form of mounting for swords worn at the imperial court and this style remained in use until the 19th century. Intended purely for ceremonial occasions and worn by courtiers rather than warriors, the kazaridachi rarely held a well-forged steel blade. This mounting holds a poorly constructed blade signed by Etchu-no-kami Fujiwara no Masatoshi and inscribed ‘made to the order of Lord Tsunemitsu of shonii rank’ and dated equivalent to 1682. During the Edo period, such mountings were sometimes worn not only by imperial courtiers but also by the shogun and other members of the military aristocracy. The use of the triple hollyhock crest reinforces the suggestion that this kazaridachi was worn by a member of the military aristocracy rather than by imperial aristocracy. The decoration of Ho-o birds coupled with the paulownia leaf symbolises the benevolence of the ruling Tokugawa shoguns. M.144&A-1915 Given by the late Sir A. H. Church KCOO and Sir Henry Howorth KCIE, through The Art Fund (Scabbard) Length 96.2 cm (overall) (Sword) Length 66.5 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Kazaridachi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9587.jpg Toyama (prefecture), Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Wood, lacquered and decorated with mother-of pearl, enamels and gilt bronze fittings Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Sanoya Kihei (publisher) 1837 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige with its striking rendering of a cockerel and hen against a background of autumn flowers has survived in good condition in spite of having been salvaged, as the ribmarks visible on its surface indicate, from a made-up fan. The forcefulness of composition and intensity of colour have something of the feel of the work of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), who was well known for his representations of chickens and other fowl. The date of the print is suggested by the style of the signature and by the fact that 1837 was the Year of the Cock. E.4883-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Cockerel, Hen and Autumn Flowers (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1086.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Seijiro (publisher) ca. 1840-1842 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige is one of an untitled series of four in the collection of the V&A. The ribmarks visible on its surface are evidence that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. The cool shades of blue are particularly suitable for an item intended for use during the hot months of summer. The bush warbler, here perched on a plum tree silhouetted against the moon, is a classic symbol of early spring. E.4898-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Bush Warbler on a Plum Tree in Moonlight (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1079.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Kanemichi 16th century This Japanese companion sword (‘wakizashi’) blade is signed ‘Kanemichi saku’ (‘made by Kanemichi’). The wakizashi was the shorter of the two swords (know together as ‘daisho’) worn by the samurai at all times. The characteristics of this blade are typical of the simple and functional blades produced by the smiths of Seki in Mino province (modern-day Gifu Prefecture) during the 16th century. At Seki, the traditions established by the great smith Kaneuji were continued by a number of other smiths, who all signed their names beginning with the character ‘Kane’ after the founder of the school. This blade was most likely made by one such smith, Kanemichi, who was working during the Tensho era (1573-1592). In the latter part of the 16th century, the town of Seki in Mino manufactured blades on a near mass-production scale to meet the growing demand for swords for the ever-increasing numbers of samurai who were by now fighting in massed ranks on foot. Consequently there were many swords produced of little aesthetic merit, being purely practical cutting weapons and lacking any great artistic distinction. At Osafune in Bizen province, blades were also mass-produced at around the same time and these too were pure fighting weapons of little or no artistic merit. These mass-produced blades were referred to as ‘bundled swords’ (‘sokuto’) or ‘mass-produced thing’ (‘kazu uchi mono’), a term that carried with it certain notes of contempt. M.140-1929 Length 29.8 cm (blade) Sword and scabbard Wakizashi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9482.jpg Japan Forged and polished steel Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Seijiro (publisher) ca. 1840-1842 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige is one of an untitled series of four in the collection of the V&A. The ribmarks visible on its surface are evidence that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. The cool shades of blue are particularly suitable for an item intended for use during the hot months of summer. The irises, which flower in May, are classic symbols of summer's arrival. E.4915-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Irises (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN0447.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Seijiro (publisher) ca. 1840-1842 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige is one of an untitled series of four in the collection of the V&A. The ribmarks visible on its surface are evidence that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. The cool shades of blue are particularly suitable for an item intended for use during the hot months of summer. Cranes, which are believed to live for a thousand years, are a classic symbol of longevity. E.4907-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Cranes by the Water's Edge (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN1078.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Maruya Seijiro (publisher) ca. 1840-1842 This uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige is one of an untitled series of four in the collection of the V&A. The ribmarks visible on its surface are evidence that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. The significance of chickens was talismanic in that their cries were believed to bring protection against the evil forces of darkness. The pink body and black breast and tail feathers of this particular cockerel are typical of the 'jidori', a primitive breed of chicken indigenous to Japan. E.4834-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Cockerel, Hen and Basket (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3629.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) ca. 1840-1842 There is a definite playfulnesss about the rendering of a pair of swimming turtles in this uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige. Blue, an appropriately cool colour for the summer months, is predominant, while turtles, believed to live for 10,000 years, are symbolic of longevity and good fortune. The ribmarks visible on the surface of the print are evidence that it was salvaged from a made-up fan. Their contribution to the overall sense of composition suggests that Hiroshige anticipated their effect when creating the design. E.4836-1919 Webb Bequest Height 220 mm (approx.) Width 290 mm (approx.) Swimming Turtles (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3662.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks Muneaki 1857 In the early days following the ‘reopening’ of Japan to the West from around 1860 and the abolition of the samurai class in 1876 understanding of Japanese swords in the West was virtually non-existent. Much of the information on the subject offered by the Japanese themselves was blindly accepted and many outright fakes were thought to be of great antiquity. When the V&A bought this sword in 1888 it was described as a ‘Fine old carved ivory Japanese Royal State Sword (early 18th century) for sale at £95’ (equivalent to about £7,000 today). The Museum accepted the sword on the grounds that ‘This is so important an example of Japanese art both in design and execution of the ivory carving that it is most desirable for the Museum collection. The price asked is very reasonable.’ The ivory scabbard of the sword is of extremely good quality in comparison to many later swords and daggers that are terribly poor by comparison and are mounted in ivory scabbards that are even worse. The scabbard obviously dates from about 1860 and the sword blade is signed ‘Kubota Minamoto Muneaki’, a well-documented 19th-century swordsmith, and is even dated 1857. 1708&A-1888 (Scabbard) Length 105.5 cm (overall) Sword and scabbard Tachi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9585.jpg Ichinoseki, Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Carved ivory Korekazu 1860 This long sword (‘katana’) was given to the V&A in 1865, having originally been given to Queen Victoria as part of a diplomatic gift from the last but one shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Iemochi. The blade is inscribed ‘Mo Taimei Ishido Fujiwara Korekazu Sei-tan kore o tsukuru’ (‘Ishido Fujiwara Korekazu respectfully forged this to your honourable request’) and dated ‘Ansei shichi nen, sho-gatsu hi’ (‘a day in the first month of the seventh year of the Ansei period’), equivalent to 1860, when the Ansei period ended. It is typical of a sword of the period and was probably made especially for the gift at the request of the shogun and his advisors. The presentation of the gift was discussed from about 1859, so the date of 1860 on the sword seems to fit well with this theory. An interesting aspect to this sword is that it has never been repolished, as has so often happened with other Japanese swords, especially those of greater age. Consequently it displays the exact taste of the period for the final polish of a sword and reveals something of the development and styles of Japanese swords. 263toC-1865 Length 107 cm (overall, mounted) Sword and scabbard Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9421.jpg Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Black lacquer Kazuhide 1860 This slung long sword (‘tachi’) was given to the V&A in 1865, having originally been given to Queen Victoria as part of a diplomatic gift from the last but one shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Iemochi. The blade is signed ‘Fujiwara Kazuhide saku kore o’ (‘Fujiwara Kazuhide made this’) and ‘Man’en gannen hachi gatsu hi’ (‘a day in the eighth month of the first year of Man’en’), equivalent to 1860, when the Man’en period began. It is typical of a sword of the period and was probably made especially for the gift at the request of the shogun and his advisors. The presentation of the gift was discussed from about 1859, so the date of 1860 on the sword seems to fit well with this theory. An interesting aspect to this sword is that it has never been repolished, as has so often happened with other Japanese swords, especially those of greater age. Consequently it displays the exact taste of the period for the final polish of a sword and reveals something of the development and styles of Japanese swords. This slung long sword (tachi) was given to the V&A in 1865 having originally been given to Queen Victoria as part of a diplomatic gift from the last but one shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Iemochi. It is typical of a sword of the period and was probably made especially for the gift at the request of the shogun and his advisors. The gift was being talked about from about 1859 so the date of 1860 on the sword seems to fit well with this theory. See also the entry for 263-1865. Although these two swords are dated equivalent to 1860 this is because of the exact date when the reign periods changed. An interesting aspect to this sword is that it has never been re-polished - as has so often happened with other Japanese swords, especially those of greater age. Consequently it displays the exact taste in the final polish of a sword of that period - which may be of great interest to anyone particularly interested in the development and styles of the Japanese sword. 265&A-1865 Sword and scabbard Tachi http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9405.jpg Japan (sword blade) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with patinated copper fittings Korekazu 1860 This long sword (‘katana’) blade is signed ‘Mo Tai Mei Ishido Korekazu Seitan saku’ (‘At the honourable request [of the shogun] made by the best efforts of Ishido Korekazu’) and ‘Ansei shichi nen, ni gatsu hi’ (‘a day in the second month of the seventh year of the Ansei period’), equivalent to 1860, when the Ansei period ended. This katana was given to the V&A in 1865, having originally been given to Queen Victoria as part of a diplomatic gift from the last but one shogun of Japan, Tokugawa Iemochi. It is typical of a sword of the period and was probably made especially for the gift at the request of the shogun and his advisors. The presentation of the gift was discussed from about 1859, so the date of 1860 on the sword seems to fit well with this theory. An interesting aspect to this sword is that it has never been repolished, as has so often happened with other Japanese swords, especially those of greater age. Consequently it displays the exact taste of the period for the final polish of a sword and reveals something of the development of Japanese swords. 266&A-1865 Sword and scabbard Katana http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AM9423.jpg Japan (Sword) Forged steel (Scabbard) Lacquered wood, with patinated copper fittings Hiroshige, Utagawa, born 1797 - died 1858 (artist) Gankiken (publisher) 1843-1847 This elegantly composed uchiwa-e, or rigid fan print, design by Hiroshige has survived in good condition despite having been salvaged, as the ribmarks on its surface indicate, from a made-up fan. It consists of a close-up view of a flower arrangement in front of a painting mounted as a hanging scroll such as might be found in the 'tokonoma' or display alcove of a Japanese room. In this case the chill of winter is portrayed by a snowy view of the 'torii' gate of the Mimeguri Shrine seen across the reaches of the Sumida river in Edo (modern Tokyo). The starkness of the image is relieved by the curving form of the narcissus on the right and the deep red of the camellia on the left. The artist's signature appears to be appended to the painting rather than to the print as a whole. This was a common contrivance in compositions of this kind. E.4829-1919 Webb Bequest Winter Fashionable Flower Arrangements of the Four Seasons (Woodblock print Fan print) http://images.vam.ac.uk/indexplus/db_images/website/medium/2006AN3630.jpg Japan Colour print from woodblocks 18th century Suzuribako or writing box of lacquered wood, with rounded corners, and an interior divided into three compartments: Japan, 18th century 000-100-104-638-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Writing box, suzuribako http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981704.jpg Japan 9.75" x 8.75" 18th century Suzuribako or writing box of lacquered wood, with rounded corners, and an interior divided into three compartments: Japan, 18th century 000-190-002-221-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Writing box, suzuribako http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981705.jpg Japan 9.75" x 8.75" 19th century Late 19th century Cotton sample using egaswri dyeing and showing a chequered geometric design at one end and the saint Dawma at the other: Japanese, Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu Island, late 19th century 000-100-104-662-C National Museums Scotland Textiles Textile piece, woven pattern http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981742.jpg Japan, Kyushu Island, Fukuoka Prefecture, Kurume Cotton 28.50" L x 13.50" W 19th century 19th century 19th century 19th century Bronze bowl-shaped gong or kin with studded surface, stand of lacquered wood with silk-covered cushion, and beater of wood with lacquered handle: Japanese, used in Buddhist services, 19th century Bronze bowl-shaped gong or kin with studded surface, stand of lacquered wood with silk-covered cushion, and beater of wood with lacquered handle: Japanese, used in Buddhist services, 19th century Bronze bowl-shaped gong or kin with studded surface, stand of lacquered wood with silk-covered cushion, and beater of wood with lacquered handle: Japanese, used in Buddhist services, 19th century Bronze bowl-shaped gong or kin with studded surface, stand of lacquered wood with silk-covered cushion, and beater of wood with lacquered handle: Japanese, used in Buddhist services, 19th century 000-190-004-311-C National Museums Scotland Musical instruments : gongs, drums, bells Musical instruments : gongs, drums, bells Musical instruments : gongs, drums, bells Musical instruments : gongs, drums, bells Temple Gong http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981679.jpg Japan Japan Japan Japan Bronze; studded surface / lacquered wood / silk-covered / wood, leather-covered stem, lacquered handle Bronze; studded surface / lacquered wood / silk-covered / wood, leather-covered stem, lacquered handle Bronze; studded surface / lacquered wood / silk-covered / wood, leather-covered stem, lacquered handle Bronze; studded surface / lacquered wood / silk-covered / wood, leather-covered stem, lacquered handle Gong 9.00" H / stand 9.00" H / beater 11.25" L Gong 9.00" H / stand 9.00" H / beater 11.25" L Gong 9.00" H / stand 9.00" H / beater 11.25" L Gong 9.00" H / stand 9.00" H / beater 11.25" L 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Early 19th century Helmet and neck-curtain from a suit of armour, of lacquered metal and papier-mache, with a gilt horned demon mask, pink silk tassels, and the owner's or maker's name: Japan, early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century Cuirass from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache, with a gold lacquered crest on skirt: Japan, early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century Two arm pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century Two thigh pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century Two leg pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-300-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Weapons / armour Suit of armour http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981666.jpg Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-301-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Sleeve and gauntlet, kote http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981667.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two shoulder pieces from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-302-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Sleeve and gauntlet, kote http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981668.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Wood pillow covered with ray skin, cylindrical with cut away ends, one end closed and the other with a stopper attached by a cord, with coloured bands and gold lacquer: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-222-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Pillow http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981707.jpg Japan 11.38" L x 5.25" D 19th century Wood pillow covered with ray skin, cylindrical with cut away ends, one end closed and the other with a stopper attached by a cord, with coloured bands and gold lacquer: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-639-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Pillow, detail of decoration http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981706.jpg Japan 11.38" L x 5.25" D 18th century Piece or lid contained in a luncheon cabinet: Japan 000-100-103-432-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Picnic set of lacquered wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986294.jpg Japan 18th century Piece or lid contained in a luncheon cabinet: Japan 000-190-001-267-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Picnic set of lacquered wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986329.jpg Japan 18th century Piece or lid contained in a luncheon cabinet: Japan 000-190-001-268-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Picnic set of lacquered wood (detail of top) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986330.jpg Japan 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a travelling showman with a staff and a conch-shell and on his back a box containing a Tengu mask: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-645-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981005.jpg Japan Ivory 1.50" H No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-647-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980999.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" Kiyohime 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the dragon witch Kiyohime on the temple bell: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-648-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980988.jpg Japan Ivory 2.25" H 19th century Okimono of carved ivory, two boys hiding close to a stone pedestal with the image of Inari fox: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-650-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980985.jpg Japan Ivory 2.38" H 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the Clam's Dream: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-652-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980977.jpg Japan Ivory 1.88" W Ik-ko (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the badger kettle with two boys either side, signed: Japan, by Ik-ko, 19th century 000-100-104-653-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980981.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Ik-ko 2.50" L Ni-O 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, two Ni-O contesting in a yubi-zumo game, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-654-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980997.jpg Japan Ivory 1.75" L 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the Clam's Dream: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-116-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980978.jpg Japan Ivory 1.88" W Tomo-nobu (Maker) Late 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a group of seven intertwined rats, signed: Japan, by Tomo-nobu 000-100-103-434-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory, Fyfe Collection http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986356.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Tomo-nobu 2.25" x 1.50" Tomo-nobu (Maker) Late 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a group of seven intertwined rats, signed: Japan, by Tomo-nobu 000-190-001-303-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory, Fyfe Collection http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986357.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Tomo-nobu 2.25" x 1.50" Tomo-nobu (Maker) Late 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a group of seven intertwined rats, signed: Japan, by Tomo-nobu 000-190-001-304-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory, Fyfe Collection http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986358.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Tomo-nobu 2.25" x 1.50" Masa-nao (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved wood, a rat curled up into a ball, signed: Japan, by Masa-nao, 19th century 000-100-104-655-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980991.jpg Japan Wood. Inscription: Masa-nao 1.50" D 19th century Netsuke of carved wood lacquered and gilt, a seated shishimai dancer: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-656-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980994.jpg Japan Wood 1.13" H Masa-nao (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved wood, a rat curled up into a ball, signed: Japan, by Masa-nao, 19th century 000-190-002-124-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980992.jpg Japan Wood. Inscription: Masa-nao 1.50" D 19th century Netsuke of carved wood lacquered and gilt, a seated shishimai dancer: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-126-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of wood http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980995.jpg Japan Wood 1.13" H Masa-nao (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved wood, a rat curled up into a ball, signed: Japan, by Masa-nao, 19th century 000-190-002-125-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of wood(detail of base and signature:) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980993.jpg Japan Wood. Inscription: Masa-nao 1.50" D Hotei 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Hotei? sitting holding a finger to his right eye at which a child gazes, behind him is a small green mask held by string, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-268-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981007.jpg Japan Ivory 1.38" H Hotei 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Hotei? sitting holding a finger to his right eye at which a child gazes, behind him is a small green mask held by string, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-269-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981008.jpg Japan Ivory 1.38" H Hotei 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Hotei? sitting holding a finger to his right eye at which a child gazes, behind him is a small green mask held by string, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-270-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981009.jpg Japan Ivory 1.38" H Kiyohime 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the dragon witch Kiyohime on the temple bell: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-122-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (back) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980989.jpg Japan Ivory 2.25" H Kiyohime 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the dragon witch Kiyohime on the temple bell: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-123-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980990.jpg Japan Ivory 2.25" H 19th century Netsuke of carved wood lacquered and gilt, a seated shishimai dancer: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-127-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / wood Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980996.jpg Japan Wood 1.13" H No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-129-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981000.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-130-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981001.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-131-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981002.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-132-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981003.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" No theatre 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a cluster of thirteen No masks: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-133-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981004.jpg Japan Ivory 1.25" x 1.50" x 1.50" Ze-ni (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a group of five male acrobats, signed: Japan, by Ze-ni 000-100-103-433-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory, Fyfe Collection http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986331.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Ze-ni 1.75" x 2.00" 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the Clam's Dream: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-117-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980979.jpg Japan Ivory 1.88" W 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the Clam's Dream: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-118-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980980.jpg Japan Ivory 1.88" W Ik-ko (Maker) 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, the badger kettle with two boys either side, signed: Japan, by Ik-ko, 19th century 000-190-002-119-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980982.jpg Japan Ivory. Inscription: Ik-ko 2.50" L 19th century Okimono of carved ivory, two boys hiding close to a stone pedestal with the image of Inari fox: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-120-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980986.jpg Japan Ivory 2.38" H 19th century Okimono of carved ivory, two boys hiding close to a stone pedestal with the image of Inari fox: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-121-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980987.jpg Japan Ivory 2.38" H Ni-O 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, two Ni-O contesting in a yubi-zumo game, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-128-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980998.jpg Japan Ivory 1.75" L 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a travelling showman with a staff and a conch-shell and on his back a box containing a Tengu mask: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-225-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981721.jpg Japan Ivory 1.50" H Karasu tengu Yoshitsune 19th century 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, an old man sitting with a bird emerging from an egg, unsigned: Japan, 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Yoshitsune kneeling and reading a Chinese book on the art of war and with Karasu tengu above his shoulder: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-118-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980961.jpg Japan Japan Ivory Ivory 1.50" H 2.25" H Karasu Tengu 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Karasu Tengu emerging from an egg: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-119-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980975.jpg Japan Ivory 2.00" H 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a man sitting within a hoop of short staves and planing the wood, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-265-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980983.jpg Japan Ivory 1.75" H 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, a man sitting within a hoop of short staves and planing the wood, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-266-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980984.jpg Japan Ivory 1.75" H Hotei 19th century Netsuke of carved ivory, Hotei? sitting holding a finger to his right eye at which a child gazes, behind him is a small green mask held by string, signed: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-267-C National Museums Scotland Netsuke / ivory Netsuke, toggle of ivory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981006.jpg Japan Ivory 1.38" H John Richard Davidson, Barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) John Richard Davidson, barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) 19th century 19th century Court sword, with steel blade, and egg-roe shakudo hilt mounts encrusted with leaves or the badge of Tokugawa Shogunate, given to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese government: Japan, 19th century Court sword scabbard, decorated in gold lacquer with the three asarum leaves or badge of the Tokugawa Shogunate, presented to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese Government: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-288-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / swords and daggers Weapons / swords and daggers Mounted court sword http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981654.jpg Japan Japan 40.00" L John Richard Davidson, Barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) John Richard Davidson, barrister, Middle Temple (Recipient, donor's son) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) Tokugawa Shogunate (Badge on sword) 19th century 19th century Court sword, with steel blade, and egg-roe shakudo hilt mounts encrusted with leaves or the badge of Tokugawa Shogunate, given to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese government: Japan, 19th century Court sword scabbard, decorated in gold lacquer with the three asarum leaves or badge of the Tokugawa Shogunate, presented to J.R. Davidson by the Japanese Government: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-289-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / swords and daggers Weapons / swords and daggers Mounted court sword http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981655.jpg Japan Japan 40.00" L Early 19th century Samisen or guitar, three stringed with a lacquered wood body: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-277-C National Museums Scotland Musical instruments / string ins Lute, samisen http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981643.jpg Japan Lacquered wood 36.00" L Early 19th century Samisen or guitar, three stringed with a lacquered wood body: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-278-C National Museums Scotland Musical instruments / string ins Lute, samisen (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981644.jpg Japan Lacquered wood 36.00" L Early 19th century Samisen or guitar, three stringed with a lacquered wood body: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-279-C National Museums Scotland Musical instruments / string ins Lute, samisen (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981645.jpg Japan Lacquered wood 36.00" L 19th century Early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-299-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Iron mask and throat protector http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981665.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Face-mask from a suit of armour, of black lacquered metal and papier-mache: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-298-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Iron nose protector and moustache http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981664.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) Kajikawa (Maker) No (Dancers depicted) 19th century Inro or medicine case, with compartments, with relief figures of No dancers with ivory masks, a nashi-ji interior, signed Kajikaawa, and with a ojime and a wood netsuke: Japan, 19th century 000-100-104-643-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / inro Inro, personal accessory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981701.jpg Japan Inscription: Kajikawa 3.25" H x 2.25" W Kajikawa (Maker) No (Dancers depicted) 19th century Inro or medicine case, with compartments, with relief figures of No dancers with ivory masks, a nashi-ji interior, signed Kajikaawa, and with a ojime and a wood netsuke: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-220-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / inro Inro, personal accessory http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981702.jpg Japan Inscription: Kajikawa 3.25" H x 2.25" W 1780-1830 Incense stand of lacquer ware, with an oblong open framework: Japan 000-190-001-269-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Incense game on stand http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986295.jpg Japan 8.00" L x 4.75" W x 6.63" H 1780-1830 Incense stand of lacquer ware, with an oblong open framework: Japan 000-100-103-406-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / boxes, trays Incense game on stand (detail, opened out) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986293.jpg Japan 8.00" L x 4.75" W x 6.63" H 1850 - 1900 19th century Blue satin fukusa covering for a lacquer box embroidered with gold thread and coloured silks with a gilt tassel at one end: Japanese, 1850 - 1900 000-190-004-328-C National Museums Scotland Textiles Fukusa, gift cover http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981696.jpg Japan Satin embroidered with gold thread and coloured silks and crepe 28.00" x 35.75" D Shiba Onko 19th century Blue satin fukusa or covering embroidered with coloured silks and gold thread and showing an episode from the boyhood of Shiba Onko: Japanese, 19th century 000-100-104-661-C National Museums Scotland Textiles Fukusa, gift cover http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981697.jpg Japan Blue satin embroidered in coloured silks and gold thread 35.00" x 27.50" 19th century 19th century 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-203-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / masks Lacquer and wood / masks Lacquer and wood / masks Dragon mask http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981723.jpg Japan Japan Japan 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 19th century 19th century 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century Mask from a processional dragon, in black lacquered wood, with traces of gilding, some features in red lacquer, and a moveable underjaw: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-329-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / masks Lacquer and wood / masks Lacquer and wood / masks Dragon mask http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981724.jpg Japan Japan Japan 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 14.00" L x 12.00" D approx 1859 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-292-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986345.jpg Japan 1859 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-293-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986348.jpg Japan 19th century left-hand print 1825 right-hand print 1860 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-294-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986346.jpg Japan 19th century Around 1840 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-295-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986341.jpg Japan 1864 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-002-329-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980952.jpg Japan 19th century The print bears a date stamp within the censor mark, dog 1 = 1862 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-279-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986335.jpg Japan 1844 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-285-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986337.jpg Japan 1846 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-288-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986339.jpg Japan 19th century Around 1840 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-296-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986342.jpg Japan Kuniyoshi (Artist) 1849 - 1852 1849-52 Colour triptych print showing YASHIMA O-KASSEN or The great battle of Yashima: Japan, by Kuniyoshi, 1849 - 1852 000-190-001-315-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e (detail) http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986350.jpg Japan Rice paper with polychrome aniline dyes 733.00 mm x 362.00 mm 19th century Comb of lacquered wood, with a crane in raised gold lac: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-261-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / combs (wood) Comb http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980955.jpg Japan 4.25" L x 2.50" W 19th century Comb of lacquered wood, with a crane in raised gold lac: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-262-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / combs (wood) Comb http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980956.jpg Japan 4.25" L x 2.50" W 19th century Comb of lacquered wood, with a crane in raised gold lac: Japan, 19th century 000-190-004-263-C National Museums Scotland Lacquer and wood / combs (wood) Comb http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980957.jpg Japan 4.25" L x 2.50" W 1860 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-100-103-435-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986343.jpg Japan Kuniyoshi (Artist) 1849 - 1852 1849-52 Colour triptych print showing YASHIMA O-KASSEN or The great battle of Yashima: Japan, by Kuniyoshi, 1849 - 1852 000-100-103-436-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986349.jpg Japan Rice paper with polychrome aniline dyes 733.00 mm x 362.00 mm 1860 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-271-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986347.jpg Japan 1859 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-272-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986344.jpg Japan 1835/6 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-273-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986366.jpg Japan 1861 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-274-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986364.jpg Japan 1852 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-275-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986365.jpg Japan 19th century Around 1815 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-276-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986367.jpg Japan Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd 1985; Panasonic UF 800 facsimile machine, made in 1985 1990-425; Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library > Science & Technology > Telecommunications Panasonic UF 800 fax machine, 1985.; http://www.ingenious.org.uk/media/4.0_SAC/webimages/1021/3/10213480_2.jpg World > Asia > Japan 1925-1950 Pre 1950 Boy's woven silk under kimono or 'nagajuban' tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours with a design of caparisoned horses: Japanese, Showa period, pre 1950 000-100-095-323-C National Museums Scotland Boy's kimono http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980953.jpg Japan Silk tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours 1170 mm L 1925-1950 Pre 1950 Boy's woven silk under kimono or 'nagajuban' tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours with a design of caparisoned horses: Japanese, Showa period, pre 1950 000-190-002-108-C National Museums Scotland Boy's kimono http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980954.jpg Japan Silk tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours 1170 mm L 1925-1950 Pre 1950 Boy's woven silk under kimono or 'nagajuban' tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours with a design of caparisoned horses: Japanese, Showa period, pre 1950 000-190-002-111-C National Museums Scotland Boy's kimono, back http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980960.jpg Japan Silk tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours 1170 mm L 1925-1950 Pre 1950 Boy's woven silk under kimono or 'nagajuban' tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours with a design of caparisoned horses: Japanese, Showa period, pre 1950 000-190-002-109-C National Museums Scotland Boy's kimono, detail http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980958.jpg Japan Silk tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours 1170 mm L 1925-1950 Pre 1950 Boy's woven silk under kimono or 'nagajuban' tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours with a design of caparisoned horses: Japanese, Showa period, pre 1950 000-190-002-110-C National Museums Scotland Boy's kimono, detail http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00980959.jpg Japan Silk tie-dyed and stencil printed in different colours 1170 mm L 1820 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-277-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986340.jpg Japan 19th century The print bears a date stamp within the censor mark, dog 1 = 1862 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-278-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986334.jpg Japan 19th century Around 1845 Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-280-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986332.jpg Japan 1850-2 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-281-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986333.jpg Japan 1856 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-282-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986353.jpg Japan 1856 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-283-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986354.jpg Japan 1844 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-284-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986336.jpg Japan 1858 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-286-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986363.jpg Japan 1846 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-287-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986338.jpg Japan 1855 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-289-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986351.jpg Japan 1855 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-290-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986352.jpg Japan 1854 19th century Collection of one hundred and sixteen books, five hundred sheets, twenty nine rolls, and two drawings, printed in colours: Japan, 19th century 000-190-001-291-C National Museums Scotland Prints Colour woodblock print, ukiyo-e http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00986355.jpg Japan Yoshimitsu 1840-1855 <p>Japanese wakizashi, the hilt of the wakizashi consists of two pieces of wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with white ray-skin and is secured to the tang near the top by a short bamboo rod. The bamboo rod is bound with a piece of twisted bright blue silk. The hilt of the wakizashi is decorated with ornaments (menuki) made entirely of gilt. The ornaments (menuki) are made in a tripartite form, each part bearing an embossed gilt representation of a paulownia blossom spray on a bronzed ground. The pommel (kashirm/kashire, but strictly speaking, kabuto-gane) is a made in the form of an outline of a crested double ogee with a pierced space each side. The pommel (kashirm/kashire) is made of bronze copper with gilt wire decoration embossed on its stippled surface and round the edge of the pierced space. At the top, on a horizontal band is a disc, pierced to admit the silk binding, which is knotted above it. The ferrule (fuchi) is also made of bronze copper with gilt wire and has a copper top to admit the tang.</p> <p>The steel blade is slightly curved; it is heavy with a single edge with an offset ridge running nearly the whole length. The back of the blade is ridged all the way to the long curved-edge point. The temper-line is (probably) of the irregular 'box' formation and ends at the point in the large-cicule way. The tang is of the pheasant's thigh configuration, and is engraved on the reverse with the signature in Japanese of 'YOSHIMITSU'. The obverse of the blade is not engraved. The shoulder of the blade is encased by a copper collar (babaki); 28mm, which is plain, save for the back edges, which are scratched. There is a single rivet hole in the tang. The scabbard is missing. Yoshimitsu of Tosa Province, Japan, a pupil of Sa Yukihide, probably made this sword's blade some time between 1840 and 1855.</p> WPN1329 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Wakizashi (WPN1329) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/13/E1378.jpg Tosa Province, Japan wood; ray-skin; bamboo; silk; gilt; bronze; bronze copper; gilt wire; copper; steel Ishihara Naotane 1940-1945 <p>Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to a Japanese Army Officer, the tachi consists of a two-handed hilt. The tachi has a white shark-skin grip, and is bound with silk cord. The grip is further decorated with two ornamental studs, which are not opposite each other. The tachi has a lacquered brass pommel with a ring. The steel blade is curved and has a ridged-back. The black wooden scabbard has two brass bands, one steel band and a chape. The tachi is extensively decorated with cherry blossom, which is regarded by the Japanese as auspicious. Ishihara Naotane of Seki made the tachi between 1940 and 1945. The tachi was surrendered to British Forces in 1945. This tachi was presented to the Museum by Lord Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander, South East Asia.</p> WPN1119 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1119) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1176.jpg Seki, Japan shark-skin; silk cord; lacquered brass; steel; wood; brass unknown 1942 <p>Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to Vice-Admiral Ruitaro Fujita (active 1945). The hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with ray-skin which has been stained black, and is bound with a piece of mid-brown woven cotton tape, twisted about itself and knotted immediately above the pommel (kabuto-gane). The grip was originally secured to the tang 32mm below the ferrule (fuchi) by a short bamboo rod, which is now missing. The gilt brass ferrule (fuchi) has a brass top and bears a running design of embossed single cherry blossoms and leaves executed on a stippled ground.</p> <p>The gilt brass pommel (kabuto-gane) is stippled overall, and decorated with sprays of cherry blossoms executed in gilt copper relief. The gilt copper relief is of crested double ogee outline and is pierced to show the ray-skin beneath. A band passes round the handle bearing, on each side, at the mid point, a circular plaque decorated with a single cherry flower. Through the centre of the cherry flower is a copper sleeve instead of a metal loop (saru-te) for the sword knot to pass. The sword knot is made from a woven mid brown cord with two brown tassels and a brown cord Turk's head runner secured inside the hilt. On each side of the grip are the hilt pair (tsuka-ai) made in the form of the cherry flower repeated three times. The guard consists of seven parts and each part is stamped with the number '22', as is the end of the grip and the inside of the scabbard throat - presumably as an aid to assembling the tachi.</p> <p>The slightly curved steel blade, has a ridge running nearly the whole length of the blade curving in conformity with the cutting edge to a medium curved edge point. The obverse of the flat-backed tang is engraved with an anchor motif. The anchor motif indicates that the blade of the tachi was made in the Naval Arsenal of Tenshozan in the 17th Year of the Showa Era (1942). A copper collar (habaki) is also fitted to the tachi. The black wooden scabbard is covered with ray-skin and has two gilt copper lockets and chape. <a href="/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=WPN1185" title= "Tachi - ">WPN1185</a> and WPN1184 were both surrendered to Rear-Admiral Sir Cecil Halliday Jespson Harcourt (1892-1959) at Hong Kong on the 16th September 1945.</p> WPN1185 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1185) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/11/E1160.jpg The Naval Arsenal of Tenshozan, Japan wood; ray-skin; cotton tape; gilt brass; brass; gilt copper; copper; cord; steel unknown 1925-1950 <p>Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), the hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of magnolia wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered on each side by a fillet of white ray-skin, and is bound with two flat pieces of gold-coloured cotton tape twisted about each other. The plain brass ferrule (fuchi) is secured to the end of the handle by two brass pins. A brass button passes through the reverse side of the ferrule (fuchi) to operate a spring, which retains the tachi in its scabbard. The hilt ornaments are brass. The brass pommel (kabuto-gane) is decorated with a double ogee outline and is pierced on each face to show the ray-skin below. The steel blade is slightly curved, single-edged, with a ridge running near the back to within 38mm of the medium curved-edge point. The blade is round-backed and is fitted with a brass collar (habaki) at the shoulder. Neither the obverse nor the reverse of the blade is engraved and there are no temper lines. The wooden scabbard is covered with black leather and has a brass throat, with lockets with rings, an ornamental ring and chape. Small brass pins secure all of the brass parts of the tachi except for the ring. The lockets are roughly pear-shaped and pierced each side by a triangular hole.</p> <p>The tachi is probably factory-produced, as the workmanship is poor and far inferior to the other tachi's in the National Maritime Museum's collection. The hilt is glued to the tang so it has not been possible to remove it without the possibility of causing damage to the tachi and for this reason it has not been possible to study the hilt and the tang as fully as is usual. The Imperial Japanese Navy favoured blue and black scabbards so this tachi may be that of a Petty Officer. The tachi was surrendered in September 1945 at Singapore and given to HMS 'Ganges' by Captain E.V. Bush (active 1946) on Victory Day 1946.</p> WPN1358 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1358) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1426.jpg Japan magnolia wood; ray-skin; cotton tape; brass; steel; wood; leather Noshu Kanetoshi 1943 <p>Japanese tachi (Military fighting sword), which belonged to a Japanese Army Officer. The hilt of the tachi consists of two pieces of magnolia wood joined together longitudinally to form the grip. The wooden grip is covered with white ray-skin, and is bound with a piece of brown silk tape. The pommel (kabuto-gane) is decorated with a double ogee outline with a crest in the middle of the pommel (kabuto-gane) which consists of a cherry flower through the centre of which passes a sleeve for a metal loop (saru-te), which is decorated with cherry blossom and leaves. The metal mounts are made of brass and have been coloured brown and have traces of gilt.</p> <p>The steel blade is slightly curved, single-edged with a gable-sectioned back. The blade is engraved with the words 'Mino Province (Kanetoshi)' and 'Noshu Kanetoshi Saku, Showa 18'. The arsenal number '4438' is painted in black on the tang. The white metal scabbard has been painted with olive green paint. Running from throat to tip on the scabbard is a narrow metal band, attached to which is a suspension locket consisting of two parallel circlets merged into one at the point of suspension by a flower head from which stems the loop for the ring, a decorative circlet with a pendant leaf (shiba-biki) and chape (ishi-dzuki) made in the same form and size as the pommel (kabuto-gane).</p> <p>The tachi along with WPN1398 was surrendered to Lord Louis Alexander Mountbatten (1854-1921), Supreme Allied Commander, South-East Asia and belonged at one time to 'HMS Sussex'.</p> WPN1397 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Tachi (WPN1397) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1470.jpg Mino Province, Japan magnolia wood; ray-skin; silk tape; brass; gilt; steel; paint; white metal unknown <p>Japanese katana. The hilt consists of a grip of two pieces of wood joined longitudinally, covered with white ray-skin by a flat black cotton tape. This is secured to the tang by a short bamboo rod 15mm from the ferrule at the top of the grip. This ferrule is made of bronze copper and has a copper top; decorated with a large embossed wave with a gilt dragon issuing from it. The hilt ornaments (menuki) are in the form of leaves and blossoms of hollyhock and are partly gilt. The pommel (kashira) is of bronze copper (much of the copper showing through) and is decorated on the chape with an embossed and gilt scene of two Chinese sages, one holding a bowl and the other crouching at his feet with hands clapped to his ears. Above them are swirling threads which presumably indicate high winds or a storm. The kashira is pierced each side by a brass collar with knurled edges through which passes the tape binding.</p> <p>The blade is a slightly curved, single-edge with a ridge running near the gable-sectioned back edge to the medium curved-edge point. The tang is much eaten by rust, is signed on the reverse and has two rivet holes. A copper collar is fitted over the shoulder doubly scratched in lozenge form. The blade has been badly treated. There are no inscriptions on the obverse and the temper line is obscured by scubbing. The reverse is as obverse but the tang bears Japanese characters for Sagami Province. The scabbard is twin pieces of wood, joined longitudinally, secured at the throat by white twine binding, the whole covered with light brown leather, laced at the back of the throat with faded red cord, small leather chape fitted, the whole sewn down the back edge.</p> <p>This sword was surrendered at Singapore in 1945, presumably, from its mounts, by an army officer. It was given to the boys of HMS Ganges by Captain Eric W. Bush, DSO, DSC, RN, on Victory Day, 1946. Mr B.W. Robison of the Victoria and Albert Museum identified the sword as originating in Sagami Province and gave it its provisional date. He stated that the hollyhock decoration meant that probably an ancestor of the owner was a servant to the Tokugawa Shogunate, one of whose badges that flower was.</p> WPN1362 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London Edged weapons Katana (WPN1362) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/E/14/E1422.jpg Sagami Province, Japan wood; bamboo; metal-gilt; steel; leather; ray-skin; textile; bronzed copper 1975-1978; Soroban, Japanese abacus with coloured plastic beads in cardboard case. The soroban has 1 bead above the bar and 4 beads below. It is used for calculations in base 10. The soroban was developed from the Chinese abacus which had 2 beads above the bar and 5 below for working in base 16. 1978-112; Science Museum/Science & Society Picture Library > Science & Technology > Mathematics Soroban, Japanese, 1975-1978.; http://www.ingenious.org.uk/media/4.0_SAC/webimages/1032/5/10325642_2.jpg World > Asia > Japan 19th century Early 19th century Two arm pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-303-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Armoured apron, haidate http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981669.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) 19th century Early 19th century Two thigh pieces from a suit of armour, of figured blue silk and applied linked chain-mail and lacquered plates: Japan, early 19th century 000-190-004-304-C National Museums Scotland Weapons / armour Armoured legging, suneate http://nms.scran.ac.uk/database/media.php?file=postcard/image/0098/00981670.jpg Japan 66.00" H (whole suit) Sperry Marine Systems 1981 <p>Gyrocompasses were first successfully developed at the beginning of the 20th century as a solution to the problems of magnetic variation and deviation that are inherent in magnetic compasses. They use the properties of spinning gyroscopes which keep the compass pointing in a fixed direction, usually Earth’s true north.</p> <p>This master compass contains the gyroscopes that from the heart of the system and which would be transmitted to repeaters throughout the vessel. It also has a card on top, which is graduated in degrees (0-360 by 1 degree) and in points, with a fleur-de-lys at north. A red lubber line is painted onto a plastic mount protruding over the degree scale. The maker’s name is marked on the card as well as on labels on the side of the unit. There is also an inspection label from Tokyo Keiki Co. Ltd. There is also a latitude corrector on the front of the unit.</p> ACO1419 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Admiralty Compass Observatory Collection <a class="smallText" href= "/collections/explore/index.cfm/category/"></a><br /></td> </tr> <tr> <th>Other views:</th> <td colspan="2"> <ul id="thumbList" class="inlineMenu"> <li><a href= "/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=ACO1419&picture=1#content" class="thumbnail"><img src= "http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/70/F/55/F5593-001.jpg" alt="Gyrocompass (ACO1419) Repro ID: F5593-001" /></a> <strong>F5593-001</strong></li> <li><a href= "/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=ACO1419&picture=2#content" class="thumbnail"><img src= "http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/70/F/55/F5593-002.jpg" alt="Gyrocompass (ACO1419) Repro ID: F5593-002" /></a> F5593-002</li> </ul> </td> </tr> <tr> <th>Description:</th> <td colspan="2"> <p>Gyrocompasses were first successfully developed at the beginning of the 20th century as a solution to the problems of magnetic variation and deviation that are inherent in magnetic compasses. They use the properties of spinning gyroscopes which keep the compass pointing in a fixed direction, usually Earth’s true north.</p> <p>This master compass contains the gyroscopes that from the heart of the system and which would be transmitted to repeaters throughout the vessel. It also has a card on top, which is graduated in degrees (0-360 by 1 degree) and in points, with a fleur-de-lys at north. A red lubber line is painted onto a plastic mount protruding over the degree scale. The maker’s name is marked on the card as well as on labels on the side of the unit. There is also an inspection label from Tokyo Keiki Co. Ltd. There is also a latitude corrector on the front of the unit.</p> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> <!-- Really would like to get rid of the next bit, if possible. Purely decorative table row to put the curved bit at the bottom of the left-hand column. --> <tr> <td id="leftNavBottom" colspan="2"> SR-120 (ACO1419) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/F/55/F5593-001.jpg England; Japan aluminium; rubber; glass; plastic unknown 19th century (pre-1872) <p>Seasonal inclining dial. This instrument comprises a rectangular universal equinoctial dial with an hour-plate hinged to the base-plate. The obverse side of the base-plate has a scale for the 24 Chinese seasons with 12 divisions marked on it. The hour-plate is cut from a rectangle and has a quadrant arc along which the time scale is drawn. The gnomon is provided by a vertical piece standing up from the bottom of the time scale and is shaped into a point at the top. The bottom section of the hour-plate is shaped and engraved with vine patterns. It carries a pivoted strut in its centre by which the dial can be adjusted in conjunction with the scale on the base-plate.</p> <p>The time scale is divided into three main sections. Each of these is subdivided into two sections, which are numbered in Japanese and further subdivided into five parts. There is a decorative border below the time arc.</p> <p>This unusual Japanese 'pseudo-equinoctial' dial marks the hours according to the Japanese system but the scale on the base-plate is similar to that used by the Chinese, giving divisions according to season rather than a latitude scale. This dial is, therefore, a seasonal inclining or 'pseudo-equinoctial' dial.</p> <p>For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.</p> AST0387 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gabb Collection Sundials Inclining dial (AST0387) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/D/86/D8627.jpg Japan silvered brass unknown 18th century <p>Scaphe dial. This instrument comprises a dial and compass set on a raised gold rectangle, with an ivory lid. The compass consists of a red ring with 12 engraved characters inside it - they represent 12 directions by the names of the Chinese hours. The dial is formed out of a bowl-shaped depression in the ivory. The hour-lines are marked in black and a small vertical brass pin gnomon is in the centre of the bowl. Above the dial are five Japanese characters giving the numbers 5, 4, 9, 8 and 7.</p> <p>This dial is among the smallest of the instruments in the NMM sundial collection and is very similar to <a href= "/collections/explore/object.cfm?ID=AST0523" title= "Scaphe dial - ">AST0523</a>. The tiny size of the dial itself would have militated against the accuracy of the instrument, which would probably only have been able to provide the time to the nearest hour. These ivory sundials were probably inspired by the tradition of the 'netsuke' in Japanese jewellery, which were finely carved miniature ivory sculptures used for attaching items to the sash (obi) of a Japanese man's traditional dress.</p> <p>For more information regarding this dial please refer to the OUP & NMM catalogue, 'Sundials at Greenwich'.</p> AST0383 National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, Gabb Collection Sundials Scaphe dial (AST0383) http://www.nmm.ac.uk/collections/images/200/D/38/D3867.jpg Japan ivory; gold; brass; glass 1700 - 1799 Squat metal cloisonne teapot with a flat circular base, tapering body and rounded shoulders with a short neck and S-shaped spout. The lid slots into the mouth and features an indented upper section. There is a pair of metal handles joined to the surface of the shoulders which open out into a full circle. The exterior of the teapot comprises a blue background with brightly coloured motifs. Around the base of the pot is a band of long, elongated petal-shapes in yellow, blue and red with floral designs, ornamental ceramics and books around the upper body. A band of stylised patterns also appear around the top of the shoulders. The exterior of the lid depicts delicate flowers with a scene including books and stationary in the centre. The spout is decorated with black scales. The interior of the teapot is blue and cream and untreated. Registration# 187A Teapots, Decorative Metalwork, Japanese culture Japanese cloisonne teapot, 1700 Japan 1868 - 1927 Figure of a warrior cast in bronze and mounted on a wooden stand. The figure stands leaning back on one leg with a bow and arrow raised, ready to fire. The figure is clad in full armour, including a shirt which is decorated with large flowers and baggy pantaloons, decorated with wheel and cloud motifs. On the breast plate are fighting dragons. A sword and scabbard are suspended and tucked into the belt. The figure wears 'thongs' on his feet and his face is shown looking angry and serious. His eyebrows point downwards, he has a shaped moustache and his hair is tied back. On his head he wears a double peaked cap. The figure is mounted on a rectangular wooden stand, which has four scroll shaped legs. The sides of the stand are carved with scrolling foliage. Registration# 215A Human figures, Decorative Metalwork, Archery, Warfare, Metalworking, Bronze casting A Japanese warrior figure mounted on a wooden stand., 1868 Japan 1868 - 1912 An inro, Japanese case for holding small objects and netsuke in the shape of a mask. The inro and netsuke are made from lacquered wood. The inro which has four compartments and a lid is attached to the netsuke with a cord. When in use, the netsukes function is to anchor the inro to a belt or obi. On one side the inro features a gold image of a rooster and a hen with bamboo on the other side there are gold flowers. The mask netsuke has been carved with an open mouth and there are holes through to centre of the eyes. Registration# 217A Inros, Netsuke, Lacquer, Japanese design, Lacquer working Inro and mask netsuke made from lacquered wood., 1868 Japan 1868 - 1912 An inro, Japanese case for holding small objects and netsuke in the shape of a seated figure. The inro and netsuke are made from lacquered wood. The inro which has four compartments and a lid is attached to the netsuke with a cord. When in use, the netsukes function is to anchor the inro to a belt or obi. On one side the inro features a gold image of two cranes. On the other side there is an image of one crane. The netsuke is carved in the form of Daruma the Buddhist monk credited with introducing Zen Buddhism to China. The figure has exaggerated facial features. His hands are on his cheeks. The figure has no legs. Registration# 218A Inros, Netsuke, Lacquer, Japanese design, Buddhism, Cranes, Carving, Lacquer working A lacquered wood inro with a netsuke in the shape of a seated figure., 1868 Japan 1868 - 1912 An inro, Japanese case for holding small objects and netsuke. The inro and netsuke are made from lacquered wood. The inro which has three compartments and a lid is attached to the netsuke with a cord. When in use, the netsukes function is to anchor the inro to a belt or obi. The inro has been carved with decorative patterns and lacquered in red. The netsuke has also been carved with decorative patterns. It splits into two halves. One side is lacquered in red and the other side in white or cream. The bottom half of the red side of the netsuke has been broken off and is missing. Registration# 219A Inros, Netsuke, Lacquer, Japanese design, Lacquer working A red lacquered wooden inro and netsuke., 1868 Japan An inro, Japanese case for holding small objects made from lacquered wood. The inro which has four compartments and a lid is held together with string. The inro has been lacquered in black and carved with a repeated stylised floral design. Registration# 220A Inros, Lacquer, Japanese design A black lacquered wooden inro with a carved design. Japan Two sets of warrior and demon figures. In each set of figures, which have been cast in bronze, the warrior figure is depicted holding a weapon attacking a demon-like figure which is on all fours. There is a small rectangular hole in the back of each of the demon figures in which the foot of the warrior figure can be inserted. In one set of figures the warrior stands behind the demon figure with his left foot resting on the back of the demon figure which has its head turned towards the right. In the other set the warrior stands to one side of the demon figure with his right foot resting on the back of the demon figure which has its head turned up towards the left. The weapon being held by the warrior in this set of figures has broken and become detached from the figure. Registration# 232A Human figures, Decorative Metalwork, Japanese culture, Bronze casting 232A Candlesticks (2), warrior and demon figures, bronze, maker unknown, Japan, date unknown Japan Three Japanese Kozuka handles with various engraved images and metals such as brass and copper and brass overlaid with silver and shakudo. Registration# 235A Handles, Kozuka, Decorative Metalwork, Arms and Armour, Japanese Decorative Arts, Japanese metalwork, Warfare, Japanese armour Three kozuka handles Japan Three Japanese kogatana sheaths. They are overlaid with bronze, silver and gold. The kozuka has a triangular opening with a hollow body to hold the Japanese Kogatana which is a small blade. Registration# 236A Sheaths, Kozuka, Decorative Metalwork, Arms and Armour, Japanese Decorative Arts, Japanese metalwork, Warfare, Japanese armour Three kozuka handles Japan Three kozuka knife sheaths, made from various metals with various forms of decoration. The kozuka's have a triangular opening with a hollow body to hold the Japanese Kogatana which is a small blade. Registration# 237A Kozuka, Sheaths, Arms and Armour, Decorative Metalwork, Japanese Decorative Arts, Japanese metalwork, Warfare, Japanese armour Three kozuka handles Japan 1600 - 1700 Two old iron tsubas from the early edo period of Japan. They are circular in shape and both have a central triangular tang hole (nakago-ana). Registration# 238A Tsuba, Arms and Armour, Decorative Metalwork, Japanese armour, Japanese metalwork, Japanese Decorative Arts, Warfare Two Japanese iron tsuba, Shoami and Loten school, 1600 Japan Three iron tsuba, one with boar, one with boat scene and other alloy of copper and gold. Registration# 239A Tsuba, Arms and Armour, Decorative Metalwork, Japanese metalwork, Japanese Decorative Arts, Japanese armour, Warfare Three Japanese iron tsuba Japan Four iron Japanese tsuba with varying sizes and imagery. Some with an openwork design and some with boat scenes. Registration# 240A Tsuba, Arms and Armour, Decorative Metalwork, Bamboo, Dragons, Boats, Japanese metalwork, Japanese Decorative Arts, Warfare, Japanese armour Four Japanese iron tsuba Japan Sword, steel, with signature on tang. Hilt of wood covered in ray skin, bound with gold coloured plaited silk wrapped around a decorative gold menuki. There is a tsuba at the base of the handle which is engraved with a floral design. There is a brass seppa (guard washer) and a fuchi missing. Registration# 245A Swords, Scabbards, Tsuba, Arms and Armour, Warfare, Fish, Japanese armour, Japanese Decorative Arts, Japanese metalwork A Japanese tachi sword Japan Four Japanese swords of various sizes and shapes. A katana sword with a rayskin and bound hilt and red scabbard. A wakizashi sword with a shagreen and bound hilt. New fittings for the blade produced overseas in Japan for restoration purposes. All swords have a different tsuba each and are all attached to the base of the hilt. Registration# 247A Swords, Arms and Armour, Japanese armour, Japanese metalwork, Japanese Decorative Arts, Katana Four Japanese swords Japan 1942 Registration# 92/1278 Occupation notes, Numismatics, World War II 92/1278 Banknote, half gulden, Japanese occupation issue for Netherlands East Indies, paper, Japan, 1942. Japan Award, Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, First Class. The award includes a medal and sash, breast badge and medal case. The medal is circular in shape with a red enamel centre and white enamel star-like points radiating form the centre. A hinged floral section sits on top with a ring to hold a sash clasp. The sash is a corded ribbon with cream and red edge. A rosette of ribbon is placed over the metal clip to hold the medal. The design of the medal with red enamelled centre with white enamel star like points is repeated in the centre of the brest badge, and there are Japanese characters on the back of the badge. The medal case is lacquered black with a purple satin lined lid and purple velvet hinged base. The lid features silver Japanese characters and the Paulonia flower emblem. Also includes a typed sheet of paper with a message by H.E. Ambassador Saito at the presentation of the medal dated 24.5.1973, and a typed sheet of paper with instructions on how to wear the award. 1998.0010.0007 Awards Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, First Class, to Sir Robert Menzies Japan Metal - non specific, Textile - non specific Canon Inc 1978-1985 Canon A-1 SLR camera with a 50mm lens, a rubber lens hood, and a strap with a camouflage pattern in green. 2000.0015.0006 Length: 150mm Width: 130mm Height: 100mm Cameras Canon A-1 SLR camera with a 50mm lens, used by Major Les Hiddins Japan Aluminium, Plastic - non specific, Textile - non specific, Rubber Aichi Aircraft Company (Aichi Kokuki KK) 1945 Type: Inverted V, 12 cylinders, liquid cooled, supercharged, fuel injected Power rating: 1,044 kW (1,400 hp) at 2,800 rpm Displacement: 33.9 L (2,069 cu in) Weight: 715 kg (1,576 lb) Manufacturer: Aichi Aircraft Co., Japan Missing generator and exhaust manifold; has nearly all rear case accessories. (Generator A19601831000 installed 6/6/2001). A19710927000 Length 215.0 cm (84 5/8 in.), Width 71.2 cm (28 1/16 in.), Height 106.0 cm (41 3/4 in.) Aichi Atsuta 31, Ha 60 Model 31 http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19710927000cp01.jpg  Japan Bearings - Steel backed copper lead Crankshaft - Ni/Cr Steel Cylinder blocks - Silicon aluminum alloy Ignition leads - Fabric covered Pistons - Similar to 24S aluminum Aichi Aircraft Company (Aichi Kokuki KK) 1945 Wings rotated back, folded back to lie flat against the fuselage. 2/3 of each side of the horizontal stabilizer also folded down, likewise the tip of the vertical stabilizer. A19630308000 Overall: 460 x 1160cm, 3310kg, 1230cm (15ft 1 1/8in. x 38ft 11/16in., 7297.2lb., 40ft 4 1/4in.) Aichi M6A1 Seiran (Clear Sky Storm) http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19630308000cp08.jpg  Japan National Space Development Agency of Japan A19910029000 Overall (1:15 scale): 9 ft. 7 9/16 in. tall x 1 ft. wide (293.5 x 30.48cm) Other: 6 1/2 in. diameter (16.5cm) Other (including stand): 115 9/16in. (293.5cm) Model, Rocket, H-I, 1:15 http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19910029000.jpg  Japan Plastic and metal rocket w/plexiglass cutaway on top of third stage showing a generic satellite. Metal base. National Space Development Agency of Japan A19910030000 Overall (1:15 scale): 11 ft. 6 in. tall x 2 ft. 6 in. diameter (350.52 x 76.2cm) Model, Rocket, H-II, 1:15 http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19910030000cp03.jpg  Japan Plastic and metal rocket w/plexiglass cutaway on top of the third stage showing a generic satellite. Base is metal. Kawanishi Kokuki K. K. 1942 Single-engine, low-wing monoplane, conventional layout with tailwheel landing gear. A19830237000 Overall: 400 x 930cm, 2675kg, 1200cm (13ft 1 1/2in. x 30ft 6 1/8in., 5897.3lb., 39ft 4 7/16in.) Kawanishi N1K2-Ja Shiden (Violet Lightning) Kai (Modified) GEORGE http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19830237000cp06.jpg  Japan All-metal monocoque construction Kawanishi Kokuki K. K. 1942 Twin engine, two seat, night fighter with semi-monocoque fuselage and wings. A19600334000 Overall: 9ft 6 3/16in., 8335.6lb., 49ft 2 9/16in. x 34ft 9 5/16in. (290cm, 3781kg, 1500 x 1060cm) Kawasaki Ki-45 Kai Hei (Mod. C) Type 2 Toryu (Dragon Killer) NICK http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19600334000cp1.jpg  Japan Dai-Ichi Kaigun Koku Gijitsusho Kugisho (First Naval Air Technical Bureau) 1945 Single-seat, all-metal monocoque construction and conventional layout with low wing and twin vertical fins and rudders, powered by "Campini" jet engine. A19480180000 Overall: 120 x 690cm, 545kg, 410cm (3ft 11 1/4in. x 22ft 7 5/8in., 1201.5lb., 13ft 5 7/16in.) Kugisho MXY7 Ohka (Cherry Blossom) 22 http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19480180000cp24.jpg  Japan All-metal monocoque construction Nakajima Hikoki K. K. 1939 Single-engine, low-wing fighter. A19600335000 Overall: 11ft 5 13/16in. x 29ft 10 1/4in., 4177.7lb., 36ft 1 1/16in. (350 x 910cm, 1895kg, 1100cm) Mitsubishi A6M5 Reisen (Zero Fighter) Model 52 ZEKE http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19600335000cp06.jpg  Japan 1875 - 1885 A pair of identical vases. Each vase has a long cylindrical neck that flares out towards an opening at the top of each vase and down towards the main body of each vase. The neck of each vase features a stylised floral design on a purple background. Below this is a border of vertical green leaves followed by a panel that features a design of green foliage and light blue flowers on a dark blue background. This panel joins the neck and main body of each vase which both feature yellow chrysanthemums and white hydrangeas surrounded by green foliage on an aqua background. Registration# 7721 Vases, Decorative Metalwork, Cloisonne enamel, Japanese culture, Japanese design, Japanese Decorative Arts A pair of cloisonne vases featuring a stylised floral design., 1875 Japan Nakajima Hikoki K. K. 1942 Twin-engine, conventional layout with tailwheel-type landing gear. Armament: (2) 20 mm fixed upward firing cannon Engines: (2) Nakajima Sakae 21 (NK1F, Ha35- 21) 14- cylinder air-cooled radial 1,130 horsepower (metric) A19600338000 Overall: 15ft 1 1/8in. x 41ft 11 15/16in., 10670.3lb., 55ft 9 5/16in. (460 x 1280cm, 4840kg, 1700cm) Nakajima J1N1-S Gekko (Moonlight) IRVING http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/A19600338000cp11.jpg  Japan All-metal, monocoque construction airplane Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kugisho 1945 Type: Turbojet Thrust/speed: 4,657 N (1,047 lb) at 11,000 rpm Compressor: 8-stage axial flow Combustor: Annular Turbine: 1-stage axial flow Manufacturer: Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kugisho, Yokosuka, Japan A19610121002 Naval Air Technical Arsenal, Kugisho Ne-20 http://collections.nasm.si.edu/media/previews/200328541-3.jpg  Japan Registration# 7955 Vases, Decorative Metalwork, 7955 Pair of similar cast bronze vases, elongated baluster form, dragons in high relief in seaspray, unmarked, Japan, 19th C. Japan A compact manually operated projector for slides or strips of film. The body of the projector is black with a red covered electric cord attached. The projector has "ROMANSLIDE / 2 / SAN - EI SANGYO CO. LTD /" inscribed on each side of the body and "MADE IN JAPAN" underneath the base. Includes a lens in a black plastic mount, inscribed "E ZUMAR ANASTIGMAT f 3.0 4 inch." and clear plastic lens cap, a slide holder, a film plate holder for strips of 35mm film, a green plastic envelope for storing the slide holder and film plate holder, a brown cardboard sleeve to hold accessories and the instruction leaflet, an instruction leaflet for the Roman slide projector 'Model Z Samoca Camera Co. Ltd'., and a lid for the projector. 1987.0045.0116 Length: 235mm Width: 90mm Depth: 115mm Projectors 'Romanslide' brand manually-operated projector for slides or film strips Japan Metal - non specific, Glass, Plastic - non specific 1868 - 1912 A human figure carved from ivory. The ornament or okimono depicts a man wearing a kimono with a scarf tied round his head. The barefooted man is kneeling on one knee and holds a turtle in his right hand. There is a tub on either side of the man. One of the tubs has two turtles tied and hanging off its handle. The other tub contains a turtle that is swimming and another a turtle sitting on a bamboo pole attached to the tub.There is a hank of knotted rope on the ground at the foot of the man. The base of the ornament has been carved to resemble rush matting. Registration# 92/92 Figures, Scrimshaw and Ivory, Sculpture, Animal products, Japanese Decorative Arts, Turtles Carved ivory figure of a man and turtles, 1868 Japan Nikkei Typewriter Co Keyboardless "Nikkei" brand metal typewriter/printing press with metal type pieces of Japanese characters. It has twelve removable parts comprising type ribbons, handles, feet, a crank and a piece of paper with printed Japanese characters. 1994.0067.0001 Width: 660mm Height: 280mm Depth: 590mm Typewriters Nikkei brand Japanese character typewriter without keyboard Japan Metal - non specific, Plastic - non specific, Paper, Ink, Textile - non specific, Rubber 1980-1984 Modified and battered green Toyota Landcruiser 40 Series Short Wheel Base Four Wheel Drive vehicle known as the 'Buff Catcher'. On the right side front corner of its prominent bullbar is a heavy steel 'bionic catching arm', which was designed by Cal Carrick to catch feral buffalo. The arm is powered by an electric motor that is mounted on the left side chassis rail behind the bullbar. Several drive-belts run from the electric motor across the front of the flyscreen-shielded radiator grille to the ratchet mechanism that raises the catching arm. A steel tube that mechanically releases and drops the arm, or raises it through the operation of an electric switch, runs from the ratchet mechanism, along the top of the right side of the bonnet, to a control in front of the driver. The vehicle is encased in rusty steel plate 'armour' welded to a steel frame. The original windscreen, two doors, and the roof or canopy have been removed. A spare wheel is attached to a large bracket across the back of the very worn and torn black vinyl seats. The tailgate is welded shut, and Northern Territory vehicle licence plate number 179 977 is attached to it. The bonnet is secured by a strap made from a section of nylon webbing seat belt and a piece of rope, which is tied to the frame for the armour on the right side. Both of the back corners of the bonnet have '21' stencilled on them in black. The paintwork is very faded and worn. All of the lights and indicators are broken or missing, with the exception of the right headlight. 1999.0018.0001 Length: 4100mm Width: 1840mm Height: 1630mm Vehicles Modified and battered green Toyota Landcruiser 40 Series Short Wheel Base Four Wheel Drive vehicle known as the 'Buff Catcher' http://www.nma.gov.au/collections-search/media?irn=8057&image=yes&size=med Japan Steel, Rubber, Vinyl, Nylon, Rope, Glass 1960 - 1964 Jar: wheel-thrown jar made of stoneware with prominent throwing lines, the oviform jar rests on a cicular footrim and rises with flaring sides to the swollen mid-body. The upper body features a narrow shoulder and a short upright neck with inward angled rim surrounding a wide mouth. Three ridges encircle the jar to produce two broad bands at mid-body and each is set with three applied flower motifs, large five-petalled flowers spaced around the upper band, smaller seven-petalled flowers on the band below. The exterior is parcel glazed with a reddish-brown copper oxide glaze speckled with green on the upper two thirds of the jar while the lower body remains unglazed. The interior is tenmoku glazed. Registration# 91/890 Jars, Packaging, Ceramics, 91/890 Jar and packaging, stoneware / wood, copper oxide glaze and applied decoration, Takeichi Kawai, Kyoto, Japan, 1960-1964 Kyoto, Japan 1960 - 1966 Bottle: wheel-thrown, stoneware bottle featuring prominent throwing lines. The oviform bottle has a circular footrim with undercut base and rises from the narrow lower body through swollen sides to a rounded shoulder tapering to a short narrow neck. The neck features a down-turned angular collar below the rim. The exterior has been decorated with cobalt, tenmoku and clear [limestone] glazes over a white slip and features brushed floral motifs on two sides in freely painted tenmoku and copper oxide glaze. The underside is clear glazed and the footrim is unglazed. Registration# 91/889 Bottles, Packaging, Ceramics, 91/889 Bottle and packaging, stoneware, blue glaze and painted decoration, with original wooden box, Takeichi Kawai, Kyoto, Japan, 1960-1965 Kyoto, Japan 1967 Registration# 91/420 Photocopiers, Writing and Printing Equipment, 91/420 Photocopier, 'Minolta Frax 41', metal / glass / plastic / electronic components, with operating manual and accessories, Minolta, Japan, 1967 Japan