Soga Shohaku, Mt. Fuji and Miho Pine Grove Edo Period, 18th century Soga Shohaku, Mt. Fuji and Miho Pine Grove Edo Period, 18th century
Soga Shohaku, Mt. Fuji and Miho Pine Grove   Edo Period, 18th century
Large Shigaraki Urn Muromachi Period, 15th century Former collection of Shirasu Masako
Returning to a Hidden Village The ceramicist Shirasu Masako referred to the Omi region (present-day Shiga Prefecture, where the Miho Museum is located) as a “hidden village” because of its unique cultural environment and behind-the-scenes role in Japanese history, which featured cooperation between immigrants from elsewhere in Asia and native Japanese, including figures such as the monk Roben who established Todai-ji Temple in Nara along with the Emperor Shomu.
Years later Koyama Mihoko, the founder of the Miho Museum, saw the mountains of Omi as a Utopia. Because of their pure hearts and cloudless gaze, visionaries like these two can see things others cannot. Surely they would have been pleased with the homecoming of this large urn, in which the landscape of Shigaraki itself seems to live and breathe.
Large Shigaraki Urn Muromachi Period, 15th century Former collection of Shirasu Masako
Nimbus for a Buddhist Sculpture Kamakura Period, 12th-13th century Nimbus for a Buddhist Sculpture Kamakura Period, 12th-13th century Look at the outer circumference of this aureola, something a like a halo behind a sacred personage. Undulating vines snake through the proliferating shoots of the mitsuba plant. The vine intertwines with the leaves at perfectly balanced angles.
The carving is exquisite, even down to the holes between shoots and leaves. It’s easy to picture the skilled craftsmen, many centuries ago in the Heian (794-1185) or Kamakura (1185-1336) eras, delighting in their work as they tap out a rhythm inspired by the heavens above…
Nimbus for a Buddhist Sculpture Kamakura Period, 12th-13th century
This spring sees the arrival of 14 new items in the museum collection, including Soga Shohaku's Mt. Fuji and Miho Pine Grove, in this exhibition, which provides an overview of Japanese art in five sections: “Gods and Buddha,” “Land of Pottery,” “Fuji Pilgrimage,” “Banquet of Spring,” and “The Joy of Tea.”
The works can of course be appreciated in terms of art-historical discoveries and unraveling of their technical wizardry, but in this spring's exhibition viewers are encouraged to engage with the unique character and emotional resonance of each work of art on its own terms. Comments by the museum's curators are provided to help you do so.
Seeing art from a new vantage point provides new insights and new ways of enjoying it. Crack a smile at the humorous, nod your head at new discoveries, and immerse yourself in the joys of Japanese art with the unique perspectives of our curators as a guide.
Official Exhibition Catalog Soga Shohaku's Mt. Fuji and Miho Pine Grove and the Joys of Japanese Art from Seigensha Art Publishing!


Back Next Prev [ page 2-3. 4. 5. 6-7. 8-9. 10-11. 12-13. 14-15 ]