April 6 (Fri) - June 3 (Sun), 2012

Masters of the Kano School
- Succession of Refined Esthetics

The Kano School was founded by Masanobu (1434 - 1530) who became the official painter of the Muromachi feudal government, and the school was developed into a strong organization by his successor Motonobu (1477? - 1559). Ever since, it existed as the leading school in the center of Japanese painting circles from the Momoyama and Edo to the Bakumatsu and Meiji periods. In this exhibition, the refined artistic world of the Kano School will be introduced through Muromachi-Momoyama period paintings that show a stylized beauty, as well as elegant examples of birds and flowers subjects from the Edo Kano School after Kano Tan’yu (1602 - 74) had moved to Edo from Kyoto.

June 8 (Fri) - August 26 (Sun), 2012

Rikyu and the Momoyama Tea Ceramics

The esthetics of Sen no Rikyu (1522 - 91) that bloomed during the disturbances of war presented a new view of the world that wonderfully harmonized men, art works and space. Values of art change according to the views of people, but Rikyu searched for a universal sense of beauty that existed in the hearts of the Japanese people. This exhibition will focus on the time period in which Rikyu was active, approaching the fundamental qualities of Japanese art. For the first time the Ko-Tenmyo style tea kettle, Kikusui which had originally been in the collection of the Tokugawa family, will be exhibited together. Also on display are other masterpieces of Momoyama tea ceramics as well as masterful folding screens of Hasegawa Tohaku (1539 - 1610). We hope that you will enjoy the pervading spirit of the Momoyama period through this show.

August 31 (Fri) - October 14 (Sun), 2012

Kohitsu Ancient Calligraphy and Waka Japanese Poetry

Kohitsu is a general term referring to the fragmented segments of calligraphy copied prior to the modern period, especially to the texts of poem anthologies in kana (Japanese script) calligraphy. Well into the modern period, rare kohitsu were separated into segments called kohitsu-gire. For this exhibition, we are displaying the original form of kohitsu as scrolls and books, tekagami albums that developed to collect and store kohitsu-gire and uta-gire in hanging scrolls, as well as other items related to kohitsu and waka.

October 19 (Fri) - January 14 (Mon), 2013

Kosometsuke and Shonzui
- The Blue and White Tea Ceramics of Japanese Adoration

Chinese Jingdezhen ware was always exported to nearby countries and, for Japan, its appreciation was based on a one-sided Japanese admiration for its unsurpassable quality and technique. On the other hand, in the works of the late Ming Tianqi period kosometsuke and Chongzhen period shonzui, form and design matched the Japanese esthetic, as if they were made in the same communal spirit with the craftsmen. They comprise a very special group of items cherished as tea ceramics. We hope that you will enjoy the tranquil quality of the late Ming Jingdezhen blue and white ware from the Idemitsu collection.

January 14 (Mon) - March 31(Sun), 2013

Introduction to Chinese Art

Chinese art is familiar to us as being one of the origins of Japanese art. Paintings and calligraphy may be familiar, but many observers might comment that craftwork is difficult to understand. For this exhibition, representative items of ancient bronze, jade, lacquer and ceramics from the Idemitsu collection will be selected for display. Key points for appreciation will be introduced and we hope that you will gain new insights into the high level of techniques in the periods in which these exquisite items were produced.